New Book Announcement: Mark Bookman's "Disability Publics: Making Accessibility in Modern Japan"

A personal note: Dr. Mark Bookman was an incredible scholar, the foremost expert on historical and contemporary disability issues in Japan, a wonderful and caring person any my good friend. He was here in Japan doing research and working on his PhD dissertation, all the while writing several articles and making many presentations. He eventually finished his degree, got a post doc at Tokyo College and then a position at Ritsumeikan University. I was very lucky to know him and benefit from his knowlwdge. At times we were able to work together, and he always found the time to watch many of my presentations (and then give me compliments and his frank and honest critiques). This is the book we have all been waiting for...

Book Description (from Oxford University Press):

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. It is free to read on Oxford Academic and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.

Over the last 150 years, activists and policymakers have tried to improve access to Japan's built environment, education, employment, entertainment, and medical care systems for disabled persons, but these attempts have frequently excluded as many impaired individuals as they have empowered. Their technological and legislative interventions have not only structured the everyday lives of disabled individuals, but also women, children, old people, migrant laborers, wounded veterans, and members of other vulnerable groups, by both creating and removing obstacles to social participation.

Why and how have stakeholders pursued these accessibility projects for different demographics in modern Japan? To unpack this question, this book investigates the history of Japan's "disability publics": coalitions of activists, government officials, and other interested parties who have advanced policy agendas for specific communities by responding to social, political, and economic circumstances. It demonstrates that pressures tied to macrosocial processes such as industrialization, urbanization, militarization, globalization, and population ageing have played a key role in defining Japan's disability publics. Equally influential have been international flows of information, products, and people working in the welfare sphere, which have inspired Japan's disability publics to implement domestic reforms. A final contributing factor arose from social crises and mega-events (such as the "triple disaster" at Fukushima, the global COVID-19 pandemic and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics) which have provided windows of opportunity for catalyzing policy changes.

Disability Publics uses this history to intervene in current debates about inclusion and will guide future policymaking efforts by asking stakeholders to consider who has a seat at the table, how they come to be there, and what they fail to imagine when developing accessibility measures. In so doing, and by unravelling the politics of Japan's disability publics in this comprehensive way, the book outlines a path towards a more equitable society.

***

Many of our Japanese Studies colleagues will know Dr Mark Bookman's work on disability in Japan. He was trained as a modern historian, but he had many fruitful collaborations with anthropologists during his career. Over the last year, I have been honored to work with Mark's father and Professor Nagase Osamu of Ritsumeikan University to bring Mark’s UPenn dissertation to publication. Please help us sustain his legacy and buy the book at this discount, or recommend it to your library or … read it for free! OUP has happily agreed to make the manuscript open access after its publication in September 2025. (Carolyne S. Stevens, book editor)

For more information: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/disability-publics-9780198979739?cc=jp&lang=en&

"Disability activists push for more inclusive Pride celebrations"

Story by Zoe Christen Jones, June 30, 2021, (CBS News via msn)

Read the whole story: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/disability-activists-push-for-more-inclusive-pride-celebrations/ar-AALAVxG?ocid=mailsignout&li=BBnb7Kz

Not Japan related, but it is an intersection between my recent projects dealing with disability and gastronomy. This is the part I like:

© Provided by CBS News Alexis Hillyard / Credit: Kevin Tuong

Alexis Hillyard, a YouTuber who was born without her left hand, said it's freeing when she's in a space where she and her disability are accepted.

"Accessibility means that people are able to move through and exist in spaces they deserve to be a part of without feeling like they need to change who they are, make themselves smaller and make sacrifices to be able to be in that space," the 39-year-old said. "It's like being able to be and exist in your full self, as you are, without having to change or adapt to the world around you."

On her cooking channel, StumpKitchen, Hillyard explains how her disability is an important tool she uses every day and an integral aspect of her life. She's also deliberate in making her videos as accessible to her viewers as possible.

"I didn't realize before how much I would subconsciously hide my arm or wonder if people were staring or wondering what they were thinking about me or feeling sorry for me," Hillyard said. "It was a beautiful surprise and just an awareness and release of tension you were feeling that you didn't realize that you had."

Representations of Deaf People in Japan: Inspiration, Outrage and Real Life

Abstract: This presentation examines representations of deaf people in Japan as related to so-called "inspiration porn" -- the idealization of disabled people doing everyday tasks (e.g. riding a train, having a job) or for achievements having nothing to do with their particular disability (e.g. deaf athletes). Cross-cultural examples, academic models, observations and perspectives will be discussed to explore how disabled and deaf people are portrayed in various media. Japanese deaf people are often critical of the representations of deaf protagonists and characters in popular television dramas and movies. Such representations create strong but inaccurate images of deafness and sign language that ultimately serve to perpetuate deficit models of disability. On the other hand, representations of disabled/deaf people themselves challenge and add to a social welfare discourse, leading to (re)evaluations of societal norms and attitudes towards disability.

In English, with real-time captioning (CART)

Friday, May 14, 2021, 10:00 AM (Japan time)

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vAeF7_WxQlKdgXnOL2IVfQ

Inquiries (e-mail): nirc-ai-jimu@nanzan-u.ac.jp

Asian Ethnology Podcast 2021. Interview with Steven Fedorowicz: Deaf Communities in Japan. Nanzan University. By Mark Bookman.
Transcript: https://asianethnology.org/storage/pagefile/Steven%20Fedorowicz%20Interview%20Transcript.pdf

H-ASIA Announcement 「Webinar: Representations of Deaf People in Japan」

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vAeF7_WxQlKdgXnOL2IVfQ

Inquiries (e-mail): nirc-ai-jimu@nanzan-u.ac.jp

Asian Ethnology Podcast 2021. Interview with Steven Fedorowicz: Deaf Communities in Japan. Nanzan University. By Mark Bookman.
Transcript: https://asianethnology.org/storage/pagefile/Steven%20Fedorowicz%20Interview%20Transcript.pdf

Announcement source: https://networks.h-net.org/node/22055/discussions/7632905/webinar-representations-deaf-people-japan

「Deaf-World in Japan」Presentation and Webinar at University of Findlay - Valuable Feedback and Corrections

Thanks to all at the University of Findlay and all of the webinar participants.

My friend and colleague, Mark Bookman, a Ph.D. Candidate in East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania, also zoomed in to the presentation. He is close to finishing his dissertation on the history and politics of disability in Japanese and global contexts. Mark is an expert on the kinds of things I was talking about in Part Two of my lecture. He gave me some valuable feedback and I want to share it with the participants.

Click here to download Mark's comments.

Again, I really appreciate Mark's feedback. It is this kind of collaboration and dialogue (and frankly, good anthropology) that is important and valuable.

I welcome more feedback from anyone who is willing.

For more of this kind of collaboration and research, check out the Asian Ethnology "Disability and Japan in the Digital Age."

https://asianethnology.org/page/podcastbookmanseries

Transcript available here:

https://asianethnology.org/storage/pagefile/Transcript%20(Mark%20Bookman%20-%20Disability%20and%20Japan%20in%20the%20Digital%20Age%20series%20introduction).pdf

You can also check out Mark Bookman's work here:

https://bookmanresearch.com/

Asian Studies Conference Japan 2020 in Tokyo Canceled - along with at least one great panel (hope we can do it in the near future...)

This is what we were going to do:

Disability and Accessibility in Japan

Accessibility is more than ensuring the “ability” of people with disabilities to access products, services, structures, and systems. Questioning access in Japan requires unpacking the meaning given to the spaces, networks, and systems by the people that create and utilize them. Accordingly, this panel shifts its focus to the actors involved in Japan’s accessibility: experts, students, educators, and advocates.
The panel begins by analyzing the collaborative mechanisms of accessibility before introducing ethnographies of deaf and hard-of-hearing people to explore positionality in information accessibility. In the first paper, Mark Bookman uses the 1964 and 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo as case studies to illustrate how compliance, coordination, and competition between experts in various fields can make the difference between erecting and dismantling barriers for persons with disabilities. Next, Jennifer M. McGuire sheds light on deaf and hard-of-hearing university students’ emic understandings and usage of reasonable accommodations. McGuire shows how concerns about disability disclosure can pose distinct barriers to information access. Junko Teruyama presents an auto-ethnographic analysis of a non-signer in a team-ethnography of signing deaf and hard-of-hearing schoolteachers. Teruyama illuminates issues of language and information accessibility as well as cultural literacy, which reflect the lived experiences of schoolteachers in a hearing environment. Finally, Steven Fedorowicz’s ethnography of local grassroot deaf groups working to improve sign language interpretation, dissemination of basic and emergency information and understanding of diversity and intersections in representations of deaf identities illustrates how networking, lecture/workshops and media productions are used to advance cultural and personal accessibility.

"Almost 25% of those who died due to illness or stress after 3/11 had disabilities" -AND- I want to know why they are using this photo with the story?

Caption: A woman prays at a beach in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, on March 11, 2019. | KYODO

Image and text from The Japan Times, 3/2/2020.

Nearly a quarter of those who died of illness or stress linked to the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the hardest-hit prefectures were people with disabilities, a Kyodo News survey released Sunday showed.

Disabled people accounted for 24.6 percent of total “disaster-related deaths” in Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, far above their 7 percent representation among the population as a whole as estimated by the health ministry.

It is also much higher than the around 14 percent who were aged over 65, many of whom died after the disaster on March 11, 2011, because of deteriorating health and living conditions in shelters and other evacuation facilities.

The survey, which targeted 42 municipalities in the prefectures affected by the quake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis, was carried out ahead of the ninth anniversary of the disaster.

The number of people who died of indirectly related causes totaled 1,500 in the 32 municipalities that responded to the survey.

Of the total, 370 were people with disabilities, of whom 352 had a physical disability.

“Some couldn’t go to crowded evacuation centers and lived in physically challenging conditions, inside large vehicles or on the second floor of inundated houses, for example,” said Kazuhiko Abe, a Tohoku Fukushi University professor.

“Temporary housing was highly stressful, too,” Abe said, noting that many such facilities were not designed to accommodate people with physical disabilities.

The survey showed the lasting impact of the ordeal on such communities.

“We need to set up a framework so that disabled people won’t be left without assistance,” the professor said.

As of Sept. 30 last year, there had been 3,739 deaths in total across the country caused by stress or illness that was worsened due to the disaster, according to the Reconstruction Agency. About 60 percent of them were reported in Fukushima Prefecture, which was at the center of the nuclear crisis.

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/03/02/national/disabled-311-earthquake-tsunami-disaster-deaths-survey/

Post-Lecture and a shot of "double inspiration porn"

The talk at the Kyoto Asian Studies Group went very well last night. There was a good crowd with several familiar faces. The lecture was one hour and five minutes (thanks to my DWJ students for suggestions on how to cut an earlier and longer version...) and there was almost an hour of interesting and important discussion afterwards. It was a great time. Thanks to KAS and everyone who attended!

In a congratulatory message my former professor and colleague sent me this:

Those who came last night will immediately get it. For those who couldn't attend, it is related to the following quote used in the presentation (and ensuing discussion).

I used to watch videos of abandoned dogs finding their forever homes and deaf people being able to hear for the first time to help soothe me on a bad day.

"Inspiration porn misrepresents deaf people, culture"
BY BRITTANY CRUZ-FEJERAN
The Southwestern College Sun, 05/13/2019
url: https://www.theswcsun.com/inspiration-porn-misrepresents-deaf-people-culture/

See the video before and prepare to be double inspired! (Thanks to EK for the message and screen shot.)



See also: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/09/announcement-kyoto-asian-studies-group.html

Announcement: Kyoto Asian Studies Group Meeting on September 17, 2019 - “Inspiration Porn and Representations of Deaf People in Japan”

Announcement from H-Japan, September 9, 2019:

The speaker for the September meeting of the Kyoto Asian Studies Group is Steven C. Fedorowicz, who will present “Inspiration Porn and Representations of Deaf People in Japan” (see abstract below).

The talk will be held on Tuesday, September 17th, 18:00-20:00 in Room 212 of the Fusokan on the Doshisha University Campus (see link below for access information).

Abstract

Inspiration Porn and Representations of Deaf People in Japan

This presentation examines so-called "inspiration porn" -- the idealization of disabled people doing everyday tasks (e.g. riding a train, having a job) or for achievements having nothing to do with their particular disability (e.g. deaf athletes) -- and its relationship to disability identities with a focus on deaf people in Japan. Cross-cultural examples, observations and perspectives will be discussed to set up an exploration of how disabled and deaf people are portrayed in various media. Japanese deaf people are often critical of the representations of deaf protagonists and characters in popular television dramas and movies. Such representations create strong but inaccurate images of deafness and sign language that ultimately serve to perpetuate deficit models of disability. On the other hand, representations of disabled/deaf people themselves challenge and add to a social welfare discourse leading to (re)evaluations of societal norms and attitudes towards disability with the ultimate goal of a barrier-free environment. This presentation will also discuss how the Law to Eliminate Discrimination against People with Disabilities (April 2016), Sagamihara Care Home Massacre (July 26, 2016) and upcoming Tokyo 2020 Paralympics have changed and influenced disability discourses and representations.

Steven C. Fedorowicz is an Associate Professor of Anthropology in the Asian Studies Program, Kansai Gaidai University.

Sponsored by the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies. For access information see:

http://www.doshisha.ac.jp/en/information/campus/imadegawa/imadegawa.html

Please refrain from bringing food or drinks into the meeting room.

Contact: Niels van Steenpaal, nielsvansteenpaal@hotmail.com

About the Kyoto Asian Studies Group:

The KASG is a long-standing Kyoto-based research network that hosts monthly research presentations by experts from various Asian Studies fields. Emphasizing long Q&A sessions, we aim to provide an informal atmosphere in which scholars can freely exchange ideas concerning both finished and in-progress research. Admission is free, and we always welcome new members and presenters.

"Forgotten films from '64 shed light on Paralympic evolution in Japan"

Photo and text borrowed from The Japan Times, 9/5/19.

Two long-forgotten films offering a rare glimpse into the staging of the 1964 Tokyo Paralympics and the conditions that were faced by disabled people in Japan at the time are being aired with about a year to go before the 2020 Games.

Gathering dust for about five decades, the films capture the atmosphere of postwar society in 1964, and the involvement of then-Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko in the fledgling sports movement.

The 1964 Paralympics were officially called the “International Games for the Physically Handicapped,” but the Tokyo event marked the first time the term “paralympics” came into wide, albeit then unofficial, use. It is now considered by the International Paralympic Committee to be the second Paralympics after the 1960 Rome Games, which were also called the Paraplegic Olympics.

A few of the Japanese athletes were former servicemen, and members of the Imperial family visited and watched the competitions, according to Journal of the Paralympic Research Group by the Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center. Many of the foreign athletes were also ex-servicemen.

One of the films, the title of which can be translated as “Tokyo Paralympics, Festival of Love and Glory” (“Tokyo Paralympic Ai to Eiko no Saiten”), had been “buried in the company’s massive archives,” Satoru Nokuo, associate general manager at distributor Kadokawa Corp., said at a screening at Sophia University in July.

The other film, “Record of the 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games” (“1964-nen Tokyo Paralympic Taikai Kiroku Eiga”), was found in a warehouse of the Japanese Para-Sports Association, according to Tetsuya Takeuchi, a senior commentator at NHK who took part in the screenings.

Through interviews and other means, the 63-minute and 45-minute films depict how people with disabilities in Japan regained their sense of worth by playing sports and interacting with foreign athletes who had endured similar struggles.

The former was directed by cinematographer Kimio Watanabe and the latter by the NHK Public Welfare Organization.

The films also cast light on the differences between Japanese athletes, many of whom lived in institutions at the time, and their foreign counterparts, who in many cases were active in their communities.

For NHK’s Takeuchi, who uses a wheelchair, the films are a reminder about how much still needs to be done to improve the lives of disabled people in Japan. While transport access and other issues have improved, the situation “has not really changed in any significant way. People with disabilities still face challenges in finding marriage partners and jobs,” he said.

Compared with today, the events of 1964 were seen, especially in Japan, as a way to provide physical rehabilitation rather than competition.

“I’ve noticed the word rehabilitation was mentioned many times (in the films),” archer Tomohiro Ueyama said at the screening for the NHK film. Ueyama competed in the 2016 Rio Games and is expected to compete in 2020. “But it’s different now, and I am hoping people will enjoy the Paralympic Games as a sports event in Tokyo rather than rehabilitation.”

According to an official 1964 Paralympics report, the two films are among six independently produced records of the event; the other four are missing. No official filming of the Paralympics was conducted due to a lack of funding, the report said.

“Thanks to the two surviving films, we are able to see what really happened in 1964,” said Fumio Morooka, a professor emeritus at Sophia University who moderated the talks at the screenings. He said it was important to keep a visual record of such events.

“As no official announcement has been made yet on the film production to record the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics … I truly hope the public and private sectors will cooperate to produce a visual record that can pass on the legacy of the games to future generations,” Morooka said.

Andrew Parsons, the president of the International Paralympic Committee, said in a statement that he was pleased the original 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games film had been found and stressed their “lasting legacy” in both Japan and around the world.

“Since 1964 we have seen the Paralympic movement grow and grow, taking leaps and bounds not just for the Paralympians, but also for society as a whole,” he said.

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/09/05/national/forgotten-films-64-shed-light-paralympic-evolution-japan/?fbclid=IwAR26G_K64gFCdy4MHQTOWMMgyaz5GmLAL2btEU_G-PbNBPtarDUy5O5pRAc#

"Apple unveils disability-themed emojis in push for greater diversity"

See the UPDATES below.

From CNN.COM, 7/17/19

Apple will introduce disability-themed emojis in a move designed to "bring even more diversity to the keyboard."

The emojis, which were unveiled to coincide with World Emoji Day, will include a guide dog, an ear with a hearing aid, wheelchairs, a prosthetic arm and a prosthetic leg. They will be available to use later this year.

"Celebrating diversity in all its many forms is integral to Apple's values and these new options help fill a significant gap in the emoji keyboard," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement.

Apple submitted the proposal for more disability-inclusive emojis to the Unicode Consortium last year.

The tech giant submitted a proposal for more emojis that were inclusive of disability in a proposal sent to the Unicode Consortium — the nonprofit organization that sets the global standard for emojis — in March 2018.

"Currently, emoji provide a wide range of options, but may not represent the experiences of those with disabilities," Apple wrote at the time. "Diversifying the options available helps fill a significant gap and provides a more inclusive experience for all."

Apple (AAPL) said it chose options that are most inclusive of people in four main categories: blind and low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, physical motor disabilities and hidden disabilities.

The iPhone maker said it had consulted with top organizations for people with disabilities when submitting the proposal.

Apple noted that the new additions to the emoji keyboard are designed to be a starting point, not a comprehensive list of all potential disabilities.

Kristina Barrick, a spokesperson for UK disability equality charity Scope, said the move was a "positive step towards disability being well and truly represented in the world of emoji."

"We've had ghosts, robots, a poo with a face and even 10 empty squares to choose from, so it's about time emojis started to better represent the 15% of the global population who are disabled," she added.

The emojis are being released as part of a package of 59 new emojis that will arrive in the fall.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/17/tech/apple-disability-emojis-intl-scli/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2gLguli6HoTLJRmNpSt1CiYMm477JXv9u6KzPwj5QFFxCwP_KBWwjEcmw

Apple accessibility Proposal: https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2018/18080-accessibility-emoji.pdf

UPDATES

Is Apple’s Inclusion Of Disability-Themed Emojis Four Years Too Late?

url: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahkim/2019/10/31/apple-disability-related-emojis/?fbclid=IwAR2D753noUcNfxAdvcHKw2Q9aUj3lj-KzwbD-xhMsp-qlMIlQFHmRD8U9ww#4e5afb135929

Apple’s new emoji include disability-related symbols. I’m not thrilled.

url: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/10/31/apples-new-emojis-include-disability-related-symbols-im-not-thrilled/

TOO COOL! HEARTWARMING! TRUE ALOHA! - "Manga shows true life-changing encounter between Hawaiian surfers and paralyzed Japanese man"

I am not a big manga fan. But that does not mean I cannot respect a great use of the medium. This story literally made my day... I also would not usually present the whole story and all of the art on the blog. But the source deletes stories after a certain time and we need to have a more permanent record of this. Text and images from Japan Today, July 23, 2019. Please read the whole thing!

***

Among all the stories flowing around Twitter, occasionally something jumps out as extraordinary.

Such a thing caught the attention of our writer Mr. Sato and many others earlier this week. It’s a manga written by illustrator Kiyomaro (@sobomiyako98) and follows her uncle on a trip to Hawaii and a life-altering chance encounter with two young men there.

The tale, titled "The Story of the Time my Uncle Went to Hawaii," begins with the introduction of Kiyomaro’s uncle. He’s an elderly man who had the misfortune of slipping on the road on a snowy day and ended up with a broken neck that paralyzed his legs.

However, he worked hard at rehabilitation in order to fulfill his goal of visiting his favorite place of Hawaii again. It worked, and two years later he was on the sandy beaches of Waikiki. He thought to himself that having accomplished this trip, he could die a happy man with no regrets.

But just then, two young men approached him from behind.

Her uncle was startled and reflexively told the men he didn’t have any money.

Unfazed by the accusation, the large man asked him if he wanted to go swimming, and his blond friend added, “It’s Waikiki, ain’t it?”

The uncle was able to speak fluent English, and pointed out that he couldn’t swim because of his wheelchair.

"So what?” replied the muscular gentleman, causing his friend to repeat “It’s Waikiki, ain’t it?”

The larger man reiterated his offer; “So, do you wanna go in, or don’t ya?” to which the uncle replied, “Of course, I would if I could…”

And just like that, the two men carried him into the sea and helped him swim. The uncle was crying tears of joy but in the back of his mind wondered, “Are they going to charge me for this afterwards?”

It was so much fun that the time seemed to fly by, and when it was all over the two men gently put the uncle back into his wheelchair. He was surprised that they never charged him, and felt a little guilty to have suspected them of something like that in the first place.

Kiyomaro’s uncle used to be a tour guide though, and knew the potential dangers of visiting another country.

Then, as if they hadn’t done anything, the two men turned to leave saying “It’s was a pleasure,” and “Mahalo” which means “thanks” in Hawaiian.

The uncle was stunned that they were thanking him rather than the other way around. He asked them why they said it was their pleasure.

The muscular man turned and said, “We just did what we would want someone else to do for us if we were in your position.” The blond man added, “And thanks to you we’re in a totally good mood now. Aloha!”

However, prior to this adventure, the uncle had been told by his doctor that he was suffering from another serious illness in addition to his injury.

He knew that Hawaii was going to be the last trip he would ever take.

When the uncle returned home he told his family the story of what happened in Waikiki over and over again. His spirits were brighter than they had ever been and he had a pure love of life, even while stuck in a hospital bed.

And he still had a truly peaceful look on his face the day he passed away – possibly while dreaming of that fateful encounter in Waikiki.

To this day Kiyomaro has no idea who those two men were, but if she ever got the chance she would like to say “mahalo” to them on behalf of her uncle.

Mr Sato spoke with Kiyomaro about the story and asked what she would want to say to those two men if she ever got in touch with them:

“I would like to say that thanks those two men, my uncle was able to live the rest of his life in sincere happiness until the very last moment. He was calmer than even before all his problems started.

After he was given a short time to live he became very lonely… Some relatives thought he should cancel his trip which also caused him some grief.

But since returning to Japan he was brighter and more relaxed than ever, with a genuine love for life. If it weren’t for his experience, then his final days in the hospital would have been very different.

I have the utmost appreciation for those men.”

Kiyomaro also said that her drawings of the two men were based solely on her uncle’s description of them, because there were no photographs to go by. She said that her uncle described one man as being muscular and just a little smaller than the sumo wrestler Konishiki, and the other man as a long-haired, blond surfer-type, both were probably in their late-twenties.

If you happen to be in the Waikiki area and know a pair of guys like the ones described in the story, please pass on Kiyomaro’s family’s thanks. And if sometime in the distant future you see someone in a wheelchair sitting by the beach, staring longingly at the waves, maybe offer to take them swimming too.

[Original] Source: Twitter/@sobomiyako98

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/manga-shows-true-life-changing-encounter-between-hawaiian-surfers-and-paralyzed-japanese-man

And see the original here: https://twitter.com/sobomiyako98/status/1149510400867614726

"Reiwa Shinsengumi makes splash in Japanese election debut, giving voice to people with disabilities"

Text and photos from The Japan Times, 7/22/19.

This article is fascinating for the important issues it raises - disability, diversity, barrier-free, alternative politics... But wait a second before you read it. The story itself has been reported in many ways and with headlines like this:

"Two disabled candidates win seats in upper house election" at Japan Today, 7/22/19. URL: https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Two-disabled-candidates-win-seats-in-upper-house-election

Some headlines read "severely-disabled." The Japan Today article, although brief, is interesting because of the reader comments. Many feel a disabled person isn't qualified to be a member of the government because they are simply disabled. Some claim it will be more expensive to make the government facilities barrier-free and to make arrangements for their care-givers. Some object that the disabilities might get worse. (I think all of these are ridiculous...). Some commenters bring up the issues of electing more women and even foreigners (I think these are more valid but for the immediate time, distracting...). I hope we continue to hear about these new diet members in terms of their policies and experiences. And congratulations and good luck to them!

OK, here the TJT story:

A new anti-establishment group led by actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto made a surprisingly strong showing in the Upper House election Sunday, reflecting a sense of stagnation and growing public frustration with vested interests in the country.

Reiwa Shinsengumi candidates Yasuhiko Funago, 61, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease, and 54-year-old Eiko Kimura, who has cerebral palsy, won Diet seats by priority in the group’s proportional representation list.

In an unusual twist, Yamamoto, 44, won more votes than any other candidate in the proportional representation segment of the election but was unable to retain his seat in the House of Councilors because the group only won two seats.

“Taro Yamamoto may have lost his parliamentary seat, but Reiwa Shinsengumi made a huge advance,” a smiling Yamamoto said at a news conference early Monday, noting the grassroots group now qualifies as a political party eligible for subsidies as it won at least 2 percent of the votes cast nationwide.

It is the first time since the current electoral system debuted in 2001 that a group unqualified as a party has won a Diet seat via proportional representation.

Yamamoto couldn’t stay as the two seats Reiwa Shinsengumi did win went to Funago and Kimura, who were given top priority by the group under a special new candidate quota for proportional representation lists.

In the election six years ago, Yamamoto won a seat in Tokyo with 660,000 votes.

“I am full of emotions that this moment has arrived,” Funago, who uses a wheelchair, said in a statement read out by his helper. “I may appear weak, but I have more guts than others as it has been a matter of life and death for me.”

Funago, the first person with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to be elected to the Diet, was diagnosed with the progressive neurological disease in 2000 while working at a trading house. After completely losing mobility in his limbs in 2008, he started using a special sensor that detects biting motions to control a computer to help him communicate.

Kimura has been disabled since she was 8 months old. She is a longtime activist who has called for integrating people with disabilities into society.

“Each and every vote from people with disabilities in harsh conditions has pierced my heart, and they have made me feel I must work hard,” she said from her wheelchair.

The Diet must now modify its facilities and rules to accommodate the pair, who require the help of assistants, because the chamber has never had members with disabilities so severe that they cannot press the voting buttons on their own.

In 1977, the chamber altered one of its seats to accommodate the wheelchair of new member Eita Yashiro, 82.

It has also prepared documents in Braille for lawmakers with weak eyesight.

“The people wanted someone to breathe new life into politics,” said Yamamoto, who has been described by some political analysts as “Japan’s Bernie Sanders.”

“Nothing will change unless ‘bothersome’ people join the Diet,” he said.

Making active use of social media, Yamamoto drew more than 970,000 votes — the most by an unsuccessful candidate since the new system took effect in 2001. The previous record was the 445,000 votes won by Komeito candidate Tomoko Ukishima.

Reiwa Shinsengumi drew large crowds during the campaign as Yamamoto stumped in a T-shirt and jeans, calling for abolition of the consumption tax Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party plans to raise in October. He also called for increasing the minimum wage to ¥1,500 ($14) nationwide.

The group raised about ¥400 million in donations after its launch in April and at least 3,500 volunteers helped it campaign.

Advocating the creation of a “society that doesn’t cut anyone off,” it fielded candidates deemed among the overlooked in society, including sexual minorities, single parents and part-time workers.

“We will win big in the Lower House election. We aim to win the leadership,” Yamamoto said, adding that he himself would also run. “We will create a society in which no one is cut off.”

Yamamoto became known for his anti-nuclear activism after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis. As an independent Upper House member in 2013, he was reprimanded for handing a letter on the Fukushima disaster to then-Emperor Akihito at a garden party, triggering criticism that he was attempting to politically exploit the monarch.

Toru Hasuike, 64, the brother of former abductee Kaoru Hasuike, who was returned from North Korea in 2002, also ran for Reiwa Shinsengumi but did not win a seat. The former employee of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., which manages the disaster-hit power plant, told reporters in May that he shared Yamamoto’s stance against atomic power.

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/07/22/national/politics-diplomacy/anti-establishment-group-reiwa-shinsengumi-makes-big-strides-japanese-politics/

"Nearly 70% of ill and disabled people have difficulties working in Japan, report finds"

From The Japan Times, July 9, 2019.

A total of 66.3 percent of people with illnesses or disabilities say they have difficulties balancing work and treatment or working with their condition, a government report showed Tuesday, indicating a lack of workplace support for them.

A labor ministry survey conducted in February last year drew responses from 1,000 such people aged between 20 and 64. Of them, 664 were working, 268 were not and 68 were on leave from work, according to the 2018 white paper on labor and welfare.

The report underlined a strong desire among people with illnesses or disabilities to be part of the workforce, with 84.5 percent of all respondents saying they want to work or continue working. Among the 268 nonworking respondents, 64.2 percent said they want to work.

For those who think they cannot work or continue working despite having the desire to do so, 50.6 percent said it is because they lack physical strength, and 36.9 percent pointed to a lack of flexible working hours and leave. Multiple answers were allowed.

A total of 30.3 percent also referred to difficulties in gaining understanding or support from their bosses or coworkers for their condition.

The ministry said it will strengthen support measures for companies that help people with illnesses and disabilities continue working.

The theme of the 2018 report is “to realize a society in which everyone can play an active role while fighting disability, illness and other hardships.”

Creating an environment where disabled people, cancer patients, those with incurable diseases and people facing other difficulties can be fully active in the workplace is important to achieving the dynamic engagement of all citizens — one of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policy goals — the paper stressed.

The release of the annual white paper was originally slated for summer or autumn last year, but had been delayed due in part to the ministry’s response to a scandal over government statistics concerning the employment of people with disabilities.

The scandal, which involved central government agencies overstating the numbers of disabled workers they employed, has “severely damaged the trust of the public,” the report said.

The ministry, which is in charge of promoting the employment of people with disabilities, “deeply regrets” the incident, it said.

A total of 3,700 employees at 28 government bodies had been inappropriately counted as disabled workers as of June 1, 2017, according to a report announced by a third-party investigation panel in October 2018.

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/07/09/national/nearly-70-ill-disabled-people-difficulties-working-japan-report-finds/

Japan Today also carried this story (https://japantoday.com/category/national/nearly-70-of-ill-disabled-people-have-difficulties-working-report) and had the following reader comments:

This is typical Japan and not necessarily the companies fault. I believe the workinghours are set legally by the ministry of labor etc and the company has to abide by them but not entirely sure if that is true. ...Sadly, people with disabilities face a tough time in public (e.g. on the train) as well.

With the Japanese work force gradually shrinking, the government should at least make it more appealing for ill and disabled folks to work or else risk losing more of its work force. How about a little compassion?

I spent a week on crutches a couple of years ago and it was almost impossible for me to get to work in Tokyo during the peak hours. I got knocked over four times by butt-holes running to catch trains, none of who stopped and had to hop from one of the station to the other to get the elevator. I nearly got shoved onto the tracks twice. These knob-head law makers in Kasumigaseki need to spend a week in a wheel chair traversing the Tokyo underground during peak hour to give them an idea just how seriously lacking Tokyo is for handicapped access.

Being a disabled person in an able-bodied world will always be tough, but we have all come a long way. There is still a long way to go, but credit where it's due, I have seen tremendous change in attitude and in the environment to make life safer and more comfortable for the disabled

"Sex and disability make for tenderly humorous Japanese drama"

Story from Japan Today, 2/15/19.

A talented young woman breaks free from an overly protective parent, explores her sexuality and forges her own, promising path in the world.

So far so conventional. But in "37 Seconds" Japanese director Hikari chose to tackle a topic that, she said, audiences in her country were reluctant to embrace. Her protagonist, played by amateur actress Mei Kayama, has cerebral palsy.

"Every culture has something they don't want to talk about," Hikari, who goes by one name only, told Reuters. "People with a disability and their sexuality is definitely not something that people would talk about in Japan."

The film, one of about 400 showing at the Berlin Film Festival, has been well-received by audiences captivated by Mei's portrayal of 23-year-old Yuma Takada, a talented artist who wants to make her name in manga, or Japanese graphic novels.

A sympathetic magazine editor (Yuka Itaya) tells her her art is technically proficient but betrays her lack of worldly experience. Criticising her depictions of sex as unconvincing, she tells the young, wheelchair-bound woman to lose her virginity and then return.

Handled less deftly, such a premise could be crass. But Mei's portrayal of an ambitious young woman throwing herself into the Tokyo night over the fearful objections of her mother(Misuzu Kanno) is by turns hilarious and tender.

"I feel like with this kind of movie oftentimes once it goes too far it becomes too dramatic. It's sometimes difficult to keep watching," said Hikari.

37 Seconds on Twitter: https://twitter.com/seconds_37

"A Front-Page Insult to People With Disabilities"

A New York Times opinion piece (7/26/18) - thanks to JH for the heads-up on this one.

[T]he cover of The New York Post on Thursday — the 28th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act — was more shocking than usual. It promoted a damaging misperception about people with disabilities, on a day better suited to celebrating their progress in one of the most neglected areas of American civil rights.

The print edition’s headline, “WALK OF SHAME,” followed by the clarifying “‘Handicapped’ man suing NYC businesses spotted not using wheelchair,” told the story. A photo of a surprised-looking man — Arik Matatov of Queens, N.Y., standing in the doorway of his home — covered the page.

Mr. Matatov, The Post reported, had been threatening New York City businesses with lawsuits for not complying with A.D.A. accessibility requirements, demanding through a lawyer that they pay him $50,000 and pledge to build an access ramp, or else face a multimillion-dollar suit under the law. He reportedly visited these businesses in a wheelchair, claiming he was personally prevented from accessing them.

The new photos of Mr. Matatov standing were evidence, readers were to believe, that he wasn’t really disabled.

Whether Mr. Matatov is engaged in fraud would seem to be the story here — and sure, it’s possible that he is. But the bigger message being sent by the paper’s reporters and editors, intentionally or not, was troubling: If a person using a wheelchair can stand or walk, that person is not “really” disabled, and does not deserve protection under the A.D.A. Such a person must be a fraud.

That is an ill-informed and damaging misunderstanding of disability. An estimated four million people in the United States use wheelchairs, but many of them are able to walk or stand some of the time. Many have injuries or genetic conditions that are disabling, but that allow partial mobility — standing or walking or otherwise moving physically sometimes. Their wheelchairs are necessary to their lives and livelihoods, and they are without question legally disabled.

Please do read the whole text.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/26/opinion/new-york-post-disabilities-wheelchairs.html

Japanese Disability Marks

Recently I was on the subway in Kyoto and saw a sign sponsored by the City of Kyoto with information about various marks associated with disabilities. These marks seem to be growing and it is important that people be able to recognize, understand and accommodate disabled people and facilities as appropriate. This is especially true after the new Law to Eliminate Discrimination against People with Disabilities enacted on April 1, 2016.

New law bans bias against people with disabilities, but shortcomings exist, say experts: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/05/02/reference/new-law-bans-bias-against-people-with-disabilities-but-shortcomings-exist-say-experts/

77% of public unaware of anti-discrimination law for disabled people: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/10/01/national/social-issues/77-public-unaware-antidiscrimination-law-disabled-people/

Please refer to the photo above:

1. International symbol mark for people with disabilities - identifies a person as disabled; also identifies facilities for disabled peoples use
2. Disabled person mark - identifies a car driven by a disabled person with a driver's license
3. Deaf/deaf/hard-of-hearing person mark - identifies a car driven by a Deaf/deaf/hard-of-hearing person with a driver's license
4. International symbol mark for blind people - identifies facilities that are considered safe and barrier-free for blind people
5. Ear mark - indicates a company or service who will be understanding and accommodating about communicating with a Deaf/deaf/hard-of-hearing person (in terms of reading, writing, and/or use of technology such as iPads and the internet for remote sign language interpretation; but does not indicate any on-site ability to use sign language)
6. Hearing Loop T Ear mark - indicates an area wired with broadcasting equipment that works with hearing aids and cochlear implants for enhanced clear sound
7. Hosho Dog mark - indicates a business or service that allows service dogs
8. Ostomate mark - indicates a restroom with equipment for people who have had an ostomy (a surgical operation to create an opening in the body for the discharge of body wastes)
9. Heart Plus mark - identifies a person with a disability inside the body (heart, respiratory function, dentition, bladder, small intestine, liver, immune function, etc.)
10. Help mark - identifies a person with a so-called hidden disability (prosthetic limbs, artificial joints, internal disability, intractable disease, etc.)

For more information (and some more marks) see the Government of Japan Cabinet Office webpage on marks concerning people with disabilities (in Japanese): http://www8.cao.go.jp/shougai/mark/mark.html

Related on VAOJ: "Disabled woman yelled at for using train’s priority seat, 'not looking like a handicapped person'"

Related: I was happy to see that the American Anthropological Association is working to create barrier-free arrangements for their annual meetings.

AAA is committed to ensuring that our Annual Meeting is inclusive and accessible for all attendees and that we meet and exceed all of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). AAA will make arrangements for sign-language interpreters, sighted guides, and other disability-related access needs and services for meeting registrants.

Source: http://www.americananthro.org/AttendEvents/landing.aspx?ItemNumber=14722&navItemNumber=566

"Mizuko Yamaoka takes a different approach in documentary about people with disabilities"

Excerpts from article in The Japan Times, 9/7/17.

Disability presents different challenges for everyone but wheelchair users share a common dilemma: Their mode of locomotion stands out, while they often struggle with social isolation... “The Lost Coin,” [is] a 2016 short by Mizuko Yamaoka, a filmmaker who has been using a wheelchair since a 2002 bicycle accident in Brooklyn left her paralyzed from the waist down.

In contrast to Japanese documentaries that try to win viewer sympathy by portraying people with disabilities as lovable victims — if not candidates for sainthood — this 30-minute film begins with extended point-of-view sequences of the director wheeling through the night streets of Barcelona and attending a party.

Her night out isn’t different from that of anyone else’s except for one crucial difference: She experiences it sitting down. People treat her with courtesy, but she can’t jump into conversations as easily as the other guests because she can’t stand. This, she shows us clearly, if minus the usual explanations, is what life for her is like — including a semi-invisibility those who don’t use wheelchairs may find hard to imagine.

The remainder of the film is devoted to a revealing one-on-one interview with Jelena, a French woman who began using a wheelchair after a fall during a hike with her then-boyfriend. Under Yamaoka’s gentle but pointed questioning she opens up about her break-up with her lover, her sex life and her decision to leave Paris for relatively barrier-free Barcelona.

“The Lost Coin” will begin at 7 p.m. on Sept. 14 at Couzt Cafe and Shop (2-1-11 Yanaka, Taito Ward, doors open at 6:30 p.m.). Mizuko Yamaoka will be on hand to discuss the film with University of Tokyo assistant professor Daisuke Son. Admission with a drink is ¥1,300. For more details about the screening and talk event, visit “The Lost Coin” Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1990261357918340/?ti=icl.

Read the whole article: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2017/09/07/films/mizuko-yamaoka-takes-different-approach-documentary-people-disabilities/

You can find a trailer here: https://www.facebook.com/thelostcoin.film/

"Disabled woman yelled at for using train’s priority seat, 'not looking like a handicapped person'"

Photo and text from Japan Today, 10/10/16.

What comes to mind when you think of people with disabilities? Chances are you imagined someone in a wheelchair or other mobility aid, or perhaps some other physically apparent handicap. However, oftentimes the disability is internal – otherwise known as an “invisible/hidden disability” – and can be anything from heart problems to anxiety disorders.

Trains in Japan have special priority seating in each car especially reserved for those who need it, including pregnant mothers, the elderly, and people with physical disabilities. While no one would question someone walking with a crutch using the priority seating, a person with, say, painful arthritis who has no outward, physical signs of their suffering may be seen by those around them as someone who needs a priority seat.

On September 28, Twitter-user @SugimotoYohko shared an unpleasant episode of discrimination her friend, who has a hidden disability, had gone through earlier that same day. The post included a photo of a tag her friend keeps with her that reads “I have an internal disability”, as well as a call for others to share the story:

“I was taking the train to the hospital in town for a check-up, my ‘invisible disability’ tag on the front of my bag as it should be, and sat down in the priority seating area, when an older man yelled at me. ‘These seats are for handicapped and the elderly! Get up!’

To be sure, I showed him the physical disability certificate, but then he said, ‘Well that’s misleading. If you’re handicapped, then you should look more like a handicapped person!’

I felt like crying. I got off at the next stop to take the following train. And after going through the trouble to look nice for a trip into town… There’s not a lot of understanding towards people with invisible disabilities, so sometimes painful things like this happen… It’s unfortunate.”

@SugimotoYohko wrote of the incident: “‘Look more like a handicapped person…’ What’s that even supposed to mean?! I don’t want my friends or anyone else with similar conditions to feel bad, so I ask everyone for their understanding and cooperation.”

The tweet has been receiving a lot of attention, with over 20,000 retweets since it was originally posted. There have been numerous angry comments about the situation, and rightly so, with a many others who have invisible disabilities themselves speaking up as well.

“I have an internal illness too, so I completely understand that feeling… You can’t tell there’s anything wrong by looking at me. I don’t care how old the person is, I wish there was something we could do about people like that who just don’t understand.”

“I’d like to reply back, ‘How about, if you’re elderly then you should act more like it! An old geezer like you shouldn’t sit in the priority seats!’”

“What the hell? That’s horrible! Terrible!”

“Is there even a handicap way to look in the first place? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

While in recent years there have been efforts to raise awareness of disabilities and handicapped people, there still seems to some way to go to increase knowledge of less-obvious disabilities. And perhaps we can all take this as a reminder to not judge a book by its cover.

Source: https://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/disabled-woman-yelled-at-for-using-trains-priority-seat-not-looking-like-a-handicapped-person

"Documentary focuses on ‘rakugo’ artist’s inspirational return to the stage"

From The Japan Times, 10/7/16.

The Japanese tradition of rakugo (comedic storytelling) depends largely on a quick wit and a way with words. So when storyteller Hayashiya Kanpei became speech-impaired due to a stroke, the challenge he faced getting back on stage was a momentous one.

Kanpei, 67, and his struggles are the subject of a new documentary film titled “Namida no Kazu dake Warao Yo” (“Let’s Laugh As Many Times As We Cry”).

The artist was 41 when he suffered a brain hemorrhage. It left him paralyzed on the right side of his body, which also affected his speech. Popular for his brisk way of speaking and specializing in classic rakugo stories, Kanpei had been promoted only five years earlier to the status of master storyteller or shin-uchi.

For a rakugoka, who tells comical stories while sitting on stage clad in kimono, the effects of the stroke were horrific.

Kanpei, whose real name is Kazuo Shibuya, gradually recovered from the ordeal to write his own story and perform it on stage.

“I love classical rakugo stories featuring warm human relationships,” he says. “But as recommended by the people around me, I decided to write a new story to express myself.”

“Let’s Laugh As Many Times As We Cry” depicts Kanpei’s arduous rehabilitation process, which continued even while nursing his 93-year-old mother at his home in Tokyo. It also focuses on the support he received from friends and fellow rakugo performers.

In August, Kanpei performed his new monologue, “Let’s Go, Shogaisha” (shōgaisha is the Japanese word for a person who has a disability), on stage as part of a show organized in Tokyo by disciples of Hayashiya Sanpei I to commemorate their late master.

In the last part of the monologue, Kanpei said, “We shōgaisha feel refreshed when we go out and meet people,” which drew a round of applause from the audience.

Kazuhito Ogino, a former movie studio executive who planned the documentary says that Kanpei’s efforts have proven inspirational to people in his generation who are concerned about life after retirement.

The film was first shown at a theater in Shinjuku, central Tokyo, in early September and is scheduled to be screened at other selected theaters through November.

Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2016/10/07/films/documentary-focuses-rakugo-artists-inspirational-return-stage/

More information and film trailer (in Japanese): http://www.nkw-kanpei.com/index.html