Title: Legal Interpreters’ Enrollment and Education in Japan: The Lack of Social Recognition and Current Realities
Stream: Humanities - Language/Linguistics
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Authors:
Masako Mouri, Nagoya City University, Japan
Abstract:
The Japanese government has implemented inbound tourism policies and introduced programs welcoming “foreign trainees” in specific industries to address labor shortages. Alongside the increase in foreign nationals, incidents of crime involving them have occurred throughout Japan. When a foreigner, or an individual with limited proficiency in Japanese, is involved in a criminal or civil case, interpreters are required for suspects, victims, and witnesses alike, regardless of their positions. Accordingly, there has been a growing need to recruit and employ qualified legal interpreters for institutions such as the police, courts, and public prosecutors’ offices. However, only a limited number of applicants take the examinations and register as interpreters. Moreover, some applicants lack sufficient linguistic proficiency and mistakenly assume that “interpreting” is equivalent to “foreign language conversation.” Unfortunately, certain applicants apply after completing working holiday programs or attending language schools such as ESL programs—experiences that provide general language exposure but not the linguistic or academic foundation necessary for court interpreting. Consequently, many fail the court interpreter examinations. One reason for these unsatisfactory outcomes is the lack of social recognition and understanding of the legal interpreter’s role. Drawing on the author’s experience as an examiner for court interpreter qualifications, this paper identifies common mistakes made by applicants, analyzes recurring tendencies, and highlights the insufficient public awareness of legal interpreting. The author aims to summarize these findings and propose measures to enhance social recognition and educational outreach concerning the importance of legal interpreters in Japan.
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