Utilizing our multilingual AI text-to-speech service, “OTO Creator,” high-quality audio files in four languages—Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean—were adopted for announcements broadcast within the premises of Narita Airport Station (Narita Terminal 1), Airport Building No. 2 Station (Narita Terminals 2 and 3), and Aoto Station.We were able to create high-quality audio files (in MP3 format) that sound natural even to native speakers while keeping file sizes small, which met Keisei Electric Railway’s expectations.
| Client | Keisei Electric Railway Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| URL | https://www.keisei.co.jp/ |
Products Implemented
Achieves automatic translation and natural, smooth, high-quality speech synthesis using only Japanese text input.
Also available for commercial use.
Background and Challenges
Background
Keisei Electric Railway, which operates lines connecting to Narita Airport—often referred to as the “gateway to the skies of Japan”—is promoting multilingual station announcements with the aim of improving services for a diverse range of passengers, including international visitors to Japan.
Challenges
Previously, studio recordings featuring a narrator were the norm, but this approach placed a significant burden on the company in terms of cost, time, and revision work. Additionally, given the high frequency of updates to broadcast content, there was a need for rapid and cost-effective operations.
Reasons for Adoption
Keisei Electric Railway selected OTO Creator as a one-stop solution for multilingual translation based on Japanese and the creation of audio files. The decisive factor was our ability to provide high-quality audio files tailored to on-site requirements with short turnaround times.
Key Implementation Details
Target Facilities: Narita Airport Station (Narita Terminal 1), Airport Building No. 2 Station (Narita Terminals 2 & 3), Aoto Station
Purpose: Station Announcements
Announcement Category: Information
Languages:Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean
Deliverables: Files (MP3 format)
Additional Options: Review of automated translation results and audio tuning by our native speakers
Customer Feedback
“As the demand for multilingual broadcasts continues to grow, they responded quickly and delivered high-quality results. We expect this to continue contributing to the streamlining of station operations and the improvement of customer service.”
(Keisei Electric Railway Co., Ltd., Railway Headquarters, Passenger Services Section)
Future Outlook
The world is currently facing a transitional period where demand is shifting from traditional studio voice recordings by narrators to AI-powered voice synthesis.
Through innovations in voice guidance at familiar locations—including railways, airports, large commercial facilities, and department stores—we aim to provide information to a wider audience using “natural and easy-to-listen-to voice synthesis.”
The voices you hear coming from public address systems in various public facilities may well have been created using our OTO Creator.
Moving forward, we will continue to pursue high-quality, natural pronunciation and expand our multilingual AI text-to-speech services to suit a wide range of scenarios.
Inquiries Regarding Services and Products
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