[Case Study] CoeFont Supports Kyoto's Traditional Culture and Industries with 'CoeFont Interpreter' Free of Charge

株式会社CoeFont (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shogo Hayakawa) announced that its AI interpretation service, 'CoeFont Interpreter,' is being used to support international visitors at venues representing Kyoto's traditional culture. This initiative is part of the 'Kotoba for All' social contribution project, which aims to create a society where everyone can communicate regardless of language. The company also announced that it will begin offering the service free of charge to those involved in traditional culture and industries.

The service has been utilized at two key sites: Gomei Gold Leaf, established in the early Meiji period, where visitors experience gold leaf application on 'Ezuke Gold Leaf' (a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage), and Kodo Sanpo Oeda-ryu, one of the three great arts of Japan, for Kodo (incense ceremony) experiences. By providing real-time multilingual translation of the instructors' and artisans' words, 'CoeFont Interpreter' helps international visitors deeply understand the history, context, and spirituality of these cultures in their native languages.

Background: The 'Language Barrier' and the Challenge of 'Conveying Context' in Traditional Industries While Japanese traditional crafts and arts face challenges like shrinking domestic demand and labor shortages, they are finding opportunities in expanding inbound tourism. However, the 'language barrier' remains a significant challenge. Technical skills like 'Ezuke Gold Leaf' and delicate spiritual cultures like 'Kodo' only reveal their true value when their history and 'story' are understood. Due to specialized terminology and emotional nuances, previous translation tools or a lack of highly skilled interpreters often resulted in superficial experiences. 'CoeFont Interpreter' solves the difficulty of 'conveying the background' by training the AI on specialized terminology and context, helping open the doors of traditional culture to the world.

Case Study 1: Gomei Gold Leaf — 'Interpreting the Context' for Customers Based in Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, Gomei Gold Leaf specializes in handcrafted 'Ezuke Gold Leaf.' They currently use 'CoeFont Interpreter' to explain their work, including the rarity of the material, production processes, and the 'Kyo-no-kasane-oshi' technique, in real-time, allowing for deep engagement without interrupting the flow of conversation.

Comments from Hisashi Gomei, Representative of Gomei Gold Leaf: 'I was worried because our experiences involve many technical terms, but the AI learned from our data. Since 'Ezuke Gold Leaf' is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, its value lies in its process and history. It is crucial to convey this correctly to both domestic and international visitors. 'CoeFont Interpreter' allows for accurate, uninterrupted explanations.'

Case Study 2: Kodo Sanpo Oeda-ryu — Multilingual 'Listening to Fragrance' Experience Kodo Sanpo Oeda-ryu in Kyoto uses 'CoeFont Interpreter' for Kodo experiences. It delivers the nuances of every word spoken by the instructor to participants in multiple languages, allowing them to focus on the experience of 'listening to fragrance.' By training on documents and videos, the AI is capable of handling the specialized expressions unique to Kodo.