In Japan, “Rou” Nanchousha”, “Mimigakikoenai-hito” and “Tsunbo” are all used to identify as deaf, yet Japan’s complex history with its Deaf community means that “Tsunbo” is considered derogatory, while Mimigakikoenai literally denotes a person whose ears do not hear. It is particularly interesting that in Japan, whether you identify as “hard of hearing” (HOH) or “deaf” is strongly linked to the time period in which you were born. Karen Nakamura has divided Japan’s Deaf community into three birth phases; Pre-war (1900s-1930s), War and Post-War Boomers (1940s-1950s), and the New Generation Post-Boomers. (1960s-1980s)

To understand Japan’s efforts to increase accessibility for the deaf, it is essential to understand how each phase has a different connection to their identity. For instance, in her 2003 Article titled “U-turns, Deaf Shock, and the Hard of Hearing: Japanese Deaf Identities at the Borderlands,” Nakamura states that young people identified as HOH or “hearing-impaired” rather than “deaf” and so it was difficult to recruit them in local and regional organizations of the deaf in Japan.

Pre-War efforts, and lack thereof. (1900s-1930s)

Before the war, Deaf education was not compulsory, which meant that even though Deaf education was accessible, it was seldom attained. Even if tuition was free, families preferred to keep people at home for labor purposes. Nevertheless, the mere fact that Japanese Sign Language (JSL) was taught was a major step forward. During Japan’s colonization, JSL was taught in Deaf schools in Korea and Taiwan. This is why even current-day Chinese and Korean Sign Language is influenced by JSL. 

However, due to their absence in the school system, Deaf individuals did not associate with other deaf or HOH individuals. The reason it is pivotal to mention them is that this community did not gain the necessary exposure to JSL. When they reached adulthood, and then became elders, it was difficult to communicate because they signed in an “idiosyncratic style.” (Nakamura, 2003) This difficulty extended to interpreters, who were well-versed in JSL but not the unfamiliar signs of the Pre-war Deaf community.

It was therefore inevitable that when people of this community came across police officers, medical professionals, or any authority figure, it became impossible to receive the proper medical care or welfare. To add fuel to the already inflamed Deaf community, deaf women were forcibly sterilized at a young age while adults were made to marry hearing spouses against their will. 

The unfortunate conclusion that many reach after this discussion is that this sector of the Deaf and HOH community doesn’t reflect Japan’s inclusion efforts because since then, many, many positive steps have been taken. The problem with this thinking is that it goes a step beyond placing an expiry date on the elderly. It strips the elderly Deaf of the basic right to communicate. A hearing 80-year-old may be able to communicate when their joints ache, but a deaf or HOH cannot avail the same even in the presence of interpreters. 

It is unfair to discard this category of the Deaf community simply because their struggles were in the early 2000s. This is based on the assumption that no one communicates using this branch of JSL. 

Photo by Max Bender

Inspiring a Nation (1940s-1950s)

The significance of this time period can be understood by the fact that a large number of people were born deaf or HOH as a consequence of streptomycin and other new antibiotics. The growth of the Deaf community led to serious strides during this phase. Additionally, in 1948, the government introduced compulsory education for the Deaf. This reform paved the way for schools for the Deaf and advanced the development of Deaf culture and sign language. 

The problem that arose was that irrespective of their education, the Deaf were still considered inferior to their hearing counterparts. Many HOH or late-deafened children were put in schools for the Deaf with little distinction made between their education needs. This resulted in greater success for late-deafened or HOH students who would function as a middleman between the teachers and students. Eventually, these HOH students grew up to become leaders of the Deaf community. Despite the education of the Deaf, the preference was given to HOH folk so much so that the meetings of the JFD were conducted with voicing being a priority over signing. This inevitably led to Deaf lip-readers and speakers being seen as the most capable of representing Japan’s Deaf community.

Outward differences aside, the Deaf community did not discriminate from within – a person was not considered superior based on their signing skills or hearing abilities. The self-proclaimed roua of Japan did not see themselves as “disabled” but fully recognized the rampant discrimination they had grown up with. This made it easier for them to communicate their political demands. An example of this is the Strike at the Kyoto School for the Deaf in 1965, where students protested against the poor education imparted to the Deaf. 

This generation made major changes; the JFD’s efforts resulted in the initiation of the volunteer interpreting system, Japanese Sign Language textbooks, driver’s licenses for the Deaf, and a national welfare pension plan. 

Post-Boomers (1960s-1980s) and the current situation. 

The decades that followed may leave one unclear as to how successful this time period can be. On one hand, there were many fruitful reforms. In 1976, JSL interpreters were offered certification examples, and in 1979, the Ministry of Health and Welfare established a training program for interpreter instructors. In 1986, the JFD petitioned for the use of JSL interpretation in political campaigns. 

Unfortunately, education reforms suffered. The 1970s saw a shift toward mainstream education for the Deaf. Nakamura (2003) states that in 1997-1998, schools for the Deaf went from 40 students per class to 3-4. Mainstreamed students preferred (and still do) to identify as HOH or hearing disabled. These schools made little effort to teach JSL, so most Deaf and HOH individuals either didn’t know JSL or learned after graduating. Jennifer M. McGuire wrote Who am I to others? Selfhood shows among mainstream educated deaf and hard-of-hearing Japanese youth, Contemporary Japan(2020), that Deaf and HOH people find it stressful to fit in these environments because the prerequisite is oral communication. Even if they excel academically, they feel socially isolated from their hearing peers. 

While it is true that Japan has made efforts to include the Deaf and HOH both legally and politically, mainstream education has stunted the growth of Deaf culture significantly. Japan’s Deaf history has its ups and downs, but the fatal flaw is not a shortcoming on behalf of the Deaf and HOH. The road to increased accessibility can only be saved by changing the way deafness is perceived in Japan. Till that happens, opportunities can present themselves but they are reluctantly availed considering the stigma and social exclusion faced by the Deaf in Japan. 

Unspoken Languages Services is an American Sign Language Interpretation service provider that aims to bridge the gap in communication and create an accessible environment for all. 

Thumbnail Photo Credit to: “Disabled Facilities in Japan” by Danny Choo is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0