Central Japan city to launch automatic translation screens in 134 languages

GOTEMBA, Shizuoka — The government of this central Japan city will introduce a system that automatically translates and displays conversations on a plexiglass screen, in a bid to make its counters more accessible to foreign nationals and people who are hard of hearing.

The city, which demonstrated the system on Nov. 25, plans to install four of the units at its civil affairs and welfare service counters in May 2025. The system will be the first of its kind to be introduced by a local government in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The system, named Cotopat, which Kyocera Corp. began selling in June, will be introduced at a cost of some 2 million yen (about $13,000). Using Google Translate, it can handle 134 languages and display videos, photos, images and other preregistered data. It has already been set up by the Yokohama and Kyoto municipal governments as well as at the Fukuoka Prefectural Police’s Fukuoka Driver’s License Center.

During the demonstration, conversations from Japanese to English and from German to Japanese were translated instantly, and when the system recognized preregistered terms such as “tourist spots” and “identification documents,” it was able to display video footage of tourist locations and photos of documents. When staff use the devices to respond to those who are deaf or hard of hearing and elderly people, the Japanese is displayed on the screen as is.

In addition to the text display system, the city will also operate nine application form support devices from January, which will be introduced at a cost of 9.1 million yen (some $59,000).

Gotemba had a population of around 80,000 people including 2,878 registered foreign nationals as of Oct. 1 this year, and many visit to see Mount Fuji or go to Gotemba Premium Outlets, one of Japan’s largest outlet malls. Mayor Masami Katsumata commented, “We want to make our service counters ones that can provide easily understandable and appropriate support for both foreigners and people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Overcoming language barriers will also lighten the burden on our staff.”

(Japanese original by Hiroshi Ishikawa, Numazu Local Bureau)