Machine translator breaks barriers, improves mood at Kyoto Pref. plant with foreign workers

The Mainichi

10 hours ago

NAGAOKAKYO, Kyoto -- A factory in this west Japan city where more than half of its employees are foreigners has overcome the language barrier by utilizing a chat translator via smartphones and computers, transforming its work environment.
The number of foreign workers in Kyoto Prefecture has surpassed 30,000, marking an all-time high. Amid this increase, the language barrier in workplaces has become a significant challenge. According to a national survey, nearly half of businesses cite "difficulty in communication" as their primary issue in employing foreign nationals.
Factory where a majority are Vietnamese or Thai workers
When this reporter visited the metal processing company Kobayashi Seisakusho in the city of Nagaokakyo, Kyoto Prefecture, in late May, a Thai employee was seen working while glancing at a computer screen. Instructions entered in Japanese by a Japanese colleague on a smartphone were instantly translated into Thai and displayed on the screen.
On a Vietnamese employee's smartphone were Vietnamese messages sent to Japanese and Thai colleagues using a work group chat function on their smartphones. The messages, automatically translated into Japanese and Thai, respectively, appeared on the recipients' smartphone screens, facilitating smooth communication.
Out of 110 employees at the company, 60 are Vietnamese or Thai. Many of them are technical intern trainees or specified skilled workers whose period of stay in Japan is allowed up to five years in total.
Founded in 1955, Kobayashi Seisakusho has been handling the processing of various equipment, including automobile parts, through "high-mix, low-volume production." Initially, the workforce was predominantly Japanese, but as the business expanded, there was a shortage of employees. Despite recruitment efforts through the Hello Work public employment service and newspaper inserts, Japanese applicants dwindled. About a decade ago, the firm began hiring technical intern trainees, leading to an increase in foreign employees.
Hiroaki Kobayashi, 46, the company president, appreciates the foreign employees' work ethic, stating, "Everyone is earnest and eager to learn the job." However, language differences had created a wall in communication.
Initial struggles in communication
There were repeated mistakes due to miscommunication with Japanese employees. Wrong work processes led to delays in delivery deadlines. "If workers cannot communicate smoothly -- such as making sure everyone knows what is urgent and which tasks to prioritize, it significantly impacts workflow," Kobayashi said. Some workers would say "yes" without actually understanding what their Japanese colleagues told them and others would not speak up on important matters due to a lack of Japanese language skills. This was the case not just with Japanese employees but also among foreign workers who spoke different native languages.
Kobayashi considered introducing voice translation devices from one company but abandoned the idea as they could not be used unless face-to-face. Japanese employees resorted to communicate through gestures and distributing memos with simple Japanese to prevent the language barrier from affecting work or workplace rules.
Amid these challenges, Kobayashi learned about the "Kaminashi Jugyoin" translation system for smartphones and computers at an exhibition held last year at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center. Developed by the Tokyo-based startup Kaminashi Inc., the system allows information and document exchanges among site managers, general affairs departments and employees to be completed through a single service. The translation supports about 20 languages with high accuracy.
Voices and thoughts of employees become 'visible'
In January this year, Kobayashi Seisakusho introduced this system to all employees' smartphones and workplace computers.
When instructions, consultations or other messages are input in the native language of the smartphone owner, the others receive them translated into their native language, such as from Japanese to Vietnamese, Thai to Japanese, and Vietnamese to Thai. When the general affairs department shares information with all employees in Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai workers can understand it in their native languages. The system has led to employees actively communicating and reporting to each other, changing the workplace atmosphere.
A 28-year-old Vietnamese worker in his fourth year at the company who is responsible for metal cutting among other tasks smiled and commented in simple Japanese, "I can now communicate with everyone. I understand instructions and reports, and I'm making progress with my tasks." His 29-year-old co-worker from Thailand said in his native language, "It's very convenient. If there is a problem or something I don't understand, I can contact others immediately. I can now ask questions I couldn't before." Although they work in different departments, the two have become friends who communicate and consult with each other via smartphones.
Kobayashi said, "The various voices and thoughts of employees have become 'visible.' The workplace atmosphere has changed, leading to improved employee skills." He also explained that by overcoming the language barrier, the company's productivity has increased, and sales have grown.
In Kyoto Prefecture, the manufacturing industry has the highest number of foreign workers, at about 9,400 as of the end of October 2024, accounting for 27% of the total. Kobayashi Seisakusho's initiative could become a model case for small- and medium-sized businesses accepting foreign workers.
(Japanese original by Satoshi Kubo, Kyoto Bureau)