I just saw an NHK news segment about medical interpreting services in Saga Prefecture. Apparently, there has been a sudden rise in the non-Japanese population there, and that his brought an increased need for medical interpreters.

I know that the Kumamoto City International Foundation has been striving to train more medical interpreters. Here, for example, is a Japanese page about one such event that was held in April

2017年度 第2回医療通訳ボランティア養成講座オリエンテーション http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/event/event_detail.asp?id=2&kiji_id=9151&LC=j

The TV segment made me realize, however, that I don’t know what a non-Japanese person in Kumamoto who would like to get some help from an interpreter should do. If anyone knows, please write a comment to this post. Thanks!

– Kirk

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/k/saga/5085737611.html