In 1stsemester, I learnt gender education and foreign residents in Japan, and I was interested in Multicultural symbolic society through the 1st semester. There is a support in order to understand Japanese for foreigners, which is やさしい日本語. I studied the history, the degree of recognition and the business example of やさしい日本語 last time. Also, in summer vacation, I took part in the event about disasters as volunteer of lecture on やさしい日本語 at Hachioji city hall, and those experiences led me to want to look into this.
As for event in summer vacation, the goal of volunteer was to make more people aware of やさしい日本語, and most participants are elderly people who are leaders of self-government body. There few opportunities that they communicate with foreign residents, thus all of them knew やさしい日本語 for the first time. Also, one of participants said that やさしい日本語 was important role for not only foreigners but also elderly people and the disabled. That is why, I want to know how to spread やさしい日本語, the possibility of やさしい日本語 ( for who?/what is the role?), and also I would like to study if there are language expressions such as やさしい日本語 in other countries.
I learnt that there is every possibility of やさしい日本語; medical services, disabled people, the older and children. Some supporters are active to make people aware of やさしい日本語, for example staff training, making leaflets with governments, and so on, however, according to a survey in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba prefectures, the degree of knowingやさしい日本語 are 36.8 % for Japanese, which cognitive pathways are ward or city offices（28.6％）, and transportation（20.7％）. It is important to set targets for informing やさしい日本語. In YouTube, for youngers, there is a music video which title is 「やさしい せかい」, being made by やさしい日本語ツーリズム協会 and students from Meiji university in order to aim for a multicultural society.
In discussions with Jain, she shared her experiences about COVID-19. When she went to a hospital, she can not understand doctor’s talking, because he or she spoke to her rapidly. Medical service has been stocked at the influence of COVID-19, and they may be not afford to correspond to foreigners, but according to the data from Research Note2, the medical service of やさしい日本語 are usually not enough. Also, she said about the service of Japanese government. When she spent the time in a hotel because of COVID-19, hotel staffs responded to her in Korean, and the language service are full, that is why, some coronavirus responses are substantial, while others are inadequate.
My research point is the possibility of やさしい日本語in Research Cycle3. I learn the relationship between COVID-19 and やさしい日本語. I focused on the government websites such as Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Technology. In the website of ministry of health, Labour and Welfare, the sentence are written with やさしい日本語, and the site is easy to understand the COVID-19 support system. But, looking at the website: by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Technology, this site is difficult for foreigners. Even if the government is same, the expression of language is different, that is why the way of websites should be standard.
As for documents such as tax, Jain and Professor Mike said that we were difficult to understand insurance documents and tax systems. In Yokohama website, there is a living information in やさしい日本語. Not only foreigners but also Japanese who cannot understand tax system can read the information. The clarity of sites varies widely by region.
Therefore, I believe that new rules, such as unifying sites, would prevent regional disparities.
Research Journal ４
As for Shiori’s presentation, I learnt the relationship between SNS and LGBT. SNS such as twitter, Instagram and so on, is important to make a new community in order to defend themselves, which is a key to recognize the difference for not LGBT people. I knew Facebook’s safety guideline for the first time. SNS is not always to be good effect for LGBT people, but everyone should understand the characteristics of SNS. One of the characteristics is short sentences, which everyone is easy to understand, but there are so many misunderstandings. It is difficult for all people to understand minority such as LGBT, however, even if they do not make sense them, they must not exclude and criticize them. Although, it would be difficult to find out, we felt that we would like to know more about the pie chart regarding the influence of social networking sites.
Regarding Chisaki’s presentation, I studied the importance of “IBASHO” from child poverty. About one of the types of IBSHO is Children’s cafeteria, I believe that Children’s cafeteria is not only for children but also adults such as their parents, elderly people, and so on. Also, as Professor Mike mentioned, there are many kinds of poverty problems, for example economic poverty causes the lack of money and mental peace of mind. Chisaki said that poverty had influenced on hope gap and self-esteem. To improve hope gap and the self-esteem, I would like to know the role of family as “IBSHO”. In this time, Chisaki focused on approaches from outside, that is why, I suggest that next presentation had better review from inside as well.
Research Journal ５
As for Toshi’s presentation, I learnt the workplace for the disabilities. In Diversity career forum, most companies which join it are large corporations. I wanted to know the specific reasons why there are only such big corporations. For example, the lack of the subsidy (how much money are not enough), the difficulty of finding their suitability for jobs, and so on. Also, I would like to learn the comparison work place in foreign countries with in Japan. After his presentation, I researched the company which provide employment support service for people with disabilities. I found it interesting to find out about it.
Regarding Jain’s presentation, I was interested that there were four barrier types: informational barrier, conscious barrier, physical barrier and institutional barrier. In transportation, I want to know the barrier-free system in Japan. The disabilities are easy to go to office, if transportation well maintains equipment. Also, the barrier free system is for everyone not only the disabilities. For example, there are walls at the stations for prevention of fall. The barrier free system is often perceived as being for people with disabilities, but it is also for those without.
I learnt that what seems to be for one particular person is actually for everyone individually through these presentation and comments for my research. I will want to learn what I can do to realize the inclusive society.
Research Journal ６
As for Yuka‘s presentation, I learnt there are two types of inclusion education: full inclusion and partial inclusion. In Japan, the education system is not full inclusion but partial inclusion. In my opinion, it is important to establish a personalized education system. In order to setting up such system, we need to know the responses of children and their parents for inclusive society. In addition, I would like to know how teachers think about inclusive society (agree or disagree?). Also, in reasonable accommodation, I made a comparison between two pictures. I have never seen the class room with reasonable accommodation. I want to know how much such classroom there are in Japan.
In Himika’s presentation, I was interested in the tradition that should be preserved and those that should be changed. One of the traditions that need to be changed is gender and clothing. There is the clothing rule in offices, and especially, it's a rule that's very important in job hunting. In job hunting, offices often require uniformity, that is why, the realization of diversity is difficult in job hunting. Not only in job hunting bult also in workplace should improve the understanding of clothing diversity. It is need to question and speak up with company.