FUKUOKA, Jun 04 (News On Japan) –
With the variety of overseas residents in Fukuoka Prefecture surpassing 110,000 on the finish of final 12 months—a file excessive—the necessity for police interpreters is turning into more and more pressing, particularly as incidents involving foreigners proceed to rise.
Against this backdrop, a expertise competitors for Chinese-language police interpreters was not too long ago held in Fukuoka, drawing eight members from police departments throughout the Kyushu and Okinawa areas.
Representing Fukuoka was 49-year-old Inspector Miyahara, a member of the prefectural police’s worldwide investigation unit. In addition to his work on circumstances involving Chinese nationals, Miyahara can also be chargeable for coaching police interpreters. “Literal translations don’t always resonate emotionally with the person you’re speaking to. Choosing words that truly reach the other party is something I take very seriously—it’s difficult but essential,” he mentioned. His demeanor and fluency are mentioned to offer him the presence of a local speaker.
According to the Immigration Services Agency, the variety of overseas nationals residing in Fukuoka stood at 113,159 as of the top of December, setting a brand new file. At the identical time, incidents and accidents involving foreigners are additionally growing. The prefectural police at present have 125 registered interpreters throughout 17 languages, however round 40% of deciphering duties had been outsourced to non-public contractors final 12 months, underlining a critical interpreter scarcity.
To elevate consciousness of the significance of police interpreters, Miyahara visited a college in Yamaguchi Prefecture recognized for its massive variety of overseas language college students. There, college students had the chance to expertise precise deciphering eventualities. Demonstrating how numbers are counted utilizing one hand in Chinese, Miyahara confirmed that cultural information is crucial to keep away from misunderstandings. “In Chinese, six is shown like this, seven like this, and eight like this,” he defined, noting how simply miscommunication can come up with out cultural context.
He emphasised to college students that efficient interpretation requires not solely language expertise but in addition a strong grasp of the nation’s social and cultural background. One scholar remarked, “I didn’t know that existed—it was eye-opening.”
The function of the competitors held in Fukuoka was additionally to boost broader public consciousness of the significance of police interpreters. “I want to take this opportunity to reconsider whether my approach to police interpreting, developed over many years, might have some blind spots,” mentioned Miyahara.
During the match, which adopted a knockout format, Miyahara’s semifinal opponent was a police officer from the Oita Prefectural Police. Contestants had been requested to interpret an affidavit from a Chinese witness describing the scene of an incident. The witness mentioned, “I pass that road every day on my way to work. It’s about five minutes by bike or 7–8 minutes on foot from where I live.”
When Miyahara wanted to make clear some extent, he calmly requested, “Sorry, can I confirm something?” earlier than persevering with. In each competitors and each day obligation, he locations a premium on well mannered and correct interpretation.
Miyahara superior to the semifinals and went on to win the whole competitors, with the awards ceremony held the next day. “I’m honored and very happy,” he mentioned. “I hope to be someone who helps bridge the gap between Japanese and foreigners living together in the same society.”
As the variety of overseas residents continues to develop in Fukuoka, interpreters who can bridge linguistic and cultural divides have gotten ever extra important.
Source: FBS Fukuoka Broadcasting News