The Interpreter's Role - A 'Jack of All Trades' Beyond Language
Interpreters accompanying NPB foreign players do far more than facilitate communication with managers and coaches during games. They translate practice instructions, interpret for media, assist contract negotiations, accompany players to hospitals, arrange housing, open bank accounts, set up phone contracts, make restaurant reservations, and support visiting families. Interpreters serve as 'jacks of all trades' supporting players' entire lives in Japan. For players, interpreters are often the only person they can rely on in Japan, serving significant emotional support functions. Player performance being influenced by interpreter quality is not uncommon.
24-Hour Availability and Low Pay
Interpreters are effectively required to be available to players 24 hours a day. Late-night calls about feeling unwell mean rushing to hospitals; requests to accompany shopping on days off mean going along. During road trips, interpreters stay at the same hotel as players, maintaining constant availability. Despite this, interpreter annual income is reportedly 3-5 million yen, hardly commensurate with hours and workload. Some teams employ interpreters as contract workers or contractors rather than regular employees, offering low job security. When foreign players leave, interpreters' contracts often end too.
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The Mizuhara Case Exposed Structural Problems
In 2024, the arrest of Ippei Mizuhara, interpreter for MLB Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, for illegal gambling involvement and unauthorized transfers from Ohtani's account highlighted structural problems in the interpreter profession. Interpreters have access to players' personal and financial information, with ever-present risk of trust being exploited. In NPB too, interpreter background checks and codes of conduct are insufficient, with organizational management of player-interpreter relationships remaining fragile.
Professionalizing Interpreters and Improving Conditions
Solving interpreter problems requires repositioning interpreters from 'player attendants' to 'professionals.' Specifically, this means clarifying interpreter duties, setting appropriate compensation levels, introducing work hour management, and establishing interpreter career paths. MLB has advanced interpreter condition improvements, with players' union negotiations raising minimum interpreter salaries. In NPB too, creating environments where interpreters can work with confidence improves foreign player reception quality and ultimately team competitiveness. The entire baseball world must recognize that foreign player success is impossible without interpreters.