Callie Frye interviews two Deaf Japanese nationals

Callie Frye, Daily Moth Reporter:

Hello! I am fond of learning various cultures and sign languages. During the pandemic, I’ve noticed two Deaf Japanese gain popularity.

[Video clip of TikTok/ “Sign with Joma” with Manae Makino]

[Video clip of Facebook/“The Gate to Japan” with Satoshi Kameda]

Callie: I reached out to the two to see if they were willing to answer a few questions and they said “sure!” I’m excited to share with you.

What is your name? Where do you live in Japan?

Manae Makino: My name is Manae Makino. This is my sign name. I live in Tokyo.

Satoshi Kameda: Hello, I’m Satoshi. This is my sign name. In Japan, my sign name is this. I live near Tokyo, in Saitama.

Callie: I asked about what deaf-related laws and rights they are proud of in Japan. Manae said there are three things: deaf people can drive and obtain driver’s licenses, they can request a Japanese Sign Language (JSL) interpreter, and that deaf people can become doctors or pharmacists. She gave credit to the Japanese Federation of the Deaf (JFD).

Manae: I have gratitude for the JFD, which is the largest Deaf organization in Japan. They have engaged in activism and negotiations with the government for these three rights.

Callie: She also said it was not just the JFD, as there are other organizations led by deaf people with one of them fighting for better video relay systems. Can you imagine that for some time, people who called via VRS services were limited to hours between 9:00 am to 9:00 pm? You couldn’t call earlier or later. What if there was an emergency at midnight? You would be stuck. A deaf organization advocated for changes and finally, Japanese people can use the VRS to make calls anytime, 24/7.

I’m curious, can you teach us some JSL signs?

Manae: (Shows a JSL sign). This means “yes.” Yes. Sometimes you sign it with just one hand.

Satoshi: “Know.” (Shows JSL sign). You can sign it twice, just like you would with “know.”

Callie: What is your favorite Japanese food and why?

Satoshi: (Signs in JSL). This sign means “black.” This sign means “noodles.” Black noodles. It might sound unappealing, but look at this picture. That’s soba.

Manae: Nattō. Do you know about nattō? I’ll show you. (Shows a dish). It’s made of soybeans that have been fermented so it’s slimy. It’s delicious and I eat it daily! My boyfriend thinks it’s weird and gross, but I don’t care and eat it every day.

[Sponsored Video from Convo: https://www.convorelay.com/download]

Callie: I asked both about what cultural etiquette we should keep in mind before visiting Japan.

Satoshi: Wait.

Callie: Satoshi said tattoos are controversial in Japan, but it’s not a bad thing. If you go to a hot spring — there are two types, those in private or those in public. In a private spring, you’re all alone and there’s no others around. You can go with no problems. But in public settings, some springs won’t allow those with tattoos entry. It’s because people perceive tattoos as having gang affiliations. Some might assume you’re a bad or dangerous person and be fearful. He said Japan is slowly evolving to accept tattoos.

Satoshi: Please respect this. Thank you.

Callie: Manae shared three tips. If you go to a home, you must take off your shoes before entering. Put the shoes someplace together. The second and third things has to do with chopsticks. In a rice bowl or other plates, don’t leave the chopsticks standing up in the food.

Manae: It’s because when we leave chopsticks standing up in food, it’s how we offer our respects to those who have died. We leave it by gravesites. So if you do this (in other settings), it can lead people to think about death, so it’s not encouraged.

Callie: The third thing is to not use your chopsticks to move the bowl. If you want to leave them because you need to take a break, leave them lying on the bowl.

Manae: If you want to leave the chopsticks like this, that’s fine. Don’t leave it like this. This is okay.

Callie: I hope you enjoyed watching and learning something new about Japanese culture from these two! Thank you, Satoshi and Manae! I appreciate that they are willing to share awareness about Japanese culture through sign language. It’s really cool. If you want to follow them, you can on their social media pages at the links below.

Manae: https://www.tiktok.com/@signwithjoma

Satoshi: https://www.facebook.com/thegatetojapan/