KOBE -- For foreigners who cannot communicate in Japanese, having an interpreter is important when seeing a doctor.
But given the difficulty of finding a translator during an emergency, medical institutions in Kobe will launch a pilot project next month under which they can contact volunteer interpreters through the Internet and receive interpretation services over the telephone.
The project, the first of its kind in Japan, is an effort to be prepared for emergencies during the World Cup soccer tournament, which is expected to draw many foreign visitors to the city.