16:18 JST, July 21, 2026

When a foreign national is a party to a case, the role of judicial interpreters who assist investigations and trials becomes crucial. It is essential to secure and train highly skilled professionals amid a further rise in the number of foreign nationals visiting Japan.

Judicial interpreters translate statements made by arrested foreign nationals into Japanese and convey exchanges in Japanese in court into foreign languages. They play an indispensable role in guaranteeing the human rights of foreign nationals who do not understand Japanese.

A high level of expertise is required for judicial interpreters, such as the ability to convey complex legal terminology, along with a strong sense of ethics that ensures neutrality and impartiality. In lay judge trials, where court testimony carries particular weight, their role becomes even more........

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