HOCHIKI CORPORATION will change the labeling of its fire alarm manual call point, the “Flat-Type Indicator-Equipped Manual Call Point,” to bilingual Japanese-English labeling and begin selling the products sequentially from October 2026. In a survey, approximately 80% of respondents said multilingual support was necessary, highlighting a gap in recognition between Japanese people and foreign residents in Japan.
HOCHIKI CORPORATION announced that it will change the nameplate labeling of its indicator-equipped manual call point for fire alarm systems, the “Flat-Type Indicator-Equipped Manual Call Point,” to bilingual Japanese-English labeling and begin selling the products sequentially from October 2026. There will be no changes to the product specifications, external dimensions or mounting dimensions, and compatibility with existing products will be maintained.
Alongside the move to bilingual labeling, the company surveyed 1,027 Japanese people and foreign residents in Japan to assess awareness and understanding of operation. The survey found that approximately 80% of respondents felt the need for multilingual support. It also reported that approximately 80% of Japanese respondents could identify the device as part of a fire alarm system after seeing it, compared with less than half of foreign respondents.
The initiative forms part of the company’s policy of making disaster-prevention equipment easier to understand for a more diverse range of users, and the company plans to continue providing products suited to diverse user environments.
The “Flat-Type Indicator-Equipped Manual Call Point” is a fire alarm device with an indicator that activates an alarm throughout a building when the central button is pressed after a fire is discovered. Under this revision, the labeling on the product nameplate and protective plate has been changed to bilingual Japanese-English labeling, with no changes to its functions, performance or mounting dimensions. Compatibility with existing products will be maintained.