As Japan accepts foreigners, the police need to secure the necessary systems and budgets to respond appropriately, which includes hiring interpreters for foreign suspects.

why use a phone for free when you can spend wheelbarrows of money?

Complete lack of foresight and planning. This kind of thing should have been in discussion YEARS ago.

 The number of cases where police in Japan hired outside interpreters to interview foreign suspects and victims reached approximately 66,100 

Which number are victims, which number are suspects? Why they're being mixed?

.

need to secure the necessary systems and budgets

Currently volunteer translator and interpreter being used for this purpose, it cost 0.

If those manhour being converted into real number in Japanese yen, God knows how much it will really cost.

https://www.vietnam.vn/en/du-hoc-sinh-viet-tinh-nguyen-giup-canh-sat-nhat-doi-pho-toi-pham/

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15499028

Charge the convicted foreign criminals for any translation services.

Mr KiplingToday  08:34 am JST

Charge the convicted foreign criminals for any translation services.

Do you also charge the foreign victims for whatever lousy translation services the police produce?

I wouldn't agree on this. It's not a task of Japan or Japanese police to provide a cozy environment for foreign suspects or victims. They are first all welcome as is, but then of course have to abide on what is available by standard for everyone, not a special additional service for non-contributors but paid by native Japanese tax payers. If the foreigners and tourists don't want or cannot inform beforehand and also don't like to learn a bit Japanese for such situations then they should consider refraining from entering here.

Many years ago Thailand introduced a special section for dealing with tourist problems, the Tourist Police. I believe they are specially trained.

Although many problems are not related to tourists, this is an area that should be investigated and introduced in special areas. The police could also make more effort to employ policemen with bilingual ability. Maybe they could even have language lessons at police stations in certain places offering lessons in the most needed languages.

Which number are victims, which number are suspects? Why they're being mixed?

Because the point of the quote is how interpreters are necessary to deal with foreigners, for this it is irrelevant if the need is to communicate with suspects or victims.

Currently volunteer translator and interpreter being used for this purpose, it cost 0.

But this would likely complicate things in a trial if the accused says the interpreter did not do their job correctly and mislead them, to avoid this it would be required at least some kind of official qualification that usually is difficult or expensive to get. An option would be to have people working for the police in this role so there is no need to hire outsiders every time.

I wouldn't agree on this. It's not a task of Japan or Japanese police to provide a cozy environment for foreign suspects or victims.

When the country makes a point of inviting people then it becomes their task to ensure the foreigners are treated fairly. The whole point is that not having an interpretes means they are not treated as standard.

If the foreigners and tourists don't want or cannot inform beforehand and also don't like to learn a bit Japanese for such situations then they should consider refraining from entering here.

Learning "a bit" of a language can be much more dangerous than not understanding it at all, specially when the police is involved. And it is still the responsibility of the host country to ensure people are treated fairly and to the same level as the nationals.

TaiwanisChina...

Do you also charge the foreign victims for whatever lousy translation services the police produce?

No, do you not understand the difference between criminal and victim?

TaiwanIsNotChinaToday  08:42 am JST

Mr KiplingToday  08:34 am JST

Charge the convicted foreign criminals for any translation services.

Do you also charge the foreign victims for whatever lousy translation services the police produce?

What sort of nonsensical response is that?

It's like responding to the social media comment "I like apples" with "What are you saying??? That you hate grapes and strawberries???"

He.

Wasn't.

Talking.

About.

Victims.

He was talking about convicted criminals.

In no way did he even come close to suggesting or implying that VICTIMS should pay for translation services.

Why are you suggesting or implying that he even possibly was thinking such a thing?

The police authorities need to provide translators for all those charged with serious crimes. There should be no charge for that.

The number of cases where police in Japan hired outside interpreters to interview foreign suspects and victims reached approximately 66,100 in fiscal 2023, according to the National Police Agency (NPA).

We're now in the IT age...get an app

Potential great opportunities out there for interpreters of Vietnamese and Chinese dialects, I guess.