Readable Phone Booth Appears at Haneda Airport

Sep 22, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A phone booth that converts the voice of the person on the other end of a call into real-time text has been installed at Haneda Airport for four days, offering visitors a glimpse of technology designed for people who have difficulty hearing telephone conversations.

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The installation is part of an interactive event that opened at Haneda Airport on September 21, marking 150 years since the invention of the telephone and exploring the diversity of hearing through the evolution of telephone communication from the past to the present.

Visitors make a call from inside the booth using Yometel, a telephone application that displays the other person's speech as text. The call connects to a telephone on the other side of a wall, and the speaker's words appear in real time on the user's smartphone.

The conversation is also displayed on a large screen beside the phone booth, allowing not only the person making the call but also passersby to see the moment when a voice becomes readable.

An estimated 14 million people in Japan experience difficulty hearing the voice of the person on the other end of a telephone call.

Organizers hope the event will raise awareness of Yometel and expand opportunities for people to use the service.

羽田空港に「読める電話ボックス」 4日間限定で登場

電話が発明されて150年となる2026年、電話先の声が聞こえにくい人向けに、相手の声をリアルタイムで文字表示する「読める電話ボックス」が9月21日から羽田空港に期間限定で設置されている。

羽田机场推出可读电话亭限时开放4天

2026年迎来电话发明150周年，羽田机场从9月21日起限时设置可将通话对方声音实时转换为文字的可读电话亭，为听电话声音有困难的人提供新的通话体验。

Source: テレ東BIZ

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