"I want to reach out to that person, but the language..."
You found an interesting band on a recruitment page. Looking at their profile, you thought "I want to work with this person." But the profile was in English. Or Chinese. —Have you ever given up on sending a message at that moment?
I moved to Tokyo in my twenties and started playing in bands based at Mandala in Kichijoji. I also frequented UZU in Fussa and met dozens of musicians. Among them were, of course, foreigners. Music needs no words when you're playing together—that's half true. During sessions and live performances, you can communicate through sound alone.
But the first "Would you like to play together?" is the hardest line to say.
"Where should we practice?" "What genres do you like?" "Are you free next Sunday?"—Daily communication essential for band activities hits language barriers. Opening translation apps and copying and pasting is tedious, and nuances often get lost.
Membo's translation chat is a feature created to break down those barriers with just one tap.
How to Use Translation Chat — Language Barriers Disappear with Just One Tap
First, open the message screen from My Page. The Direct tab displays a list of people you're chatting with.
Tap on a contact to open the chat screen. What you should notice here is the globe icon at the top of the screen.
Usage is simple. Just tap the globe icon once. That's all it takes for the other person's messages to be automatically translated into your language. Once you turn it ON (the icon shows a checkmark), all subsequent messages from the other person will be automatically translated. No need for repeated operations.
Translation Chat from a Japanese User's Perspective
Let's look at actual screens. Here we see a conversation between a Japanese user and a Taiwanese user.
Translation OFF — The other person's language displays as-is
With translation OFF, the Taiwanese user's messages appear in Taiwanese (Traditional Chinese) as-is.
"你好，很高興認識你。" "首先，你喜歡什麼類型的音樂？"—For someone who doesn't understand Taiwanese (Traditional Chinese), this is completely incomprehensible.
Here, when you tap the globe icon—
Translation ON — Readable in Japanese!
"Nice to meet you too." "First, what kind of music do you like?" "I heard you're recruiting a bassist. What skills are required for a bassist?"—The Taiwanese (Traditional Chinese) messages that were unreadable moments ago have become natural Japanese.
Your own Japanese messages (green speech bubbles) remain unchanged. Only the other person's messages get translated. So you can tell at a glance which messages have been translated.
Translation Chat from a Taiwanese User's Perspective
Now let's see the same conversation from the Taiwanese user's perspective. Translation chat works bidirectionally.
Translation OFF — Japanese displays as-is
From the Taiwanese user's perspective, the Japanese user's messages like "Nice to meet you too." "I mainly like music rooted in traditional music." appear in Japanese as-is. Without understanding Japanese, conversation is impossible.
Similarly, when tapping the globe icon—
Translation ON — Readable in Taiwanese (Traditional Chinese)!
"我也很高興見到你。" "我主要喜歡根植於傳統音樂的音樂。我想組一支簡單但充滿團隊精神的樂團。"—The Japanese written by the Japanese user is translated and displayed in Taiwanese (Traditional Chinese).
Both sides can write in their own language and read in their own language. This is Membo's translation chat.
PWA Support — Receive Notifications from Your Home Screen
Membo supports PWA (Progressive Web App). By registering the icon on your smartphone's home screen, you can use it like a native app.
And if you set up push notifications—
When someone sends you a message, you'll receive a notification on your smartphone even when the app isn't open. You won't miss important messages. "Studio schedule changes," "Today's rehearsal location"—receive essential band communication in real-time.
8-Language Support — Chat in Any Combination
Membo's translation chat supports the following 8 languages.
| Language | Display |
|---|---|
| Japanese | Japanese |
| English | English |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 简体中文 |
| Taiwanese (Traditional Chinese) | 繁體中文 |
| Korean | 한국어 |
| Vietnamese | Tiếng Việt |
| Nepali | नेपाली |
| Hindi | हिन्दी |
Not just Japanese⇄English, but Korean⇄Vietnamese, Nepali⇄Taiwanese (Traditional Chinese)—translation chat works with any language combination.
The number of foreigners making music in Japan is increasing year by year. Not just in Tokyo, but in Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka too. Particularly, Vietnamese and Nepali resident communities are growing rapidly, with many people seeking musical connections.
Membo is a service created to enable meeting musical partners across nationalities without language barriers.
Take the First Step with Translation Chat
For those who've hesitated to send messages because "the other person is a foreigner"—you don't need to hesitate anymore.
With translation chat—
- Whatever language they write in, you can read it in your language
- You can write in your language. They can read it through translation too
- Once you turn translation ON, it's automatic thereafter. Just one operation needed
Nationality and language don't matter. Sessions and bands that communicate through music alone can start more casually. That's Membo's translation chat.
If you don't have an account yet, start with free membership registration. Also check out How Foreigners Can Find Band Members in Japan and Complete Guide to Starting a Band This Spring.
