TLDR: Looking for an on-call interpretation service that can be called in case of accidents, altercations, medical emergencies, or other situations in which the level of Nihongo may be over my head, a service that can billed case-by-case, or hourly.
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I was surfing around and came across some stories (both new and old) where gaijin found themselves in a situation where they had been in an accident, or an altercation, or had some kind of medical problem where the gaijin in question who may or may not have some Japanese ability just found themselves in over their heads. It may be that the Japanese person and the police were trying to railroad the gaijin into admitting it was their fault, or at least that they didn’t need or want any kind of compensation from the Japanese person, or that the Japanese person was lying and the gaijin just didn’t know it. Or maybe the gaijin was in a clinic getting some kind of diagnosis or medical advice that they just were unable to follow. Even if one is competent in daily conversations, medical, legal, or technical terms may be a problem.
My question is, does anyone know if there is any kind of on-call interpretation service that can be called on a moment’s notice and have a competent person who can interpret in both directions, and can explain the intricacies of what is being said, AND who won’t automatically be working under the assumption that the gaijin is at fault. I am not in such a situation, nor do I plan on doing anything to get into one, but 万が一 it should happen, I’d like to know there is someone I can call.
I have motorcycle insurance which provides an interpreter in case of accident, but I am looking for more of a catch-all service that can be called in various situations.
by BWWJR