Interpreter-certifying group shuts down

Sunday 09th November, 05:37 AM JST

TOKYO —

The Japan Interpreters’ Association, a private company that holds seminars and examinations to certify conference interpreters, has shut down, saying it could not get financial aid, canceling an examination slated for Sunday. In a website note dated Tuesday, the company said it ‘‘has been forced to close down as it could not receive necessary financial assistance amid the economic recession of late’’ and is forced to give up offering tests to certify conference interpreters and good-will interpreters involving Japanese, English and Chinese.

A similar note has been posted at the association’s office in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward. Phone calls to the association went unanswered. On Sunday, about 390 people were going to take the association’s exam at the school. But the school received a notice by express mail on Friday that the association was likely to cancel the rental contract for the space to be used for the exam. According to the association’s website, certification exams for conference, good-will interpreters and business communication—scheduled for Nov 9 and Dec 14 and Feb 1 in Tokyo, Sapporo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka and Naha—will be canceled.

The company was founded in 1973. Around 130,000 people sat for its exams, including the Conference Interpreter Licensing Examination and the Good-Will Interpreter Proficiency Examination—and around 38,000 of them have passed. According to a credit-research agency, the association logged 130 million yen in sales in the year to December 2007 and had eight employees on its payroll.

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7 Comments

Samuraiiki at 08:05 AM JST - 9th November

Well, if you learn good English, you should not have to prove anything by way of an examination.
mikihouse at 10:49 AM JST - 9th November

in Japan, certificates are very important. Even if you are qualified, native speaker level but without certification, you can't get a good job and a high salary.
kanadamanada at 11:27 AM JST - 9th November

Gotta have that piece of paper on the wall from whichever organization managed to shoulder past the others for the illusion of legitimacy.
Mark_McCracken at 03:47 PM JST - 9th November

I suppose now interpreters will only be able to be judged by the quality of their interpretation. Next thing you know, each interpreter's compensation will be determined by the demand for his/her service.
mojibake at 04:41 PM JST - 9th November

Unsure if you're being sarcastic, but the point is: if a client needs an interpreter, they are most likely not the best qualified entity to judge the quality of the interpretation...
Mark_McCracken at 04:54 PM JST - 9th November

Yes, I was being sarcastic.

If a client uses an interpreter, the client is best able to judge its satisfaction with the quality of the interpretation.
yasukuni at 08:06 PM JST - 9th November

A private company like that shouldn't expect to get financial aid. It may be sad that they were forced to close, but for years the people who decided to make money by holding exams and issuing qualifications made money. Now there is an economic downturn and they aren't making money. Pretty simple. That's life. People who are quality interpreters will still make money no doubt even without this company.