Translation shouldn't sound awkward.
Localization goes further: to make it "normal" for the target audience.
Kobe's Port Liner: "Thank you for taking our Port Liner today"
Shinkansen: "Thank you"
JP stores with long announcements, often in 4 languages.
Localizing would omit most.
It's a fine line in many cases.
When translating correspondence JA>EN, I cut most of the polite greetings.
Localization might be recommend against translating/sending a New Year's card altogether, and suggesting a Xmas card instead.
Other examples are on signage all around Japan:
"Please do not run to catch the train."
Accurate enough and not awkward, but localizing might go with "No running".
Food for thought (good & bad) in these pics:
Subtitles raise other issues.
While stuck in Kansai Airport immigration, there was a 5-min. vid from Kyoto govt to "advise" tourists about ettiquette.
Impeccably translated, but even on endless repeat, in 1 hour, I couldn't fully read many of the long sentences flashed on-screen.
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