Carlos Naranjo was born in Sevilla, Spain. His hometown is known for its rich history as a cultural center, as a capital of Muslim Spain, and as the center for Spanish exploration of the New World. Since he was junior high school student, he developed a deep interest in Japanese language and culture, and soon he started to study Japanese language on his own. At the age of 18, he was selected by the Japanese Embassy in Spain as a Japanese Government Scholar.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media Science with honors from Tokyo University of Technology, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Doshisha University. He has been working professionally as a translator and interpreter specialized in business field from Japanese and English to Spanish. He also has a broad experience dealing with government and public institutions, diplomacy, especially between Japan and Spanish-speaking countries

For the past decade he has worked with more than 500 companies and institutions, which includes Japanese central governmental institutions (such as MOFA, METI, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Ministry of Justice, Imperial Household Agency, etc.), independent or local Japanese institutions (JNTO, JICA, JASSO, municipalities and local governments throughout Japan), large Japanese corporations with presence in Spain and Latin America, advertisement companies, consulting and legal firms, as well as major video games companies. Recently for EXPO Osaka 2025, he has been in charge of interpretation, coordination, and business consulting for multiple Spanish-speaking delegations.

In parallel to his work as translator, interpreter and consultant, Carlos serves as Foreign Direct Investment Advisor of the Kyoto City Government, and as an adjunct lecturer at the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) campus in Kyoto, where he teaches courses on international management, international marketing, and international finance.

He was selected as one of the most influential voices on the Japan-Spain relations in the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Spain-Japan Council Foundation, institution dependent of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Carlos has worked actively in enhancing the business and friendship relations of Japan with Spain and Latin America.

On the academic side, his research interest is focused on international management of Japanese companies in Mexico. Since 2021, he has been visiting regularly Mexico, country with the biggest presence of Japanese companies in the Spanish-speaking world, and historical strong ties of friendship and cultural exchanges with Japan. Since 2023, he has been coordinator of Institutional Relations of the Mexican Association of Former Scholars of Japan (AMEJ).

He is fluent in English, Japanese and Spanish, speaks conversational French.