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On December 10th and 11th, the "12th International Meetings Expo" (IME2002), a convention and trade show for conference and convention promoters, was held at the Tokyo International Forum. For this issue, we spoke to Kumiko Torikai, who was appointed Chairperson of the Japan Congress & Convention Bureau (JCCB) this year. Ms. Torikai is well known in the world of English language education. She has appeared as an instructor on the radio program "Hyakuman-Nin no Eigo" (English for a Million People) and in English conversation programs on NHK TV. She spoke to us about the special features of IME2002 and best ways of simultaneous interpreting for international conferences. For the further promotion of the convention industry in Japan Speaking of the role of the JCCB, first of all, I think it exists solely in promoting the convention industry in Japan. This is not as easy as you might think. There are problems of facilities, language, and infrastructure. In fact, I was surprised at how few international conferences are held in Japan. Neither it is easy to invite them in from outside, for various reasons. From a European perspective, Japan is a long way away, air fares are expensive, the cost of living is high, English is not spoken in many places, and so on. This causes doubts as to the merits of coming here. So our job is to work out how we can make an international contribution at the same time as advertising the positive points about Japan, and how we can have international conferences held in all parts of Japan rather than just being concentrated in Tokyo. Conferences tend to have a dull image, but their knock-on effects are considerable. People who have no particular interest in Japan may come here for business. If they then discover something they like about Japan, they may come back on a private visit with their families. Then the effects would spread into the tourism industry, too. So in this sense, we need to have an outward appeal. Another important role of the JCCB lies in training people who are actually involved in international conferences. The convention industry is still somewhat lacking in non-material aspects, and the aspect of human resources will be a particularly big issue in future. Even if the facilities themselves are superb, the personnel aspect (for example, the allocation of interpreters) still leaves something to be desired. Planning decisions are always made at the eleventh hour, too late to hire the best interpreters. Or there may be several subcommittee levels within the same conference, but no clear decision is made as to allocating different grades of interpreters to different subcommittees. And because not enough importance is given to interpreters, people sometimes don't know where to go, or they go to booths where the wrong language is spoken. In fact, even in conferences held over the last few years, participants have sometimes gone home dissatisfied with the organization. They take part because they understand there will be simultaneous interpreters, but in fact there aren't any. When I heard about this, I thought that if the convention industry hadn't overcome this kind of problem, its problems were only just beginning! (laughs) To plan, organize, and successfully hold an international conference requires a lot of knowhow. But even the awareness of this requirement is still very shallow. To hold international conferences, we need experts who can coordinate.
In future, we will need personnel who can provide comprehensive coordination, including the problems of access to Japan. Since the overall budget is fixed, the problem is how to use it. It's great to put on performances of traditional Japanese arts at the reception, but not if that means cutting the budget allocated for interpreting. Nor is it much use saving costs on interpreting by hiring student part-timers, as they cannot do the job properly. Even if they make a hideous error in translation, they can't be held responsible as they're only students. The only way is to hire professional interpreters, give them background information in advance, and make sure they study it. I really hope human resources like this will be cultivated for the smooth running of international conferences. IME2002 will also be useful in nurturing future personnel. At IME2002, we will hear a speech by Mariko Terasaki Miller, Japan's Honorary Consul to Japan. She is the daughter of an American woman and a Japanese diplomat who worked in the Japanese Embassy in America just before the Second World War. Her story was once made into an NHK drama, so some people might have heard of her. Her father used the name "Mariko" as a code word when he passed information on the Japan-US situation to his brother in the Foreign Ministry. When relations worsened, he would say "Mariko's not very well at the moment". Inevitably, his efforts were fruitless and the two countries were thrust into war. But Mariko is a kind of symbol for Japan-US relations. After her speech, I will have a discussion with her. The theme will be "Japan-US relations past, present and future". I will be asking Mariko how she sees the future of Japan-US relations. As you know, I am attached to the Tourism Studies Department of Rikkyo University. Many of our students want to be involved in the tourism industry in future, in a broad sense that includes the convention industry. In my classes, I raise the issue of "convention interpreting methods" - in other words, how interpreting should be provided at international conferences. So, as a kind of field work for my classes, I will be sending my students to study IME. I have asked them to learn all about the convention industry today, listen to Mariko's speech, and submit reports on their impression of the working styles of professional interpreters. I would fully expect some of these students to be interested in the convention industry, and to develop in future into the human resources I mentioned just now. Let's respect and understand the world's languages and cultures I think what is lacking in Japan today is an awareness of multiple languages and cultures. English is said to be an international language, but global standards are not everything. It is because each country asserts and values its own language and culture that the importance of English as an international language increases. Studying English because it is an international language will not be enough for activity in the coming world. The spirit of respect and tolerance for different cultures will also be important. And rather than simply imitating, I think it's important for us to understand different cultures and languages and to mutually coexist, even while asserting our own identity. What is needed is consideration for the other person. That person also has a mother tongue, which may not be English or Japanese. Rather than just being happy to speak English, we should also take notice of the other cultures and languages lying beyond it. In that sense, this year's World Cup was really excellent. Footballers who speak no English were scattered throughout Japan, not just in Tokyo, and the people in each region tried to learn about the players' country and language. Even children and old people learnt a bit of French and communicated with the players from Cameroon, for example. That was just wonderful. I hope this kind of awareness can grow stronger, particularly among younger people. Otherwise, Japan will hit a dead end. Today, a lot of people can only see the huge presence of America. But real international exchange doesn't stop there. There are a lot more countries in the world, and a lot of them have completely different values to ours in Japan. That's what makes the world interesting! I wish young people would have this kind of attitude. Sometimes our individuality will collide with the individuality of others and friction will arise. How can we overcome this friction and understand each other better? I would love to see this kind of study included in English language education in future - in other words, cross-cultural communication. My expectations of the Tokyo International Forum When I first came to the Tokyo International Forum a few years ago, my first impression was "Wow! Isn't it huge!" (laughs) In the main Halls, there are facilities for simultaneous interpreting in up to 8 languages, and that really is wonderful. But I find it sad that there are so few events that actually use 8 languages. In the EU, each member state's language is an official language, so all have equal importance. But in any case, whether it's a conference or an exhibition, a cultural or a sporting event, it would be good if the TIF could become a place where various international events are held and people from various countries can converse with each other.
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