SenTIA Community Interpretation Supporter Dispatch System
Community interpretation supporters will be dispatched to support foreign citizens who have difficulty communicating in Japanese in order to facilitate communications at government offices, schools, nursery schools, etc.
Flyers for foreign residents→【English】 【中文 Chinese】 【한국어 Korean】 【Tiếng việt Vietnamese】 【नेपाली Nepali】 【Tagalog】 【русского Russian】 【Español Spanish】 【ภาษาไทย Thai】
- １．Languages available
- Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Nepali, Korean, Hindi, Russian, Spanish, Thai and English
- ２．Can interpret for
- Paperwork at government offices, personal consultations or home visits for nursery schools and schools, etc.
Can not interpret for: Medical services, classroom support, events (school entrance ceremonies, sports festivals, etc.), or parties. - ３．Area of dispatch
- Within Sendai City
(City hall, ward offices, nursery schools, kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high schools) - ４．Date and time when dispatches are available
- As a general rule, on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(As a general rule, volunteers can interpret for 2 hours per sessions.) - ５．Interpreter dispatch fee
- Free of charge (0 yen)
- ６．How to apply
- Dispatch locations such as government offices or nurseries, faculty at schools, as well as foreign residents can apply to use the service.
As a general rule, an application should be submitted to one of the following locations at least one week before you need an interpreter.
| Where to Apply | Phone/e-mail | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sendai Multicultural Center |
TEL：022-265-2471 TEL：022-224-1919 ((Interpretation Support Hotline: 22 languages available including Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Nepali) |
9:00～17:00 (Closed one to two days per month) |
| International Relations Department,Sendai Tourism, Convention and International Association (SenTIA) |
TEL：022-268-6260 |
Mon. to Fri. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
*All application locations are closed during the year end and New Year’s Holiday (Dec. 29 to Jan. 3).
Flow from application to dispatch
Rules when using Community Interpretation Support Dispatch
- Community interpretation supporters are not professional interpreters. Sendai Tourism, Convention and International Association will assume no responsibility in the unlikely event that problems occur due to a supporter’s interpretation.
- In order to make things easier for the interpreter, please refrain from using technical terms and explain things in plain language.
- Do not give a long explanation all at once. Stop at a point you think would be easy to interpret and let the interpreter speak.
- Please only explain what is relevant at the current time. If the entirety of a process is explained, the foreign citizen might end up becoming confused instead.
- The supporter will only interpret between the foreign citizen and who they are consulting with. The supporter will not read documentation and explain it to the foreign citizen in their own language.
- As the services offered by governments vary by country, an explanation of that service’s system may be required.
- As a general rule, a supporter will interpret for 2 hours.
- Please understand that a supporter’s personal or contact information cannot be disclosed.
- In the event of a cancellation or change in requested time, please contact us as soon as possible.
- On the requested dispatch day there is the possibility that, after consulting with the client, the appointment may need to be cancelled due to dangerous conditions related to forecasted bad weather or other unavoidable situations which would cause the supporter to be suddenly unable to perform his or her duties.