Dentsu to push simplified Japanese to ease communication with tourists As part of its project to encourage the creation of tourism services, advertising giant Dentsu Inc. will urge the public to use simple Japanese when communicating with tourists. The article looks at some specific ways to simplify Japanese, a simple English project in Yanagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture, and the responses of some feign residents to the use of simple Japanese. Japan Times, 19 Aug 2020.
'Easy Japanese' advocate takes to Twitter to spread the (simplified) word It is no secret that Japanese can be a difficult language, and getting a handle on it is one major hurdle that the growing number of foreign workers coming to Japan must overcome. However, one Japanese language instructor here is using Twitter to nudge her compatriots into using "easy Japanese" when speaking with newcomers to smooth communications. Mainichi, 28 April 2019. See also
Editorial: 'Easy Japanese' spurs communication with foreign residents
Mainichi holds symposium on using 'easy Japanese' with foreigners
'Easy Japanese' developed for disasters now expanding into tourism, education "Easy Japanese," first devised as a linguistic tool that could be used to assist foreigners with an elementary understanding of Japanese in times of disaster, is now being adopted by municipal governments in light of increasing inbound tourists and workers, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. "As the diversity of languages spoken in Japan rises with the surge in foreigners living in and visiting Japan, we want to make Easy Japanese a common language," say people involved in various fields in Japan that are seeing an increase of foreigners. Mainichi, 3 Mar 2019. Se also:
Group calls for use of 'Easy Japanese' in railway announcements
'It's OK not to use English': 'Simple Japanese' pushed as common language with foreigners
'It's OK not to use English': 'Simple Japanese' pushed as common language with foreigners This is the new catchphrase the municipal government of Yanagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture, created with advertising giant Dentsu Inc. for their "yasashii nihongo (simple Japanese) tourism" project that began last year. The article also looks at use of simple Japanese in other projects in Mie Prefecture and Yokohama City. Mainichi, 5 Nov 2017.
Foreign Residents Support Center: A place to turn when you need assistance Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the international community in Japan has needed places to turn to for reliable information. the Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC), which opened on July 6 of last year is a convenient all-in-one support system that provides counseling support across different departments, making it very convenient for the international community to seek help without going from one institution to another. One of the languages it provides support in is simple Japanese. Japan Times, 31 May 2021.
A less polite version of Japanese is helping foreigners stay safe during disasters This article looks at the use of Yasashi Nihongo in Soja City to help foreigners in disasters, and also at the growing use of Yasashi Nihongo in hospitals. Quartz, 21 Jul 2021.
EDITORIAL: Foreigners need to be included in response efforts to disasters "Japanese society urgently needs to incorporate people who have come from abroad into its efforts to prepare for disasters and establish systems to support relief activities and evacuations in emergency responses. The efforts should involve both Japanese and foreign nationals working as partners, not as aid providers and recipients." Asahi Shimbun, 17 Jan, 2019.
Japan must improve its disaster services for foreigners Emergency information needs to address the specific needs of tourists. Nikkei Asian Review, 09 Oct, 2018.
Forgotten and unattended: refugees in post-earthquake Japan by Katsunori Koike. "Despite being a world leader in disaster preparedness, Japan paid scant attention to the needs of one of its most marginalised social groups after the 2011 earthquake. Refugees and asylum seekers suffered restrictions on movement, increased impoverishment and shortage of essential information." Forced Migration Review, Oct 2011.
Plain language helps welcome and keep talented migrants This short article looks at Keeping it clear for those new to New Zealand, a guide created by Immigration New Zealand, to help New Zealanders write information that new migrants can easily understand and act on. Write, 31 Aug 2016.
Migration, disability, and plain language An article by Jonathan Paul Katz who worked as a civil servant in New York, about his experiences of the need for Plain English for migrants and people with disabilities. International Migration Institute, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research. ***The English is quite difficult in this artile so you could translate it into Japanese using DeepL***
Plain English Campaign website
What is plain language? An explanation from plainlanguage.gov, part of the US Government.
欧米ビジネス文章のスタンダード Plain English プレイン・イングリッシュ from A & People.
やさしい日本語」とは？──多くの人に情報を伝えるための思いやり「やさしい日本語」とは、日本人が使っている日本語よりもかんたんな日本語のこと。外国人や子供、高齢者、障害のある人にわかりやすくメッセージを伝えることができます。エシカルStory, 13 May 2022
Implementing easy-to-understand Japanese to promote inclusivity This article looks at the use of yasashi nihongo in Ikuno Ward, Osaka, where people from about 60 countries reside, and focuses on the Tsudoi no Hiroba Po Po Po child-rearing support facility. It also includes a comment from Keizo Yamawaki, Professor at Meiji University that: "The concept of simple Japanese is similar to universal designs, which are environments that can be accessed by everyone, whether or not they have a disability. Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun, 7 Apr 2022.
「やさしい日本語」～高齢者福祉の中で～ A presentation/talk by 賀川 秀輝 氏. わわのわチャンネル 1 Nov 2022. わわのわ福祉アカデミア ホームページ www.wawanowa.com
Plain Language Writing — An Essential Part Of Accessibility This article asks, "how do we make information, instructions, and ideas more cognitively accessible, particularly for people with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities? Focusing on the US, it looks at examples of good plain writing in government an disability support groups and explains what plain writing needs. Forbes, 22 0ct, 2020.
「やさしい日本語」はじめませんか？The caption for this video from 東京都, 5 Nov, 2020 explains: やさしい日本語」は、外国人をはじめ、子どもや高齢者、障がいのある方などとのコミュニケーションに非常に効果的なツールの一つです。But the video focuses on communication with a foreign resident. This seems to be a common approach in discussions of Yasashi Nihongo.
やさしい日本語「やさしい日本語」のホームページへようこそ. このホームページは、定住外国人に対する情報提供の新しいあり方についての研究を行っている「やさしい日本語」研究グループのホームページです。「やさしい日本語」に関する情報を幅広くお伝えしていきたいと考えています。どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。
医療×｢やさしい日本語｣研究会 誰にとっても優しく易しい
This article has information about problems for foreign residents with understanding information about Covid vaccinations and the work of Yuko Takeda (Juntendo University) and the Health care by Yasashi Nihongo group: Group: Use ‘plain Japanese’ in vaccine info for foreign residents, Asahi Shimbun, 22 Jul 2021.
やさしい日本語（にほんご）東京都生活文化スポーツ局、1 Oct 2022
Includes these pages:
活用事例の紹介 医療、福祉、教育、防災、芸術文化、観光など、様々な分野での「やさしい日本語」の活用事例を紹介します。 - this page has links to organisations promoting/using Yasashi Nihongo in different ways including:
医療で用いる「やさしい日本語」- Plain Japanese in clinical settings - Series of 12 videos dealing with different situations, and one about communicating with foreign residents. Juntendo University 順天堂大学
やさしい日本語]#4 やさしい日本語を必要とするさまざまな人 Looks at the situation of 「日本で生まれ、日本で暮らしながら、日本語に困難を抱える人々」Cococolor, 21 Jul 2020.
高齢者・障害者（名古屋生活ガイド やさしい日本語のページ）名古屋市
障害児への日本語教育と「やさしい日本語」とICT活用 Junnama Online, 25 Dec 2021
ことばの疑問「やさしい日本語」の考え方は外国人だけでなく日本人にも役に立ちますか. ことば研究館, 1 Jun 2018.