The smartphone screen of a Vietnamese employee at Kobayashi Seisakusho shows work instructions in Japanese and machine translated Vietnamese, in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto Prefecture, May 27, 2025. (Mainichi/Satoshi Kubo)
NAGAOKAKYO, Kyoto — A factory in Kyoto Prefecture has made work easier for foreign employees by using a translation app on smartphones and computers. More than half of the 110 workers at Kobayashi Seisakusho are from Vietnam or Thailand.
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Before, workers had trouble talking to each other because they spoke different languages. Sometimes, mistakes happened because people did not understand instructions. Some workers said “yes” even when they did not understand.
Now, the company uses a special app called “Kaminashi Jugyoin.” Workers can type messages in their own language, and the app translates them for everyone. For example, a message in Japanese is changed to Vietnamese or Thai, and the other way around. This helps everyone understand instructions and talk about problems.
A Vietnamese worker said, “I can now communicate with everyone. I understand instructions and reports, and I’m making progress with my tasks.” A Thai worker said, “It’s very convenient. If there is a problem or something I don’t understand, I can contact others immediately.”
The company president, Hiroaki Kobayashi, said the app has made the workplace better. Workers now talk more, help each other, and make fewer mistakes. The company is now more productive and sales have grown.
(Japanese original by Satoshi Kubo, Kyoto Bureau)
Vocabulary
translation: changing words from one language to another
app: a computer program, often used on phones
instructions: information about what to do
convenient: easy and helpful
productive: able to make more things or do more work
immediately: right away
AloJapan.com