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The language barriers, among other hurdles, are making it difficult for foreign residents in Japan to gather information on their own.

14 Comments

Hidekazu Matsuda, president of Tokyo-based staffing company Gowell which has opened an office in Ginza to provide information on the coronavirus outbreak and consultation services related to the pandemic to foreigners living in Japan. Its website is https://gowell-town.com.

© Jiji Press

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

14 Comments
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Why use kanji here?

The whole website - supposedly there to provide help and advice for people likely to be facing a language barrier in Japan - uses kanji, while the person running it points out that there is a language barrier.

Sorry if the irony was too subtle.

Invalid CSRF

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The real scandal is not allowing the legion of contract, part time and gig contract workers access to unemployment benefits.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Some of you missed the point that the "action" is support to foreign workers that go in person to his Ginza office. The space seems to have been rented for the purpose so it is large enough for safe distancing. OK, it's good for him to attract/keep potential canditates for his job offers, but at this point he offers them free services. It's win-win. What are you doing ?

And clicking on the link provided takes you to a Japanese home page, with no other language options available; with a large section on the Corona virus, all in Japanese!

Not all and there are kanji readings in katakana. But anyway, it's for persons that live and work in Japan , know the language to a point or know how too use a translating app or how to get a little help from bilingual acquaintances.

What are some of the other hurdles?

Visas (and the risk of losing them if they can't work), work, (non) access to care/ benefits/loans...

When's the last time a political figure in your country gave regular updates in Japanese?

Japanese is the second official language of which country ?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Haven't heard it said to me at all in literally decades.

I haven't heard that either, although I suspect it may have been thought. I can deal with not being Japanaese.

The information is out there. Does anybody really not know what they should or shouldn't be doing at this time?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What's he taking about, there's a lot of resources for foreigners to access information online including JTNO and the Health Ministry which provides a hotline in English and other languages. The governor of Tokyo has been giving frequent coronavirus updates in English to viewers on TV and online.

When's the last time a political figure in your country gave regular updates in Japanese? Disappointing to hear such an ignorant statement coming from him.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I heard that a few times, the first couple of years.

Haven't heard it said to me at all in literally decades.

Hasn't been decades for me yet, but it's been years since I've heard that.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Exactly. Supposedly aimed at 外国人 

Why use kanji here?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is not news. It's a regurgitation of fact.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How many times did I hear, "This is Japan, you cannot understand."?

I heard that a few times, the first couple of years.

Haven't heard it said to me at all in literally decades.

clicking on the link provided takes you to a Japanese home page, with no other language options available; with a large section on the Corona virus, all in Japanese!

Exactly. Supposedly aimed at 外国人 who, the president admits, have a language barrier.

Someone definitely doesn't understand!

Invalid CSRF

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Language? What a perfect piece of sakura. I lived 12 years in Japan. I am fluent in Japanese, well read and knowledgeable of customs,history and society. None of that made any differnce: A gaijin is a gaijin forever. How many times did I hear, "This is Japan, you cannot understand."?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

What I've experienced during this pandemic, Japaneses are having more hurdle to gather information about their own country :)

There is a crucial need in this country to fact-check the news of J-media in foreign media and the news of foreign media in J-media.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

And clicking on the link provided takes you to a Japanese home page, with no other language options available; with a large section on the Corona virus, all in Japanese!

To give Matsuda-san credit, maybe the page has not been updated yet?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What are some of the other hurdles? Language barrier is a given in any country.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

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