History
1989～1999
| Year/Month | Activities |
| 1989.6 | First TC Symposium “Considering Japanese Manuals Today” held. 600 participants. |
| 1990.7 | Second TC Symposium “Considering the Creation of Easy-to-Understand Manuals” held. 800 participants. |
| 1991.8 | Third TC Symposium “Considering the Creation of User-Friendly Manuals” held. 1,200 participants. |
| 1992.1 | Technical Communicators Association (TC Association) established. |
| 1992.6 | “Manual Evaluation Guidelines” published. |
| 1992.9 | 4th TC Symposium “Seeking Techniques for Clear Communication” held. 900 participants. |
| 1993.5 | “Research Report on Human Resource Development” and “Research Report on Manual Production Tools” published. |
| 1993.8 | Held the 5th TC Symposium “Communication Techniques: More Accessible, Closer to Users.” 800 participants. |
| 1994.5 | Published the “TC Education Curriculum” and “Evaluation Criteria for Excellent Manuals.” |
| 1994.8 | Held the 6th TC Symposium “TC Technology Supporting User Interfaces.” 600 participants. |
| 1995.5 | Published the “Research Report on the TC Certification System” and the “Research Report on the Manual Contest”. |
| 1995.8 | Held the 7th TC Symposium “The New Wave of TC: PL, Multimedia, Internet”. 700 participants. |
| 1996.3 | Published the “Research Report on the TC Technical Certification System” and the “Research Report on Trends in Manual Evolution in Multimedia Environments”. |
| 1996.8 | Held the 8th TC Symposium “TC Technology in the Internet Era.” 850 participants. |
| 1997.2 | The Japan Manual Contest became a joint event organized by the TC Association and the STC Tokyo Chapter. The Japan Manual Contest had begun in 1991. |
| 1997.3 | Held the Technical Seminar “Copyright Seminar in the Multimedia Era.” |
| 1997.3 | Published “TC Technical Certification (Practical Certification)” and “Electronic Manual Production Guidelines”. |
| 1997.8 | Launched the TC Association website (http://www.jtca.org). |
| 1997.9 | Held TC Symposium '97 “Form, Color, Sound, Motion: TC in Electronic Space”. 1,050 participants. |
| 1998.2 | TC Technical Certification Exam: Beginner Level Technical Writing administered (pre-2003 designation: Level 3). Administered annually thereafter. |
| 1998.4 | “Survey Report on Electronic Manual Evaluation Guidelines” published. |
| 1998.9 | TC Symposium '98 “Objects, Media, Communication… Dialogue Between People and Objects” held. 1,050 participants. |
| 1999.6 | Held the “Manual Production Practical Seminar.” Held annually thereafter. |
| 1999.9-12 | TC Symposium '99: “Human vs. Digital” to “Human with Digital.” Attendance: Tokyo 1,020, Osaka 290. |
2000～2009
| Year/Month | Activities |
| 2000.2 | The Japan Manual Contest commenced as an event solely organized by the TC Association. |
| 2000.4 | Published the “Survey Report on Application Fields of Technical Communication (TC) Technology.” |
| 2000.4 | Began holding the Japan Manual Contest independently. Held annually thereafter. |
| 2000.9-12 | TC Symposium 2000: “Changing Media, Changing ‘Comprehensibility’” held in Tokyo (1,100 attendees) and Osaka (310 attendees). |
| 2001.2 | TC Technical Writing Advanced Certification Exam administered (previously called Level 2 until 2003). Held annually thereafter. |
| 2001.8-10 | TC Symposium 2001 “What's Accessibility? Enabling Access? Attracting Users?” Tokyo: 910 participants, Osaka: 260 participants. |
| 2002.4 | Published “Research Report on User Interface Technology for Web Information.” |
| 2002.9-10 | TC Symposium 2002 “Beyond Clarity and Usability? The Joy of Usability!!” Tokyo: 950 participants, Osaka: 230 participants. |
| 2003.4 | Published “Research Report on Web Information Production Guidelines”. |
| 2003.8-10 | TC Symposium 2003 “Comfortable Communication Between People and Things ~ Designing Information” Tokyo: 960 participants, Osaka: 240 participants. |
| 2004.2 | TC Technical Certification Exam Field: Manual Production Direction commenced. Held annually thereafter. |
| 2004.9 | TC Symposium 2004 “Creating for Use, Creating for Production” Tokyo: 1,020 participants, Osaka: 220 participants. |
| 2004.10 | Guidelines “Research on Katakana Notation and Long Vowel Notation” published. |
| 2005.3 | “Research on Usability Qualification Evaluation” published. |
| 2005.4 | “Research on Electronic Manual Standard Mark” published. |
| 2005.5 | “Technical Communicator Training Workshop” commenced. Held annually thereafter. |
| 2005.9-10 | TC Symposium 2005 “Transformation!” Tokyo: 1,110 attendees, Osaka: 270 attendees. |
| 2005.10 | First edition, second printing of “Technical Communication Skills Certification: Technical Writing Field Exam Preparation Text” published. |
| 2006.5 | “Research Study on Training Usability Experts” published. |
| 2006.5 | “Draft Standard for IEC 62079 Part 2: Instructions for Use” submitted to the IEC/TC3 Documentation Subcommittee Domestic Committee. |
| 2006.9-10 | TC Symposium 2006 “Let's Create! New Navigation Techniques” held in Tokyo (1,070 participants) and Osaka (310 participants). |
| 2006.12 | First edition of “Technical Communication Certification Guidebook: Manual Production Direction Field” published. |
| 2007.3 | “Research Study on In-House Training Curricula for Usability Experts and Technical Communicators” published. |
| 2007.8-10 | TC Symposium 2007 “TORI-SETSU 2.0: More Creative, More Simple” Tokyo: 1,300 attendees, Osaka: 390 attendees. |
| 2008.3 | “Guidelines for Writing Foreign Words (Katakana)” 2nd Edition published. |
| 2008.3 | “Research Study on Training Usability Experts for Product Information” published. |
| 2008.8-10 | TC Symposium 2008 “Design × Information: Technical Communicators Advance to a New Stage” held in Tokyo (1,350 attendees) and Kyoto (450 attendees). |
| 2008.10 | First participation and exchange at the tcworld conference 2008 (held in Wiesbaden), organized by tekom, Europe's largest TC organization (headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany). Presentations covered localization for Japan, Japanese visual manuals, and legal requirements in the Japanese market. |
| 2008.11 | At the 2008 Extraordinary General Meeting, the transition to the Technical Communicators Association (General Incorporated Foundation) was approved by a majority vote. |
| 2009.1 | Completed incorporation as the Technical Communicators Association (General Incorporated Foundation) (Incorporation date: January 7, 2009). |
| 2009.1 | Takumi Amemiya assumed the position of Representative Director of the Technical Communicators Association, General Incorporated Foundation. |
| 2009.1 | Manabu Kishi assumed the position of Chairman of the Technical Communicators Association, General Incorporated Foundation. |
| 2009.2 | Published the inaugural issue of the association journal “Frontier”. |
| 2009.3-4 | Final results of the council member election announced (22 members elected; organization launched with 25 members including 3 founding council members). Council meeting held on April 15; Toshimasa Yamazaki elected Council Chair, Naoki Tokuda elected Vice Chair. |
| 2009.4 | Announced the “Introduction to Technical Communication Course” (held 10 consecutive sessions from May to October), ideal for training newcomers in information handling and production. |
| 2009.7 | Published the second issue of the journal “Frontier” (focusing on human resource development in the TC field). |
| 2009.7 | Published “Thorough Explanation: Chinese Regulations and National Standards Related to Technical Communication.” |
| 2009.8 | Published “Japanese Style Guide,” an explanatory book on writing techniques for practical documents. |
| 2009.8-10 | Held TC Symposium 2009 “Draw Out ‘That's Great!’…! ~New Applications of TC~” in Tokyo (1,040 attendees) and Kyoto (330 attendees). |
| 2009.10 | KBS Kyoto TV covered the event content of the Kyoto session of TC Symposium 2009 (held at Kyoto Terrsa), reporting on it during their news and economic programs that day. |
| 2009.11 | Participated in the tcworld conference 2009 (Wiesbaden) as part of an Asian TC delegation from Japan, China, and Korea. Presentations covered technical documentation in Japan, China, and Korea; challenges for Asian user manuals; business culture; and an introduction to China's GB standards. |
| 2009.11 | Published guidelines for user manual information for terrestrial digital broadcast-compatible televisions. |
| 2009.11 | Published the third issue of the journal “Frontier” (Japan Manual Contest 2009). |
| 2009.12 | Presented a case study titled “Challenges in Creating Manuals People Want to Read” at the Universal Design Business Symposium (hosted by Nikkei Design) on December 4. |
| 2009.12 | Launched the activities of the TC Professional Education Curriculum Guidelines Review Working Group. |
2010～2015
| Year/Month | Activities |
| 2010.1 | Held special seminar: “Learn National Standards Directly Relevant to Instruction Manual Creation! - Trends in Major National Standards Including IEC 62079”. |
| 2010.2 | Conducted TC Technical Certification Exam under new framework; 470 Level 3 [TW] examinees. |
| 2010.3 | Published the PDF Electronic Proofreading Guidelines and the Report on Building a Dictionary to Avoid Excessive Pointing Out. |
| 2010.3 | Began free distribution of ATOK and JustRight! data sets compliant with the Japanese Style Guide. |
| 2010.3 | Published the 4th issue of the journal “Frontier” (Standardization and International Exchange). |
| 2010.7 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 296 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 164 Level 2 [DR] examinees. |
| 2010.8 | Held the 1st TC International Roundtable Conference at Keio Plaza Hotel. Hosted by JTCA and tekom, with participation from 5 countries (Japan, Germany, USA, China, South Korea). |
| 2010.8-10 | TC Symposium 2010 “Information Live! ~Listen, Think, Talk, Connect~” held in Tokyo (1,070 attendees) and Kyoto (360 attendees). |
| 2010.9 | Results of the Japan Manual Contest 2010 featured on Yahoo! Japan's homepage topics. Headline: “Manual Contest Results Announced! The Present and Future of Evolving Manuals”. |
| 2010.9 | Published “How to Create Instruction Manuals: Practical Production Guide”. |
| 2010.10 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Exam; 103 candidates took the newly launched Level 2 [MP]. |
| 2010.11 | First participation in the tcworld conference 2010 (Wiesbaden) as the Asian Pavilion (Japan, Korea, Malaysia). Presentations from Japan, China, and Korea covered Asian language localization, compliance with the Chinese character code GB, DITA initiatives in Japan, the current state of electronic manuals, and UX activities in Japan. |
| 2010.11 | Published the 5th issue of the journal “Frontier” (Japan Manual Contest 2010). |
| 2011.2 | Conducted TC Technical Certification Exams: 111 Level 2 [MP] examinees, 99 Level 2 [DR] examinees. |
| 2011.3 | Held special seminar “From Paper to Digital: Learning the Foundational Technology for Future User Manuals”. |
| 2011.5 | Launched activities of the Topic-Oriented Initiatives Study Working Group. |
| 2011.6 | China's first event focused on TC was held in Huangshan City. The TC Association participated in a supporting operational role. The event was hosted by the International Federation of Standards Users, with operations managed by the China Association for Standardization (CAS). |
| 2011.6 | Launched the PDF Electronic Proofreading Guidelines Revision Working Group. |
| 2011.6-9 | A four-part series titled “Designing Printed Manuals” ran as a feature article in Nikkei Design magazine from the July to October issues. |
| 2011.7 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Exam; 420 candidates took the Level 3 [TW] exam. |
| 2011.8-10 | TC Symposium 2011 “The Power of Appearance: Find Quickly, Understand Instantly, Use Immediately” held in Tokyo (pre-event) with 330 participants and in Kyoto with 730 participants. |
| 2011.10 | Toshimasa Yamazaki appointed Representative Director of the Technical Communicators Association (General Incorporated Foundation). |
| 2011.10 | Katsuhiko Makita appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Technical Communicators Association (General Incorporated Foundation). |
| 2011.10 | Due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, TC Symposium 2011 was held only at Kyoto Research Park, expanded to a three-day event. Attendance reached a record high for the Kansai region with 730 participants. |
| 2011.10 | As a Japan-Europe joint project, tcworld in Japan 2011 was held concurrently with TC Symposium 2011 in Kyoto, with participation from 10 European companies and 31 attendees. Additionally, 20 participants from South Korea, 2 from China, and 1 from the USA attended, establishing it as Asia's largest event with over 50 overseas participants for the first time. |
| 2011.10 | The 2nd TC International Roundtable Conference was held in Germany. Hosted by tekom and JTCA, it involved 8 countries (Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, India, Switzerland, Italy, USA). |
| 2011.10 | Participated in the tcworld conference 2011 (in Wiesbaden) as the Asian Pavilion (Japan, South Korea, Malaysia). Main topics included TC human resource development, safety labeling, and technical documentation production. |
| 2011.11 | Established the Kansai Branch of the Technical Communicators Association of Japan (General Incorporated Foundation). |
| 2011.11 | Donated ¥200,000 to the Japanese Red Cross Society as relief funds for the Great East Japan Earthquake. |
| 2011.12 | Published Issue 6 of the association journal “Frontier” (Japan Manual Contest 2011). |
| 2012.1 | Begin operations with a 22-member council structure following the December 2011 election for half of the council members. |
| 2012.2 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 285 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 186 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2012.4 | Practical seminars commenced in Kyoto. |
| 2012.5 | Published the 7th issue of the journal “Frontier” (Statistical Survey Report, FrameMaker). |
| 2012.5-8 | A four-part series titled “Designing Screen-Display Manuals for Smartphones and Tablet Devices” ran in Nikkei Design magazine from the June to September issues. |
| 2012.7 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Exam: 300 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 148 Level 2 [DR] examinees. |
| 2012.8-10 | TC Symposium 2012 “Creating ‘I Want to Try It’ UX”: 1,040 participants in Tokyo, 690 in Kyoto. Concurrently held the 20th Anniversary Event of the TC Association's founding. August: Tokyo session with 140 participants. October: Kyoto session with 110 participants. |
| 2012.9 | First participation in the 14th Annual Conference of the China Association for Science and Technology (Shijiazhuang City), Session 4: “International Workshop on Compilation Standards for Consumer Product Instructions.” |
| 2012.9 | Hosted the 3rd TC International Roundtable Conference in Shijiazhuang, China. Organized by tekom and JTCA, with participation from 9 countries (Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, India, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, USA). |
| 2012.10 | Participated in the tcworld conference 2012 (Wiesbaden) as part of the Asian Pavilion (Japan, Korea, Malaysia). Main topics included discussions on IEC 82079-1, mobile manuals, content strategy, and software manuals. |
| 2013.2 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 339 examinees for Level 3 [TW], 159 examinees for Level 2 [MP]. |
| 2013.4-7 | A four-part series titled “Consumer Survey Results on Warning and Caution Labels” was published in Nikkei Design magazine from the May to August issues. |
| 2013.4 | Launched activities of the Working Group for revising the Foreign Word (Katakana) Notation Guidelines. |
| 2013.5 | Participated in the 3rd Subcommittee “Instruction Manuals and Marketing” at the 15th Annual Conference of the China Association for Science and Technology (held in Guiyang City). |
| 2013.7 | Began distribution of an email newsletter for TC Association members. |
| 2013.7 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 337 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 159 Level 2 [DR] examinees. |
| 2013.8-10 | TC Symposium 2013 “e-TC Creates Value!” held in Tokyo (920 attendees) and Kyoto (400 attendees). Concurrently held the 25th Anniversary Commemorative Event for the TC Symposium. Presented “A New Era for Instruction Manuals: How Should Technical Communicators (TC) Change?” as a new vision. |
| 2013.9 | Published the training manual “Thorough Explanation: Chinese Regulations and National Standards Related to User Manuals [Interpretation Reference Explanation Edition]”. |
| 2013.10 | Started recruitment for the international TC certification system, TCTrainNet. |
| 2013.11 | Held the 4th International TC Roundtable Conference in Wiesbaden, Germany. Hosted by tekom and JTCA, with participation from 9 countries (Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, India, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, USA). |
| 2013.11 | Participated in the tcworld conference 2013 (in Wiesbaden) as the Asian Pavilion (Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia). Main topics included IEC 82079-1, the future direction of the TC, and the establishment of tekom Europe. |
| 2013.12 | Feature article “What is Technical Communication? - Communicating Correct Usage” published in the January 2014 issue of the monthly magazine “Standardization and Quality Management” (published by the Japanese Standards Association). |
| 2014.1 | Eiichi Kobayashi appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Technical Communicators Association of Japan. |
| 2014.2 | TC Technical Certification Examination held: 355 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 117 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2014.2 | Published Issue 8 of the association journal “Frontier” (reporting results of the Japan Manual Contest 2012 & 2013, TC specialized course system, industry-academia exchange, TC International Roundtable Conference). |
| 2014.2 | Incorporated the documentation requirements specified in IEC 82079-1:2012 as evaluation criteria. |
| 2014.3 | An interview article with the Consumer Safety Division of the Consumer Affairs Agency was published in the April issue of Nikkei Design magazine. |
| 2014.5 | Commenced activities of the IEC 82079 Revision Review Working Group. Registered with JWG16 Domestic Working Group, administered by the Japanese Standards Association. |
| 2014.5 | Participated in Session 6, “New Technologies and New Effects Practiced by TC,” at the 16th Annual Conference of the China Association for Science and Technology (Kunming). |
| 2014.5 | Began publishing articles (“Manual Webification Project”) in Web Designing magazine (Mynavi). |
| 2014.7 | Initiated activities of the TC Professional Course System Working Group for Working Adults. |
| 2014.7 | Conducted TC Technical Certification Exam; 394 examinees for Level 3 [TW]. Level 2 [DR] certification not conducted due to ongoing textbook revision. |
| 2014.8-10 | TC Symposium 2014 “Innovation Driven by TC: Design Thinking” held in Tokyo (910 attendees) and Kyoto (580 attendees). |
| 2014.10 | The 5th TC International Roundtable Conference was held in Kyoto. Hosted by tekom and JTCA, participants came from five countries (Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, Turkey). |
| 2014.11 | Participated as the Asian Pavilion (Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia) at the tcworld conference 2014 (held in Stuttgart). The main topics were themes related to machine translation. |
| 2015.1 | Begin operations with a 22-member council structure following the December 2014 election for half of the council seats. |
| 2015.2 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 423 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 92 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2015.2 | Published Issue 9 of the association journal “Frontier” (reporting results of the Japan Manual Contest 2014 and the TC International Roundtable Conference). 2015.3 Began issuing completion certificates for the TC specialized course for students. |
| 2015.3 | Began issuing completion certificates for the TC specialized course for students. |
| 2015.4 | Masayasu Wataï assumed the position of Chairman of the Technical Communicators Association, a general incorporated foundation. |
| 2015.4 | The Japan Manual Contest 2015 became an officially endorsed event by the Consumer Affairs Agency and the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan. |
| 2015.5 | Published “How to Create Manuals: Quality Pursuit Edition (Newly Revised Edition) and Standard Edition” as reference books for the Level 2 DR Certification Exam. |
| 2015.5 | Participated in the 4th Subcommittee “Technical Communication in the Mobile Era” at the 17th Annual Conference of the China Association for Science and Technology (Held in Guangzhou). |
| 2015.7 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 385 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 82 Level 2 [DR] examinees. |
| 2015.8-10 | TC Symposium 2015 “Empathetic Technical Communication: For Whom, For What, How?” Attendance: Tokyo 870, Kyoto 570. |
| 2015.9 | Published the 3rd Edition of the Katakana (Foreign Words) Notation Guidelines. |
| 2015.11 | Held the 6th TC International Roundtable Conference in Stuttgart, Germany. Hosted by tekom and JTCA, with participation from 12 countries (Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, India, Netherlands, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Israel, Turkey, USA). |
| 2015.11 | Participated in the tcworld conference 2015 (in Stuttgart) as the Asian Pavilion (Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia). This year's theme was “Intelligent information initiative.” |
2016～2020
| Year/Month | Activities |
| 2016.2 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 388 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 95 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2016.2 | Published Issue 10 of the journal “Frontier” (Report on the Japan Manual Contest 2015 results, Report on the visit to Karlsruhe University). |
| 2016.2 | Registered with and commenced activities for the Japanese National Committee for ISO/TC37/SC4 (Language Resource Management). |
| 2016.4 | Commenced recruitment for the 20th Japan Manual Contest 2016. |
| 2016.5 | Revised and published the Japanese Style Guide as the 3rd edition. |
| 2016.6 | Participated in the 2016 China Technical Communication Forum (Shenzhen) hosted by the China Association for Standardization (CAS). |
| 2016.7 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 339 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 88 Level 2 [DR] examinees. |
| 2016.8 | Hosted the 7th TC International Roundtable Conference in Tokyo. Organized by tekom and JTCA, with participation from 5 countries (Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, Italy). |
| 2016.8 | Began free distribution of ATOK and JustRight! data sets compatible with the Japanese Style Guide 3rd Edition. |
| 2016.8-10 | TC Symposium 2016 “Expanding, Connecting, and Harmonizing Communication” held in Tokyo (850 attendees, total audience: 2,217) and Kyoto (620 attendees, total audience: 1,600). |
| 2016.9 | Participated in the 18th Annual Conference of the China Association for Science and Technology (Xi'an), Session 4: “International Symposium on Technical Communication and Localization Services.” |
| 2016.11 | Participated in tcworld conference 2016 (Stuttgart) as part of the Asian Pavilion (Japan, Korea, Malaysia). This year saw a record attendance of 4,700 visitors, with sessions on manufacturers and tool vendors being particularly prominent. |
| 2016.12 | Held explanatory sessions on topic-oriented standard production processes in Tokyo and Kyoto. |
| 2017.2 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 357 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 71 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2017.2 | Held the special seminar “Learning Writing Techniques for Structured Documents Part 2: Topic-Oriented Writing - Intermediate/Advanced Level”. 29 participants in Tokyo, 19 in Kyoto. |
| 2017.4 | Published a dialogue article featuring Panasonic and Lawson on the theme of reliability in the internet age in the June issue of Web Designning (released April 18: Mynavi Publishing). |
| 2017.5 | Received 52 entries for the 21st Japan Manual Contest 2017 and commenced judging. |
| 2017.6 | Published an interview article with Adobe Systems and the TC Association on the theme of reliability in the internet age in the August issue of Web Designning (released June 17: Mynavi Publishing). |
| 2017.7 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 284 candidates for Level 3 [TW], 56 candidates for Level 2 [DR]. |
| 2017.7 | Published the 11th issue of the association journal “Frontier” (reporting results of the Japan Manual Contest 2016). |
| 2017.7 | Certified the University of Aizu as the second university to introduce the TC Specialized Course System. |
| 2017.8 | テクニカルコミュニケーター専門課程制度のご案内（チラシ）が完成。 |
| 2017.8 | Held the 25th Anniversary Event “Challenging AI & ICT Utilization!” on Friday, August 25 (110 participants across 4 sessions, total attendees: 274). Displayed past award-winning works collectively as “20 Years of Japanese Instruction Manuals”. |
| 2017.8-10 | TC Symposium 2017 “Enhancing Japan's Presence with the Power of TC!” held in Tokyo (890 attendees, total audience: 2,290) and Kyoto (680 attendees, total audience: 1,850). |
| 2017.10 | Held the “TC Innovation Award 2017” as a trial event on October 4 at Kyoto Research Park with 6 participating companies and 7 themes. |
| 2017.10 | The 8th TC International Roundtable Conference was held in Germany. Hosted by tekom and JTCA, it was attended by 11 countries (Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, Italy, Finland, India, Israel, Switzerland, Turkey, USA). |
| 2017.10 | Participated in the tcworld conference 2017 (in Stuttgart) as the Asian Pavilion (Japan, Malaysia). Attended 250 sessions and 160 exhibition booths with 4,300 participants. Presented four jointly planned themes to commemorate the 10th anniversary of exchange with tekom. Chairman Watanai also attended and made a presentation. |
| 2018.2 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 308 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 72 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2018.3 | Published Issue 12 of the journal “Frontier” (reporting results of the Japan Manual Contest 2017). Starting with this issue, it will be available only as a PDF on the website. |
| 2018.4 | Web Designning June issue (released April 18: Mynavi Publishing) featured an article titled “How to Read and Utilize Analytics Tools: What is a Concept Diagram that Guides Data-Driven Analysis?” covering a workshop with the Japan Web Analytics Association. |
| 2018.5 | The 22nd Japan Manual Contest 2018 received 44 entries, and judging commenced. |
| 2018.6 | Web Designning August issue (released June 18: Mynavi Publishing) featured an article titled “How to Read and Utilize Analytics Tools: The Role of Access Analytics in Support Content” covering a workshop with the Japan Web Analytics Association (JWA). |
| 2018.7 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Exam with 219 Level 3 [TW] examinees. |
| 2018.8 | Hosted the 9th TC International Roundtable Conference in Tokyo. Organized by tekom and JTCA, with participation from four countries (Japan, Germany, China, South Korea). |
| 2018.8 | Held two collaborative sessions with the Japan Translation Federation (JTF) as part of the 30th Anniversary TC Symposium event (August 27). 286 participants attended, with a total of 366 attendees. |
| 2018.8-10 | TC Symposium 2018 “People × Things × Matters ~Towards Connected Industries~” held in Tokyo (1,044 attendees, total audience: 2,750) and Kyoto (730 attendees, total audience: 2,160). |
| 2018.8-10 | Held a collaborative session (4 themes) in Kyoto as a commemorative lecture for the 10th anniversary of exchange with tekom Germany. |
| 2018.10 | Certified Surugadai University as the third university to introduce the TC Specialized Course System. |
| 2018.11 | Participated in the tcworld conference 2018 (held in Stuttgart) as the Asian Pavilion (Japan, Malaysia). 4,600 participants attended. Chairman Watanai also participated and presented for the second consecutive year. |
| 2018.12 | Published “How to Communicate Product and Support Information: Compliance and Proofreading Edition” (1st Edition). |
| 2019.2 | Conducted TC Technical Certification Exams: 256 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 41 Level 2 [DR] examinees. |
| 2019.2 | Published Journal “Frontier” Issue 13 (Reporting Japan Manual Contest 2018 Results). |
| 2019.4 | Web Designning June issue (released April 18: Mynavi Publishing) featured perspectives from members of the New Manual Development Committee under the headline “Major Reform of User Support in the Digital Age.” |
| 2019.5 | NHK BS1 program: COOL JAPAN: Discover! Cool Japan!, Theme: Guidebooks, Broadcast date: May 5 featured the 2018 MOY award-winning work. |
| 2019.5 | The 23rd Japan Manual Award 2019 (name changed) received 49 entries, and judging commenced. The evaluation criteria were updated to the documentation requirements specified in the international standard for usage information, IEC/IEEE 82079-1 Edition 2.0:2019. |
| 2019.6 | An article titled “Major Reform of User Support in the Digital Age: Keywords for Reform” was published in the August issue of Web Designning (released June 18, Mynavi Publishing), introducing the ideal form of manuals and support sites suited to the modern era. |
| 2019.7 | The TC Technical Certification Examination was conducted, with 216 Level 3 [TW] examinees and 27 Level 2 [DR] examinees. |
| 2019.8 | As part of the 10th anniversary event for the incorporation of the TC Association, held three collaborative sessions with the Web Analytics Association (General Incorporated Association) and the Japan Translation Federation (General Incorporated Association) on August 26. 200 participants attended, with a total of 243 attendees. |
| 2019.8-10 | TC Symposium 2019 “Growing Together” held in Tokyo (900 attendees, total audience: 2,442) and Kyoto (740 attendees, total audience: 1,819). |
| 2019.10 | Held the 1st Technical Communication Redesign Academic Research Meeting at Kyoto Research Park (October 10). 17 participants, including 6 speakers. |
| 2019.11 | Participated as the Asian Pavilion at tcworld conference 2019 (Stuttgart). 3,600 attendees. Chairman Wataishi participated and presented for the third consecutive year. |
| 2019.11 | Hosted the 10th TC International Roundtable Conference in Germany. Organized by JTCA and tekom, with participation from 11 countries (Japan, Germany, China, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, Finland, Israel, India, Sweden, USA). |
| 2020.2 | Conducted TC Technical Certification Exams: 247 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 36 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2020.2 | Published Journal “Frontier” Issue 14 (Japan Manual Award 2019 Results Report). |
| 2020.4 | Published an article in the June issue of Web Designning (released April 17: Mynavi Publishing) on the ideal form of “digital information dissemination” in an era where the challenges and importance of risk communication are shared. |
| 2020.6 | Received 38 entries for the 24th Japan Manual Award 2020 and commenced judging. |
| 2020.6 | Web Designning August Issue (released June 18: Mynavi Publishing) featured articles on communication approaches with users and customers in the new normal. |
| 2020.8 | C Symposium 2020 On the Web held its August online live stream on 8/27-28 (25 sessions with 2,768 total attendees). Conducted via Zoom webinar format. |
| 2020.10 | TC Symposium 2020 On the Web October online live stream held October 7-9 (39 sessions, total attendees: 2,702). Conducted via Zoom Webinar. |
| 2020.10 | The 2nd Technical Communication Redesign Academic Research Meeting held via Zoom conference (October 8). 41 participants, including 8 speakers. |
| 2020.11 | The 11th TC International Roundtable Meeting was held via Zoom conference, hosted by JTCA. 17 participants from 8 countries (Japan, Germany, China, Italy, Finland, Israel, Switzerland, Turkey). |
| 2020.11 | TC-related JIS standard development WG launched with 11 members. Plans to develop JIS for IEC/IEEE 82079-1:2019. |
| 2020.12 | ISO/TC37 issued a Working Draft (WD) for the international standard ISO 24183 (tentative) on TC terminology (approx. 200 terms). |
2021～
| 2021.2 | Naofumi Horio appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Technical Communicators Association, a general incorporated foundation. |
| 2021.2 | TC Technical Certification Exams conducted: 235 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 28 Level 2 [DR] examinees, 10 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2021.2 | Published Issue 15 of the association journal “Frontier” (reporting Japan Manual Award 2020 results). |
| 2021.4 | Featured perspectives from members of the New Communication Design Formulation Committee in the June issue of Web Designning (released April 18: Mynavi Publishing), under the headline “New Corporate╳User Communication Created by ‘Usage Guides’”. |
| 2021.5 | 38 entries received for the 25th Japan Manual Award 2021; judging commenced. |
| 2021.6 | Featured in Web Designning August issue (released June 18: Mynavi Publishing) under the headline “Exploring New Forms of Corporate Communication Required in the New Normal,” as an article delving into communication approaches suited for the new era. |
| 2021.7 | TC Technical Certification Exam conducted, with 157 Level 3 [TW] examinees. |
| 2021.7 | TC Symposium held online from July to November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An opening online live stream was conducted on July 13. Total participants: 424; cumulative attendees: 1,026 (total across 9 sessions). |
| 2021.8 | The August TC Symposium online live stream, themed “Creating New Communication Between Companies and Users,” was held over three days from the 25th to the 27th. There were 941 participants and a total of 2,252 attendees (across 39 sessions). |
| 2021.10 | The October TC Symposium online live stream, themed “What is Information Transmission in the New Normal Era?”, was held over three days from the 6th to the 8th. There were 1,010 participants, with a total of 2,149 attendees across all sessions (47 sessions total). |
| 2021.10 | The 3rd Technical Communication Redesign Academic Research Meeting was held online via Zoom (October 9). 57 participants attended, including 10 speakers. |
| 2021.11 | The 12th TC International Roundtable Meeting was held online. Hosted by JTCA and tekom, 15 participants from 7 countries attended (Japan, Germany, China, Italy, Finland, Israel, Turkey). |
| 2022.2 | Conducted TC Technical Certification Exams: 263 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 33 Level 2 [DR] examinees, 15 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2022.2 | Published Issue 16 of the journal “Frontier” (Japan Manual Award 2021 Results Report). |
| 2022.2 | Published “Improving ‘Company × User’ Communication Quality Starts with Internal Communication” in Web Designning April issue (released February 18: Mynavi Publishing). |
| 2022.4 | Launched the Facebook “Enjoying the Manual” Community. |
| 2022.5 | Launched the Facebook CD & TC Symposium. |
| 2022.5 | Launched the Level 2 TC Specialist Certification Program, certifying 11 individuals. |
| 2022.6 | Received 24 entries for the 26th Japan Manual Awards 2022 and commenced judging. |
| 2022.6 | Published “Thinking in Lines, Not Dots: How Information Delivery Changes Based on Usage Scenarios” in the August issue of Web Designning (released June 18: Mynavi Publishing). |
| 2022.6 | The TC Association 30th Anniversary Symposium 2022 was held online from June to November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2022.7 | The TC Technical Certification Examination was conducted, with 213 Level 3 [TW] examinees. |
| 2022.8 | CD Symposium 2022 was held online via live streaming over three days from August 24-26. Total participants were 1,100, with cumulative attendees reaching 2,509 (total across 46 sessions). The theme was: What is Communication Design that Resonates with and Supports the Recipient? |
| 2022.10 | TC Symposium 2022 was held in person at Kyoto Research Park from October 5-7. Sponsor sessions and association-planned sessions were conducted as a hybrid format, streamed via Zoom webinar. There were 650 participants and a total of 1,611 attendees across 50 sessions. The theme was “Making Communication Clear: The Art of Creating Illustrated Guides That Make Learning Fun.” |
| 2022.10 | The 13th TC International Roundtable Meeting was held via Zoom conference, hosted by JTCA. Seventeen participants from six countries attended (Japan, Germany, China, Finland, Switzerland, Turkey). |
| 2022.10 | The 4th Technical Communication Redesign Academic Research Meeting was held via Zoom conference (October 15). Twenty-six participants attended, including nine presenters. |
| 2022.11 | The 30th Anniversary Symposium 2022 Summary Event for the TC Association was conducted via online live streaming. 114 participants attended, with a total of 222 attendees across the three sessions. |
| 2022.12 | Certificates for the TC Professional Course System have been approved and issued since March 2015, with a cumulative total of 159 individuals approved. |
| 2023.2 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 304 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 36 Level 2 [DR] examinees, 8 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2023.2 | Published Issue 17 of the journal “Frontier” (Japan Manual Award 2022 Results Report). |
| 2023.5 | The 27th Japan Manual Award 2023 received 29 entries, and judging commenced. |
| 2023.5 | Two individuals were certified under the Level 2 TC Specialist Certification System. |
| 2023.6 | Published “Learning Effective Information Delivery from 4-Panel Comics: Building Storylines and Deepening User Understanding for Reliable Communication” in the August issue of Web Designning (released June 18: Mynavi Publishing). |
| 2023.6 | Symposium 2023 held online from June to November. |
| 2023.7 | TC Technical Certification Exam administered, with 308 Level 3 [TW] examinees. |
| 2023.8 | CD Symposium 2023 held online via live streaming over three days, August 23-25. Total participants: 1,130; cumulative attendees: 2,408 (total across 45 sessions). The theme was Communication Design Leading to Behavioral Change. |
| 2023.8 | Published “Learning Effective Information Dissemination from 4-Panel Comics: The Key to Excellent Service – The Future of Corporate Information Dissemination” in the October issue of Web Designning (released August 18: Mynavi Publishing). |
| 2023.10 | TC Symposium 2023 was held in-person at Kyoto Research Park from October 4-6. Sponsor sessions were conducted via both in-person attendance and a continuous streaming format via Zoom webinar. The number of participants was 940 (including 253 online participants), with a total of 1,855 attendees across all sessions (49 sessions in total). The theme was “TC Can Be Used Here Too (I Don't Know)”. |
| 2023.10 | The 5th Technical Communication Redesign Academic Research Meeting was held via Zoom conference (October 14). Thirteen participants attended, including six presenters. |
| 2023.11 | The 14th TC International Roundtable Meeting was held via Zoom conference, hosted by tekom. Fifteen participants from seven countries attended (Japan, Germany, Italy, Finland, Turkey, China, USA). |
| 2023.11 | The Symposium 2023 Summary Event was conducted via online live streaming. 90 participants attended, with a total of 168 cumulative attendees (sum of 4 sessions). |
| 2023.12 | Certificates for the TC Professional Program have been approved and issued since March 2015, with a cumulative total of 181 individuals approved. |
| 2024.2 | Published Issue 18 of the journal “Frontier” (Japan Manual Award 2023 Results Report). |
| 2024.2 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Examination: 338 Level 3 [TW] examinees, 29 Level 2 [DR] examinees, 15 Level 2 [MP] examinees. |
| 2024.4 | Published “Communication Design: Seeking the Optimal Form” in the June issue of Web Designning (released April 18: Mynavi Publishing). |
| 2024.5 | Received 37 entries for the 28th Japan Manual Award 2024 and commenced judging. |
| 2024.5 | Certified 2 individuals under the Level 2 TC Specialist Certification System. |
| 2024.6 | Symposium 2024 held online from June to November. |
| 2024.7 | Conducted the TC Technical Certification Exam; 276 Level 3 [TW] examinees. |
| 2024.8 | CD Symposium 2024 held online via live streaming over three days, August 27-29. Participation totaled 1,170 attendees with cumulative viewership of 2,699 (across 47 sessions). The theme was “How Do You Communicate?” |
| 2024.8 | Published “From Person to Person, From Person to System: Context and Communication” in the October issue of Web Designning (released August 18: Mynavi Publishing). |
| 2024.10 | TC Symposium 2024 was held in-person at Kyoto Research Park from October 9-11. Sponsor sessions were conducted via both in-person attendance and Zoom webinar streaming. There were 960 participants (including 235 online attendees), with a total of 1,505 attendees across all 53 sessions. The theme was “Catch Up with Products and Services! Technical Communicators (Let's Chase Them Down~)”. |
| 2024.10 | The 6th Technical Communication Redesign Academic Research Meeting was held via Zoom conference (October 18). Twenty-two participants attended, including five presenters. |
| 2024.11 | The 1st HCD-Ken® Certified TC Enhancement Exam was held on November 16. There were 48 examinees. |
| 2024.11 | The 15th TC International Roundtable Conference was held by JTCA in both in-person and Zoom formats. 19 participants from 6 countries attended (Japan, Germany, Italy, Finland, Malaysia, China). |
| 2024.11 | The Symposium 2024 Summary Event was conducted via online live streaming. There were 64 participants and a total of 113 attendees (combined for all 4 sessions). |
| 2024.12 | Certificates for the TC Professional Course System have been approved and issued since March 2015, with a cumulative total of 206 individuals approved. |
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