Teaching in Japan is always a challenge. In the 9 years since I first came to call this country my home, I have taught in a variety of private and public schools. It’s fair to say I’ve taught in some wonderful places and some absolutely god awful ones too. However, Read more…
Born without the ability to hear, 36-year old Shinya Kawabata is the first person in Japan to complete his master’s degree thesis in sign language instead of English or Japanese. As the Japanese language and Japanese sign language differ greatly in terms of vocabulary and grammar, many deaf-mute people face Read more…
On October 3, the Hankyu department store in Osaka hosted an event promoting the awareness of service dogs. One of the attendees, a hearing-impaired woman came with her service dog and, after the event was over, decided to grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant with a friend. Read more…
The Japanese government plans to introduce major budgetary allocations to promising Paralympic athletes for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Paralympic games. The prioritized budgetary allocations will cover the athletes’ travel and other expenses when they compete away from home. The budgetary allocation has already been introduced for Olympic athletes, with the Read more…
Notes from the Obstacle Course Dr. Michael Peckitt Since the 1990s, JR East, the division of Japan Railway Co that serves Tokyo and the Kanto region has had ‘priority seats’ seats reserved for the elderly, pregnant, disabled and children. Use of mobile phones is forbidden in this area, at least Read more…
Born in Sheffield in 1978, Michael Gillan Peckitt studied Philosophy at the University of Hull, obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in 2001 and his PhD in 2010. He has had left-sided spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy and epilepsy since birth. He has had teaching posts at various universities and is currently a Read more…