Testimonials: Public Relations and Communication Division, Shibuya Ward

Shibuya Ward celebrates the 90th anniversary of its ward organization in 2022. Shibuya Ward, which will celebrate the 90th anniversary of its ward system in 2022, is a city that transformsdifferences into knowledge and power. We asked the person in charge about the process of introducing " MySiteAI Translation Premium" in March2023 and his/her impressions.

Kodensha: Why did Shibuya Ward introduce the automatic translation function for 121 languages in "My Site AI Translation Premium"?

Shibuya Ward: Previously, we were translating into five languages, but in preparation for the renewal of the Shibuya Ward Portal, the ward's official website, in March 2023, we were considering increasing the number of languages to meet more diverse needs. Shibuya Ward has a vision of the future as "a city that transforms differences into power. Shibuya Ward has set forth its vision for the future as "Shibuya Ward, a city that transforms differences into power," and decided to introduce "My Site AI Translation Premium," which can translate into 121 languages, in order to realize a website that can be used by many people.

Takaden-sha: Were there any other services that you compared and considered?

Shibuya Ward: We considered a variety of services, from free to paid, and the key factors in selecting My Site AI Translation were that it supports 121 languages, boasts high translation accuracy using DeepL translation, and automatically selects the same language as the browser used by the user.

Takaden-sha: Were there any episodes that left an impression on you when you introduced the service?

Shibuya Ward: "My Site AI Translation Premium" was available in 36 languages, but we were impressed by the fact that the release of the 121-language version, a significant addition, was accelerated to coincide with the renewal of the Shibuya Ward Portal.
In parallel, a digital archive site, "SHIBUYA CITY RECORD," will be launched in November 2022 and automatic translation will be introduced along with the ward portal. We were happy to have the same company handle both automatic translation and human translation for SHIBUYA CITY RECORD, and to be able to reflect the results of the project.

Takaden-sha: How do you feel the effect of introducing " My Site AI Translation Premium" to the Ward Portal?

Shibuya Ward: When we looked at the data compiled by the dashboard function, we found that the number of languages has increased and that people are viewing the site in quite a variety of languages as well. We would like to disseminate information with an awareness that it will be viewed in more languages than ever before. The " SHIBUYA CITY RECORD" and the FAQ site, which are handled by the Public Relations and Communication Section, also employ the same translation as the portal site, although in a different number of languages, so that users can use them seamlessly.

4. future issues

Takaden-sha: Are there any points or issues that you feel need to be improved in the future?

Shibuya Ward: After all, automatic translation is not perfect. I believe there is a challenge that human translation is necessary, especially when sensitive content or accuracy is required.
Since your company is a translation company, we expect that we can rely on you in this respect and consult with you even when human translation is required.

Shibuya Ward: Introduction of the person in charge

Public Relations and Communications Section: Mr. A

Kodensha: Do you have any advice for other local governments on how to introduce 121 languages for automatic translation?

I think it is very important that the introduction of the 121 languages of automatic translation has made us aware of diversity that we did not yet know. As a government agency, it is very important for local governments to use automatic translation to ensure that no one is left behind.

We are glad to have introduced Kodensha's automatic translation service because we now have a new challenge to provide appropriate information to people with diverse backgrounds.