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JSL - Japanese Sign Language

in Community Life

Have you learned 日本手話 Nihon shuwa, Japanese Sign Language? What are some good resources to learn it?

6 comments

6 Comments

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Amanda

Jun 16, 2023

Near my house in Suginami Tokyo there is primary and secondary school for the deaf and I think at this type of institution there must be some type of classes for these different types of sign language.

mikekato

Jun 17, 2023

Replying to

I believe that very few Japanese organizations teach ISL. Shuwa is extremely popular in Japan. There are clubs that teach it in most elementary, junior and senior high schools. it's only when the hearing disabled get into any kind of international environment that they realize that they cannot communicate. It's very sad, actually.

mikekato

Jun 16, 2023

Shuwa is okay, I suppose, but it puts the hearing disabled at a disadvantage when trying to communicate with others internationally. It's just another language. The International Sign Language (ISL) used around the world is just more prevalent. There is nearly no compatibility between the two.

Tone&Edo

Jun 16, 2023

Replying to

I'm specifically interested in Shuwa for communicating with users. Occasionally, I encounter signing people in my work life. I teach at a high school where I'd like to raise conciousness about the multilingualism in Japan (Japonic languages, Japanese dialects, and other forms of communication) not officially acknowledged.

urara

Jun 27, 2023

Replying to

I can think about Ainu language and maybe lamguages of Ryukyu cultures... what else am I missing? Awesome thing to do ^^

urara

Jun 15, 2022

I've heard of it but I've never tried to learn it. I've seen in my city's newspaper that some places offer lessons at a very affordable price. Someone I know is learning it, she probably bought a book from a Japanese bookstore.