How Kobe City Economic and Tourism Bureau uses VoicePing to support global startup initiatives and overcome language barriers at international events.
Language barriers at events and meetings involving domestic and international participants pose a significant challenge in startup support. Today, we speak with Ms. Chie Naito, Innovation Officer, and Ms. Yuiko Kitano from Kobe City Economic and Tourism Bureau’s New Industry Development Division, who utilize VoicePing in their global startup support initiatives.
Global Startup Support Led by Kobe City
Could you please introduce yourselves and tell us about your roles in the department?
Ms. Naito: I work primarily on startup support at Kobe City’s New Industry Development Division. I serve as an Innovation Officer on a fixed-term position. My name is Chie Naito. Thank you for having me.
Ms. Kitano: I’m also with Kobe City’s New Industry Development Division. My name is Yuiko Kitano. I work alongside Ms. Naito on similar duties, though I am a permanent staff member. Thank you for having me.
Could you tell us specifically about your work responsibilities?
Ms. Naito: Within startup support, we are responsible for the global expansion aspect. We support Japanese startups looking to expand overseas, and conversely, we assist international startups seeking to enter Japan or specifically Kobe. We utilize VoicePing’s translation tool while running programs and organizing events.
Ms. Naito, did you previously work in the private sector?
Ms. Naito: Yes, I previously worked in the private sector and later worked overseas. I’m leveraging those diverse experiences in my current three-year fixed-term position at Kobe City Hall.
Background of VoicePing Implementation
As you advance your startup support initiatives, could you share why you chose VoicePing and the background of its implementation?
Ms. Naito: When international startups visit Kobe, we organize events for local companies, and when Japanese startups expand overseas, we also hold events. We conduct multilingual events, and this year in particular, we planned large-scale events with up to 300 participants, so we considered bringing in interpreters for simultaneous interpretation. However, given the high frequency of events throughout the year, we explored alternative tools and identified VoicePing as a candidate.
When evaluating VoicePing, I was impressed that the Japanese translations sounded natural and smooth. I remember feeling that the Japanese output was quite good. I evaluated it from both English and Japanese perspectives, and the quality met my expectations.
How did you actually use VoicePing at your events?
Ms. Naito: We primarily use it in two ways. First, we display the translated text on a monitor at the venue so all participants can see. Second, we provide QR codes so participants can access the translations on their own smartphones.
The QR code method is particularly useful when we have limited space or when setting up multiple monitors isn’t practical. Participants appreciate being able to see translations in their preferred language on their own devices.
Solving Previous Challenges
Were there any challenges you faced before implementing VoicePing?
Ms. Naito: Yes, we previously tried other translation tools, but we encountered several issues. Connection interruptions during events were problematic, and some tools had session time limits that would cut off in the middle of presentations.
Ms. Kitano: The stability issue was significant. When you’re running a professional event with international participants, you can’t have your translation tool failing midway through. VoicePing has been much more reliable in that regard.
Impact on Event Operations
How has VoicePing impacted your event operations?
Ms. Naito: It’s significantly reduced our operational burden. Previously, arranging simultaneous interpreters for every event required considerable time and budget. With VoicePing, we can handle multilingual communication more flexibly.
Ms. Kitano: The accuracy has also impressed our international participants. We’ve received positive feedback about how well the translations capture the nuances of both Japanese and English conversations.
Future Outlook
How do you see VoicePing’s role in Kobe City’s future global initiatives?
Ms. Naito: As Kobe continues to position itself as a hub for global innovation, tools like VoicePing will become increasingly important. We’re building an environment where language barriers don’t hinder co-creation between Japanese and international startups.
Rather than viewing translation technology as just a convenient tool, we see it as foundational infrastructure that supports our global innovation goals. VoicePing enables diverse partnerships and creates a stronger foundation for international engagement.
Ms. Kitano: We expect VoicePing to play an increasingly important role as we scale our programs and welcome more international participants. It’s helping establish a new standard in multilingual communication for government-led startup support initiatives.
Kobe City Economic and Tourism Bureau continues to use VoicePing for their global startup support programs, enabling seamless communication between Japanese and international entrepreneurs.
