Singable translation of music is widely debated within the field. For some, singable translation is something a translator should not do, as it might require modification to the rhythm and melody which take the translated piece too far from the original. On the other hand, such translation is advocated by empathizing the importance of audience hearing and understanding the song in their own language.
This paper examines and discusses the translation techniques used in a singable translation of the Broadway musical Hamilton, translated from English into Japanese. The musical has been officially translated for performing only in German, in contrast to another famous American musical, West Side Story, which by 2001 had been translated into 12 different languages, including Japanese (Gottlieb, 2001). However, according to Gen Parton-Shin, a Japanese-American actor working in the scene, the musical Hamilton is said to be impossible to translate into Japanese (2019). Through examining unofficial Japanese singable fan translations using Yoko Hasegawa and Peter Low’s established techniques and principles, this paper argues the statement to be false: the translators have found equivalent expressions to apply as their most often used translation technique, combined with frequent use of borrowed words and lines, it proves there are ways to convey the story in Japanese as well.