Communication and connection: Satoshi Fukushima, the world's first deafblind professor
松本潤平監督の新作は、若くして視力と聴力を失いながらも東京大学の専任教授となった福島智氏の物語です。この映画の公開を記念して、福島氏にインタビューを行いました。(English) Junpei Matsumoto's new film tells the story of Satoshi Fukushima, who became a full-time professor at the University of Tokyo despite losing sight and hearing at a young age. We interviewed Mr Fukushima for the film's release.
Communication and connection: Satoshi Fukushima, the world's first deafblind professor - January 18, 2023
Junpei Matsumoto's new film tells the story of Satoshi Fukushima, who became a full-time professor at the University of Tokyo despite losing sight and hearing at a young age. We interviewed Mr Fukushima for the film's release.
Satoshi Fukushima:
He was born in 1962 in Hyogo Prefecture. He lost his sight in both eyes at the age of 9 and his hearing at 18.
In 1983 he entered Tokyo Metropolitan University, becoming the first deafblind person in Japan to study there. After working as an associate professor at Kanazawa University, he became a professor at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo in 2008, becoming the world's first full-time deafblind university professor.
He is a board member of the Japan Association of the Deafblind and served as the Asia Regional Representative of the World Federation of the Deafblind for five terms until October 2022.
He and his mother, Reiko, won the Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Prize in 1996. In 2003, Time magazine named him one of Asia's Heroes.
*Professor Satoshi Fukushima suffered from an eye disease when he was five months old and lost sight in his right eye when he was three years old and his left eye when he was nine. Then, when he was 18, he became utterly deafblind due to idiopathic deafness.
//Summary -Level-C2//
Satoshi Fukushima is the world's first deafblind professor and the subject of Junpei Matsumoto's film, "A Mother's Touch." Fukushima lost sight and hearing at a young age but persevered through his education, eventually becoming a professor at the University of Tokyo. The film depicts his journey and the support of his mother. Fukushima's story highlights the importance of communication and the challenges faced by deafblind individuals. He is also actively involved in advocating for deafblind rights and accessibility. Furthermore, Fukushima believes that promoting gender equality and fostering cooperation in society is essential for the inclusion of all individuals, regardless of their disabilities.
A)
1)
Satoshi Fukushima is deaf and blind. His deaf-blindness was not congenital but developed gradually. He lost his right eye at age 3, his left eye at 9, his right ear at 14 and his left ear at 18. So he still remembers what he used to see and hear.
However, the devastating loss of these abilities has caused him great distress. In addition, he has gone through the process of loss on several occasions, usually culminating in late adolescence, an emotional period likely to have exacerbated his suffering.
2)
A new film, A Mother's Touch(Japanese title: The cherry-coloured wind Blooms), follows Fukushima and his mother as they grow up and overcome hardships. The film's first half, released in 2022, depicts the anguish of a mother caring for Satoshi, who became blind at nine after being diagnosed with visual impairment as an infant. The second half focuses on an adolescent, Satoshi.
As Satoshi comes to terms with his condition, he becomes bright and cheerful and leaves his home in Hyogo to attend a school for blind students in Tokyo, where he enjoys boarding school life. But at 18, he loses his hearing, which until then had been his "safety net". In the film, he overcomes this trauma and grows up with the support of his mother, Reiko and his family.
B)
3)
Redefine why you live.
The film is based on the book "Satoshi, Do You Understand?" by his mother, Reiko Fukushima. We asked Satoshi about the initial conception of the film.
"When I first heard about the project for this film, I had heard that it was based on my mother's book, so, of course, there was no objection. However, there were details about my childhood that I didn't know much about, and I think that's why I was able to make this film from my mother's point of view."
C)
4)
A Mother's Touch can resonate with a broader audience because the main character is a mother raising a child with a disability. But, as a son, how did he feel about the portrayal of his mother?
"It was hard for my mother to raise two older brothers while doing the housework, but that was portrayed in the film. I was only nine then, and it was a shock to be completely blind, but at least I could still hear.
D)
5)
In the film, young Satoshi seems mostly indifferent when he loses sight early in the story. He gradually loses his hearing from 14 to 18, and the second half is set in the winter and spring of the year he turns 18.
"I was born on his Christmas Day in 1962. Shortly after he turned 18 in 1980; my hearing deteriorated rapidly. In the first three months of 1981, I was almost completely deaf".
6)
Those three months were the most difficult for him of all the difficulties he faced as an adolescent. He took a leave of absence from the School for the Blind and returned to his parent's home in Kobe. They tried to treat his symptoms with diet and exercise but to no avail.
"It was amazing to lose sight in one eye and hearing in one ear. Of course, I hadn't fully come to terms with my situation at that stage, but having that realisation gave me relative peace of mind."
F)
7)
Need to stay alive
Satoshi read books in braille, wrote diaries and letters, and was stimulated by thought. Then, soon after becoming deafblind, he read Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis. It struck a chord with him, and there is a scene in the film where he recites it.
"Reading the story of Gregor Samsa, who wakes up to find himself a giant insect, resonated with that character. It was like what happened to me. It was about deciding how to live in."
G)
8)
Another story that impressed him was Ryunosuke Akutagawa's Gears. Written by Akutagawa a few months before his suicide and considered semi-autobiographical, it tells the story of a man who has a series of premonitions of death.
"It is a depressing story that makes me want to die just reading it. I realised that once I had sunk to the bottom of the sea, I couldn't go any lower, and from a young age, my eyesight and hearing gradually deteriorated".
"When I finally became completely deafblind, I was surprised to feel a sense of relief; I knew that things couldn't get any worse. Then, I realised that this must be where I started".
9)
The film doesn't do justice to Satoshi's daily ordeal, but it does depict his deafness, his fall into the abyss, and his recovery to go to college.
"In February 1981, I vaguely felt that if I had been given a mission in life, I would have to work to achieve it. Psychologically it was a rationalisation phase; I was trying to convince myself and calm my emotions. I had to think".
H)
10)
Hope was born but is gone.
Soon after, Reiko came up with the idea of finger braille. In this system, one person sends codes directly to the other's fingers, similar to typing on a Braille typewriter. Reiko had previously used a Braille typewriter and paper, but by eliminating the typewriter, direct communication became possible. This was the invention of finger braille, one of her now standard means of communication for deafblind people.
I)
11)
"It was the beginning of March 1981. I think it was the 3rd of March, but I don't know because I didn't write it down in my diary. I probably didn't think it was that important at the time. I was quite vain, perhaps thinking that if my mother had done something strange, I would have thought of a better way".
Fukushima returned to a dormitory at a school for blind students in Tokyo at the end of March to start her final year, but she is now a deafblind student. People around him have learned to communicate using finger braille and have used it to talk to him and encourage him.
12)
"People told me never to give up and to do my best. At first, it was great, but it wasn't enough. After a while, they got tired of our communication and left. This happened a lot, I felt stuck in a dungeon, and now and then, someone would appear outside my little window to express sympathy. We'd talk a bit, and then they'd leave again. It was like that. I had no idea what people were talking about. I couldn't enjoy deep communication like I used to. I felt more and more lonely".
J)
13)
Broadening horizons
A turning point soon followed. About four months after Satoshi learned finger braille, one of his seniors at a school for blind students told him how to finger braille could be used to help with interpreting. Instead of someone using finger braille to communicate directly with a deafblind person, another person could act as an intermediary to convey the speaker's message. He felt this could be a way of regaining the deeper communication he had previously enjoyed. This affected the rest of his life.
14)
"At that time, I had no idea what my life's work would be. All I knew was that I would probably go to college like my two older brothers. After that, I hesitated for a while, but after a series of unusual encounters, I realised that my life's work was to help other deafblind people somehow and that I could not avoid it".
K)
15)
In November 1981, an organisation was formed to support Fukushima, who was about to enter university. This was the first form of organisation that would become the Japan Deafblind Association ten years later. Fukushima graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan University in 1987 and entered graduate school. He worked with the Association to help organise communication support for deafblind people based on the model he had received.
16)
"It is like building an infrastructure; once it is in place, deafblind people can participate in society again. Then, no matter how hard you try, you can't do some things. That was the starting point after which Japan gradually adopted a proper welfare policy, and it all started with the communication support I received personally".
L)
17)
someone else provides the light source
People cannot live without communication. It seems obvious, but he was acutely aware when Mr Fukushima lost sight and hearing at 18. It was as if he had been left alone in the void of space.
18)
"When communication is cut off, it is like a state of hunger and thirst that suffocates the soul. You can't see, and you can't hear beautiful music, so, of course, it's sleepy, but when communication is cut off, it's on another level, and you lose the proof that you exist in the world. When people interact with someone, they can see themselves in the light reflected from the other person's presence".
M)
19)
Mr Fukushima is currently working not only on disability research but also on accessibility issues. At the same time, he has been the Asia Regional Representative for the World Federation of the Deafblind for over 20 years, a position he took over this autumn. He is acutely aware that worldwide support for deafblind people lags behind that of other disabled people. There are over 10 million deafblind people worldwide and at least 14,000 in Japan.
20)
"Some people need support just to survive. Primary care meets the physiological needs of eating, toileting and bathing, but communication, access to information, and the ability to move freely are equally important. This is particularly difficult for deafblind people. If it's not possible, it's like being in prison. There are a lot of innocent people who are imprisoned, and I want them to be released somehow.
Japan lags far behind other developed countries regarding overall welfare measures, not just for the deafblind but for disabled people. Fukushima believes that the root of the problem lies in the lack of participation of women in society.
21)
"These two issues are fundamentally the same. Unless discrimination against women is abolished and true gender equality is achieved, we will not be able to achieve a society in which minorities, including people with disabilities, can live freely".
"Japan was ranked 116th in the Gender Gap Report, and although women make up half of humanity and have given birth to all of us, there is still a gender imbalance. As long as this situation continues, discrimination against people with disabilities, who make up about 10 per cent of the population, will not go away. Furthermore, as long as Japanese society continues to be centred on the elderly, people with disabilities will never get justice".
N)
22)
These same older adults will eventually become the recipients of elderly support themselves. "Mother's Touch" ends with a line from Hiroshi Yoshino's poem "Inochi was(The life was...)", which Fukushima occasionally quotes. "In life, we are confronted with shortcomings others make up for." Combined with Fukushima's words, it is a reminder of providence. Nothing can be ignored as "other people's business".
23)
"It is important to strive for a society where everyone can live, no matter their difficulties," says Fukushima. "We can create a strong and adaptable society with this diversity. Thinking in terms of cooperation rather than competition will lead to greater competitiveness. I believe that the interaction of people with such skills will create a resilient society that can adapt to different situations, even if it is inefficient".
Communication and connection: Satoshi Fukushima, the world's first deafblind professor - January 18, 2023
https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/c030193/
The film's official website:
A Mother's Touch (2022) Japanese Movie Trailer English Subtitles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbjd9EGGUE4
Add info)
The Inspiring Story of a Deafblind Professor
https://nativecamp.net/textbook/page-detail/2/19669?v=1684990946
The Inspiring Story of a Deafblind Professor
Fukushima Satoshi, a professor at the University of Tokyo, has achieved academic success despite being deaf and blind from a young age. The film Sakura iro no kaze ga saku (A Mother's Touch), which was released in Japan in November 2022, chronicles his early life and has received a lot of attention.
In an interview, Fukushima discusses his unique method of communication. Fukushima communicates through an interpreter who converts spoken language into finger braille. Fukushima also relies on a special device, BrailleSense, to read and write in braille. This device converts text data into Japanese braille and can connect to the Internet.
Fukushima's mother has been an important figure in his life, but he has described feeling alone after losing both his hearing and sight as a teenager. In the film, Tanaka Taketo played the younger Fukushima, who struggled to connect with his mother and others after becoming deaf and blind.
Fukushima's story is an inspiration to those facing similar challenges. Fukushima has not let his disability stop him from pursuing his passions and communicating with others.
His experience highlights the importance of technology in helping people with disabilities and shows that with the right tools and support, it is possible to overcome isolation and achieve great things.
//Discussion//
1. Do you think a person who is deaf and blind can still live a meaningful life? Please share your thoughts.
-> Yes, even a deaf and blind person can lead a meaningful life.
Because, like us, they can talk to people, enjoy their work and hobbies, and lead fulfilling lives.
They may find each day more meaningful than we do, as they must get through the more challenging days.
2. Should Braille be taught to all students, despite their disability status? Please discuss.
-> Yes, all students should learn Braille regardless of their disabilities.
Learning English or Latin or other languages, Braille or sign language, you can understand that there are various ways of communication.
When we are young, if we try to have different perspectives, we can enjoy life with a richer sense.
3. Do you like watching movies based on true stories? Why or why not?
-> Yes, I like movies, both actual and fictional.
In particular, world documentaries and true stories are fascinating, and you can think about them in the light of your own life.
Of course, fiction also allows me to imagine a world I hadn't thought of, so I especially like how I can feel the future of technology and space.
4. Do you think people with disabilities should receive preferential treatment? Please discuss.
-> Yes, I think so. We have the right to live equally.
Of course, excessive service and support are rude, so I think giving preferential treatment in the form they want is necessary.
We are not all perfect people.
It is essential to recognize each other's shortcomings, complement each other, respect each other as human beings, and live together with compassion.
5. Do you think it's possible that we can completely cure deafness or blindness? Please share your thoughts.
-> Maybe there will come a future when high-tech surgeries and high-performance drugs can eradicate all diseases.
I think there is a possibility that even ageing can be delayed or stopped.
However, even if we lack something, we have the power to make up for it, and we may develop abilities we never thought possible.
And for now, death is inevitable.
We need to live to the fullest in our limited life.
6. Do you think dogs can be helpful guides for blind people? Please explain.
-> Yes, I think so.
Dogs are brilliant and kind animals.
Dogs can be not only helpful to humans, they can even be best friends and family members.
Animals don't discriminate against or prejudice us, but we can treat each other kindly and strictly.