Japanese Transcription & Pitch Annotation Specialist
This is the employer's own posting, not a copy on a job board.
What we know
Is it still open?
Confirmed still open
Last checked 12h ago — checked against the employer's own applicant tracking system, which is the company answering directly.
We re-read the employer's own applicant tracking system and the posting was still there. That is the company answering directly.
How old is it?
Posted 8d ago
The date the source published, not the day we noticed it (2026-09-24). Last seen at its source 1h ago.
We have tracked this listing since 25 Sep 2026 (7 days). The employer's own board has carried it every time we have read it, most recently 1 hour ago.
Is it remote?
Marked remote on the employer's board
Their board carries a remote setting on this posting — a field they filled in, not wording we read. The location field names somewhere specific, which is usually where the team or the entity sits.
Who may apply?
Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea
The description states no restriction of its own. This is the source's own tag.
Pay
$18–20/hr
Read out of the job description by us, not from a structured field. Shown in the posting's own currency and period; we never convert.
Carried by 1 source
-
workable employer's own board first seen 7d ago · last seen 1h ago
The listing
Role Overview
Volga Partners is seeking Japanese language specialists to support a specialized speech evaluation and annotation project. This role is ideal for individuals with strong transcription skills and a deep understanding of natural Japanese pronunciation, mora structure, and pitch.
You will review Japanese audio, validate and correct transcripts and Katakana pronunciation, and assign H/L pitch values at the mora level based on actual speech. The work focuses on evaluation of existing audio recordings, not one-time participation or recording.
This is a remote, freelance, project-based opportunity expected to run for approximately one month, with an engagement of around 15 hours per week.
Responsibilities
- Review Japanese audio and verify transcript accuracy.
- Correct transcription errors (omissions, additions, repetitions, and pronunciation differences).
- Review mixed Kanji/Kana transcription for accuracy, punctuation, pauses, and bunsetsu boundaries.
- Validate Katakana pronunciation lines to match actual spoken audio.
- Apply project-specific pronunciation rules (particles, long vowels, double consonants, syllabic nasals, and contracted sounds).
- Assign H/L pitch values to each mora, aligned with the pronunciation line.
- Represent audible vowel lengthening with additional mora and pitch values.
- Flag unclear audio for review rather than making unsupported assumptions.
- Maintain consistent annotation quality and follow calibration feedback.
Key Skills and Requirements
Language Proficiency
- Fluent or highly proficient Japanese ability.
- Strong transcription knowledge and accuracy.
- Ability to transcribe spoken Japanese using Kanji/Kana.
- Ability to prepare or validate Katakana phonetic transcription.
- Strong understanding of mora structure and pitch perception.
- Ability to identify pauses, sentence endings, emotional speech, vowel lengthening, and pronunciation differences.
- Attention to detail and consistent annotation judgment.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- Experience in Japanese speech transcription or QA.
- Audio or linguistic annotation projects.
- ASR transcription or speech data QA.
- Japanese linguistics, phonetics, phonology, or prosody.
- Speech technology or voice data projects.
- Japanese language teaching.
- Voice acting or narration with strong pitch perception.
Work Structure
- Type: Freelance / Project-Based
- Duration: Approximately 1 month
- Commitment: ~15 hours per week (total workload ~15 hours)
- Recruitment Target: 15 resources
Compensation
- Rate: $18–$20 USD/hour
- Payment: Processed through Deel
- All project hours and assignments must be approved in advance and are based on project needs; contractors should not independently add or work unapproved hours.
Qualification Assessment
- Candidates will complete a short qualification assessment covering:
- Japanese transcription accuracy
- Katakana pronunciation validation
- Mora identification and pronunciation rules
- H/L pitch perception
- Mora-to-pitch alignment accuracy
Note: Strong performance on the practical audio portion is required before moving into production work.