The Japanese Red Cross Language Service Volunteers (LSV), which is part of the Japanese Red Cross Volunteer Corps, was founded based on the volunteer interpretation service for the Tokyo Paralympics held in 1964.
Since then, the LSV has been working by means of volunteer activities including language services and voluntary training, aiming to be a volunteer organization with the Red Cross ideals: the humanitarian mind and the international viewpoints.
Activities
Accessibility
We provide access information to various facilities in and around Tokyo so that people with disabilities can enjoy sightseeing and shopping without any inconvenience.
Disability Support Services
This includes a wide range of activities to support the transportation with wheelchairs and visually impaired people who come to Japan from overseas. We also participate in sports events for disabled athletes.
International Exchange Meeting
This is an activity which supports the international exchange program sponsored by the Japanese Red Cross. It is held once every two years to promote mutual understanding and goodwill between Japan and more than 100 youth volunteers from over 20 countries in the Asia Pacific region. We take on various roles, including planning, preparation, management and interpretation at the international exchange meetings.
Translating Japanese Picture Books into English
This is a program which translates Japanese picture books and sends them to children around the world, mainly in Asia and Africa.
Interpreter at Hospitals
Many people associate the Red Cross with hospitals in Japan. As a language service organization of the Red Cross, we volunteer at hospitals using languages.
DAISY
This is a service which creates and provides multimedia DAISY textbooks for students who have difficulty reading ordinary printed materials because of developmental disabilities and visual disabilities.
Translating
We translate documents and articles requested mainly by the Japanese Red Cross Society but also those from other welfare-related organizations from English to Japanese or Japanese to English. Basically, this work is done from home. These requests are irregular, and we recruit translators from our members on a case-by-case basis. Participants can check the contents and carry out the work in consultation with our coordinators.
Interpreting
At the request of the Japanese Red Cross and other organizations, we provide various interpreting services. In addition, interpreting is conducted for International Exchange Meetings and Disability Support Services.
NESN
The Native English Speakers Network (NESN) is a part of the Japanese Red Cross Language Service Volunteers (J.R.C.L.S.V.) belonging to the Japanese Red Cross Society (J.R.C.L.S.V. is not the Japanese Red Cross Society itself).