TECH FREAK - A geeky department store of the future.
Vol.5 Papago

2025.1.30

Edit： Shuhei Wakiyawa

From familiar devices and convenient gadgets, to home appliances that enrich our lives, to new services. This is a serial project that focuses on the latest in tech. In the fifth installment, we will look at the Korean translation app "Papago."

In Asia it's called Papago.

The yen is so cheap, I hope it ends soon.

The yen has fallen so much that I feel like lamenting it in a haiku poem by Kai Michiko. It's said to be at a historic low, prices are rising, and at this rate I can't go abroad without worrying.

I want to say that, but I went to Thailand. Of course, it was for work. It was the best week of reporting. For details, please see the article on Houyhnhnm that will be published later. The weather and people are warm, and even though it has only been three days since I returned, I am already talking about wanting to go to Thailand. But, as expected, I was stuck on the language barrier. Sadly, I am a loser who cannot speak either English or Thai at all.

That's why we have no choice but to rely on others. We had a perfect lineup of writers who could speak English, and photographers who could speak a little Thai and English. Thanks to that, the project ended without any problems. But there are times when you have to do something on your own. It is in such a difficult situation that you should rely on technology. I thought that AI was the answer these days, and so I set up the translation app "Papago" from Korea.

"Papago" is an app developed by "Naver" and was released in 2016. The word means parrot in Esperanto (an artificial language). The app icon is, of course, a parrot. It gives the impression of being smart and talkative, doesn't it? It can translate from voice and images, and currently supports translation into a total of 14 languages. The basic use is free. This is a little nice to see, as most services require payment from the start.

I think many people are wondering why we have both "Google" and "DeepL" now. However, the former is not immediately usable because they are consolidating translation apps into the "Google app", and the latter does not support Thai. Also, I somehow imagined that in Asian countries, an app developed within Asia would be better for grasping the finer nuances. Of course, the photographer's recommendation was "Papago".

A scene from the airport. I can't read it.
This is what was written there:

I can't read most restaurant menus.
As you can see, this is how it becomes somewhat understandable.

I'm completely at a loss when Thai numerals are used.
Some are worth over 1,000,000 baht (4.5 million yen). I heard they are made of pure gold.

A sign posted near a certain restaurant.
I feel like I can even sense Bean's relaxed atmosphere.

It's very easy to use. When you open the app, just select the language you want to translate at the top and choose the tool you want to use to convert it. You can have existing images analyzed, take a photo and translate it in real time, or translate text or conversation. The accuracy is not perfect, but it's just moderate. But the meaning is understandable, and it's a great help just to have this. I don't know what it means just by looking at it, and I can only speak "Kopkunka" and "Sawadee Kapp", so it's fine. By the way, the conversion to and from "Papago's" native Korean is said to be quite accurate. Because it's AI, I feel like it will become smarter and smarter in multiple languages.

Where is this going?
There are some parts that are a little strange, but you should be able to get the idea across.

This is the place that made me wonder what was inside.
The entrance to a mosque.

There was a moment during my stay in Phuket when I felt completely lost and at a loss.
I think you'll get a sense of it if you listen to "Papago."
I asked the photographer and he told me it was Khao Mok Gai, a Thai version of biryani. It was absolutely delicious.

Of course, that's not all. There are also other useful features such as website translation, offline translation, global conversation that speaks the English you need for different situations, vocabulary cards that are perfect for language practice, and "Papago Mini" that translates text by pasting it even if you have another app open. And, although it costs money, it also supports document translation.

Oh, and remember, if you're really stressed out, you might forget to even rely on the app -- say, pickpockets, a spelling mistake on your airline ticket, a jammed passport, or being shown to a private room for a foot massage -- then it's time to rely on someone else.

By the way, my personal best "Papago" moment was when I talked to a girl I saw at a supermarket late at night on the day before I returned to Japan. I asked her where she bought the souvenir-like cap she was wearing using Thai translation, and since she was Chinese, I was happy to be able to translate it into Chinese immediately. She replied "Zoo," so I couldn't go buy it as planned. But that girl was really cute.

This is the cap I wanted. It has "THAILAND" embroidered on the back, and it has a cute souvenir feel.
Japanese to Thai conversion.
It can also quickly convert from Japanese to Chinese.