For Japanese nationals in Taiwan, finding answers to difficult questions might now be as easy as dialing 10 digits.
The Ministry of the Interior, in collaboration with Chunghwa Telecom, yesterday added Japanese as one of the languages available on its one-stop hotline for foreigners.
The toll free number, 0800-024-011, provides around-the-clock counseling services and can now help callers in Chinese, English and Japanese.
“Callers are welcome to ask any questions related to their daily lives,” said Liao Suh-ming (廖素敏), a division chief in the ministry’s business customer department.
“The most frequent calls we get are about visa and immigration issues,” she said.
The next goal is to add more languages to the service, Minister of the Interior Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) said.
More than 16,000 of the 560,000 foreign residents in Taiwan are Japanese, said Hamada Yuji, an official at the Japanese Interchange Association.
Approximately 1.17 million Japanese tourists visited Taiwan last year, he said.
“I think this service will be very helpful. In Japan we don’t have one single number that people can call to ask questions,” Hamada said.
Foreigners in Japan have to call the specific government agency that has the information they need, and each agency will then provide translation assistance to help the callers with their inquiries, he said.
The National Immigration Agency said hotline staff were trained to answer questions about subjects ranging from visa to health insurance to transportation issues.
One American caller used the service to find help when his car broke down on the highway, said Sung Yu-hsieh (宋餘俠), deputy head of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission.
A US couple also received help when they found a snake in their house, he said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
RSS