Japanese Sign Language (JSL), also known as Nihon Shuwa, is the unofficial but most predominantly used sign language used by nearly 57,000 native signers as their primary language. It is a convergent, Deaf community sign language developed in the late 19th century.
Language emergence
Language variations Japanese Sign Language has influences from written Japanese language, with some gesticulation mimicking Japanese kanji, or written language characters. JSL, however, has its own grammar and syntax, independent from written Japanese language. This is in contrast to Signed Japanese (SJ) which follows the sentence structure of the written language. JSL belongs to a family of nationally used Japanese sign languages along with Taiwanese and South Korean sign language.
Miyakubo Sign Language (Miyakubo SL) is a shared sign language used on the Ehime-Oshima Island on the southwest coast of Japan. In the town of Miyakubo, a shared-sign community of 3 families use Miyakubo SL. Among the three families, 29 people are deaf and 22 are hearing. Although much of the history of Miyakubo SL predating the early 2000s is unknown, it has been present for at least 3 generations.
On the island of Amami Oshima, there is a shared signing community using what is referred to as Amami Oshima Sign Language. A 1999 study of 13 deaf and 8 hearing members of this community revealed a pattern of 25 basic signs, demonstrating the home sign language.
History of Japanese Sign Language (JSL) The recorded history of Japanese Sign language (JSL) is relatively young, with its modern form developing in 1878. In his 1862 expedition across Europe, scholar Fukuzawa Yukichi studied various deaf schools, analyzing their use of speech and sign language. In 1863, Yamao Yōzō analyzed the use of sign language among deaf shipbuilders in Europe.
Significant organizations
Japanese Federation of the Deaf The Japanese Federation of the Deaf (JFD) is a national, non-profit advocacy organization for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community in Japan, founded in 1948. The JFD is an "umbrella organization," that oversees 47 prefectural, or regional, organizations with a total of 27,000 members, all of whom are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing. The JFD joined the World Federation for the Deaf in 1959, and in the following years became more of an activist group, advocating for the education and use of JSL nationwide by gathering and signing petitions for the Japanese Sign Language Act, offering training and exams to certify JSL interpreters, and publishing JSL textbooks and dictionaries. The JFD operates under the Japanese Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, which allocates funds to commission JFD to carry out itaku projects that focus on the development, use and education of Japanese Sign Language (JSL). Their primary itaku projects are "Popularizing and Increasing the Use of Signing," where they advocate for the use of JSL in schools and offer JSL classes, and "Research on Standardizing Signing," where they develop new signs for words that have not yet been defined in JSL. The organization also gains funding through the Asian Deaf Friendship Aid Project, JFD's fundraising organization founded in 1996 that helps to fund educational resources for Deaf children nationally and in surrounding countries.
Timeline
1969: JFD publishes their first JSL textbook, "Watashitachi no Shuwa" 1976: Offer certification exams to JSL interpreters beginning 1997: JFD begins publishing a quarterly magazine discussing their activist goals entitled, "The Deaf Movement" 1979: JFD "commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to establish a sign interpreter instructors' training program" 1986: JFD petitions for the allowance of sign language interpretation in political campaigns 1997: JFD publishes their first JSL dictionary 2004: Joins the Japanese Disability Forum 2013: Headquarters for the promotion of JSL in Legislation July 2021: Telephone Relay Service implemented as a service for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing persons to use a phone or texts with the assistance of a SL interpreter in emergencies Source:
D-Pro Formed in 1993, D-Pro is a Deaf activist organization in Japan whose ideology is supported by the "bicultural model of Deaf society." Under the bicultural or bilingual model of deafness, there is a distinction between a Deaf persons' use of native sign language as a first language, and their use of written language as a second. This also creates a dual cultural identity when balancing between the two language and other elements of Deaf and Hearing culture. Under this ideology, D-Pro focuses on the standardization of and advocacy for spatial JSL, the language in its "pure" form, separate from written or spoken Japanese. This is distinct from the Japanese Federation of the deaf's approach to teaching sequential JSL, which uses different signs, often mimics spoken Japanese, and is used with word-mouthing. D-Pro offers JSL interpreter classes working alongside the National Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled (NRCD), however as a newer organization, they have less influence on the standardization of their signs than the JFD.
Shuwa News on NHK Japan's national broadcast news network, NHK, established two Deaf broadcast segments in 1983 entitled Everyone's Sign and The Sign News. These segments featured reporters signing in JSL to provide accessible content for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing audiences and help standardize the language nationally. The show would feature JSL interpreters using signs developed by the Japanese Federation of the Deaf until 1995 when native signer Nasu Hideaki became an anchor. Nasu joined the network in attempt to deter the confusion previously made with interpreters developing their own signs for words in reports that had not yet been defined by the JFD.
Nippon Foundation The Nippon Foundation was founded by Ryoichi Sasakawa in Japan in 1962 as an organization that promotes "social innovation" and equal opportunity for people in educational, political, social, and professional settings. The Nippon foundation is a non-profit, nongovernmental organization whose programs provide resources such as funding, basic needs, and agricultural technology for low-income families, people with disabilities, and those experiencing hardships due to natural disasters. They also help to fund over a dozen scholarships and grants through other associated organizations, many of which are for Deaf men and women seeking higher education.
Postsecondary Education Network International (PEN-International) The Postsecondary Education Network international (PEN-International) is a non-profit organization that was formed by Japan's Nippon Foundation, in collaboration with Rochester Institute of Technology's National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in 2001. This organization focuses on Deaf people's accessibility to higher education in the United States and internationally in developing countries. Their initial mission was providing grants and scholarships to students from developing countries attending school in the United States to gain a higher education and bring it back to their home country. However, due to a lack of students returning to their home country, their mission shifted to providing the same resources to Deaf students in developing countries or with low resources, attempting to expand opportunities for deaf students in the workforce, increase accessibility of Deaf education and the use of informational technology in Deaf educational settings.
Human and civil rights
CRPD initial report of Japan The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified by Japan in 2014.Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Parallel Report for Japan's Concluding Observations, 31 March 2021, Japanese Disability Forum (JDF), available at: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2fCRPD%2fCSS%2fJPN%2f44875&Lang=en The initial report of accessibility in Japan was released in June 2016.Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Initial report submitted by Japan, 30 June 2016, CRPD/C/JPN/1, available at: https://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=6QkG1d%2fPPRiCAqhKb7yhsox6sZe%2fik6d3iDJzISRPhuXZhFjSGQ8%2fhycldtEBUPkj2z05cFBQaTWY%2fChjsTm%2b4tHkjTCkAkzNga2njSlzyQrTchsmzFrjLu5Qs%2fbRCHI This report contains specific mentions of accessibility goals or necessities for deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, including existing Acts in place that are meant to protect their rights and enable access in fields of health care, education, judicial matters, and recreation. These matters are assessed through the 28 members of Japan's Policy Commissions, most of whom have some form of disability, including deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, although that number is not specified.
Telecommunications access Article 9 states that there is a Basic Program for Persons with Disabilities that recognizes accessibility in telecommunications is best provided through broadcasts containing audio descriptions, closed-captioning and/or sign language interpretation. It also mentions the "Administrative Guideline to Promote Broadcasting for the Visually/hearing Impaired," a guideline in the telecommunications industry created to promote target goals for accessibility.
Judiciary access Article 9 states that in court settings, judges will "at their own discretion, consider" the allowance of sign language interpretation or the lending of hearing aids. In the case of Deaf or HH witnesses, they are allowed an "assistant [...] if they are unable to perform a judicial act." In civil cases where oral argument may be required or encouraged, an interpreter may be provided by the court, or the court will request that answers be provided in written form according to the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Healthcare and support systems Article 9 states that there is an "Emergency by Email" and "Emergency by Fax" system in place for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing persons to access police stations in urgent circumstances.
Article 19 states that there is a "devices expense subsidy system" that provides partial funding for Deaf and HH persons purchasing or repairing hearing aids.
Article 20 discusses the training protocol of service dogs, requiring that facilities have appropriate knowledge of the disabilities they are training for and can train their dogs accordingly.
Article 21 mentions the Act on Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities, which supports accommodation via sign language interpretation. Prefectural governments as of 2013 are required to implement training for and use of existing "information service centers" that promote social activity, commission sign language interpreters, and offer consultations.
Education Article 24 discusses the necessity of accessible teaching methods and curriculum at the elementary and middle school levels. This article references the instruction of speech and/or sign language to promote students' active communication. It does not state if those accessible methods of teaching are yet available or required.
Sports and recreation Article 30 states that the Deaflympics or other accessible forms of sports-related activities are funded by donations or sponsorships collected by the Japanese Para-Sports Association. It also mentions the increasing popularity of the Deaflympics, referring to the 22 Deaf/HH athletes that participated in the 2015 Winter games.
Article 30 also acknowledges the lack of accessibility provided in stage productions or concerts for Deaf/HH audiences. For film production, as of FY2014, financial support has been provided for production companies that are willing to provide closed-captioning that is subsidized.
Concluding observations report and List of Issues report