Tactile Island: Blind with a Voice
A Conversation with Hiroshi Yorishita [HY]
Graduate student and guitar player from Kyoto.
May 20, 2006 at Gaidat University in Kyoto.
By Kalna Katsuom, Alessandro Mavilio and Markuz Wernli Saitô.
PROJECT ARCHIVE
Blind with a voice
Report (PDF 2.3MB)
Coin action (PDF)
How long have you been blind?
HY: Since I was born. My mother was told at the hospital that I was blind.
How did you first learn that you are blind?
HY: My family members told me.
What is blindness?
HY: In my childhood I thought, I cannot see light or colors, or things surrounding me and people's face. Now I changed. Blind means that a person cannot see on the surface level. This question has no answer I think.
There are some people thinking about themselves and are always seeing inside their mind.
How do you usually sign a paper?
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Conversation with Hiroshi Yorishita, musician and English teacher |
Why do you like Kalna's voice?
HY: Her voice sounds as if all the surrounding changes into cool or warm mode even if it in the cold season or hot season. If it's too hot, her voice is cooling, if it's too could, her voice is warming. Markuz, are you about 40 years old?
That's pretty close... You can tell people's age by their voice?
HY: Yes. I am 30. I turned 30 years on April 30th.
Does bad weather of changing season makes it difficult or different to move around for you?
HY: Yes. In the rainy days we have to carry on the right hand a cane and with the left the umbrella. When I feel that this is trouble I wear a coat with a hood and then I carry only the cane. One hand stays free.
Did you chose between a cane or seeing eye dog?
HY: When I was a child I though about having a guide dog but I think that taking care of dogs is not so easy and makes some trouble. That's why I chose a cane.
Did you go to a blind school? Did you have Orientation and Mobility classes?
HY: Like a self-activity class in the discipline of walking ability? Yes, I graduated from the school of blind in Kyoto. And I took lessons from the association for the blind. It's called Lighthouse and it's near Senmon-Kitaoji. There are people there who taught me how to walk safely. It's a one year program at the school. At the Lighthouse we can chose the learning period and the classes are once or twice a week.
Are there certain ways for how to navigate?
HY: There are certain rules for walking. If a blind person steps forward with his/her left hand the cane should be on the right side. Right foot forward, cane on the left side. That way we can easily check for safety and if there is an obstacle in front of us.
When you use your cane, do you have your own style of using it?
HY: Maybe at the train platform it's a rule to let the cane slide pendular all the way in front of me. So in crowded places I also slide the cane. In few cases I am tapping the ground with my cane.
How do you explore and remember new place?
HY: When I took the walking discipline course at the Lighthouse the instructor would tell us first HOW to reach a certain place. When I would get confused the instructor would tell me where I got lost. In the second stage the instructor wouldn't tell us how to reach the destination. That way I had to remember. Recently I remember my way to JR Kyoto Station from the bus terminal of line no. 28. In the first days I couldn't remember clearly and I would get lost. Lots of times. But now I can easily explore and find the way.
Do you have a system to remember your way? How do remember your path?
HY: I can't clearly explain. To remember things I have to increase doing the same activity. For example going to JR Nara's line at Kyoto Station from the bus stop. Not only two or three times, but maybe five or six times.
How helpful are these yellow Tactile floor tiles to you?
HY: I like them. They indicate how to get to the stations exit or entrance clearly. It helps me go to the destination more easily without help from others.
Don't you mind that the Tactile floor tiles run always straight and require longer ways?
HY: Usually I don't. If I mind the longer ways I ignore the tactiles after I remembered how to reach a destination safely.
Do you have any stories from moving around in public?
HY: I don't have really negative episodes to report but many positive ones. People contacting me and asking me about where I want to go or offering help. I can make friends with seeing people!! And have a nice talk. When I got off Shinkansen there was woman who wanted to guide me to the JR Nara's platform but it turned out a different place... So I went back and found the right way by myself.
Do you sometimes decline help?
HY: When I am accustomed to a certain way I say "no, thank you, I don't need your help". If I get lost I'll ask.
Can you recall any accidents you had in public?
HY: One day, about ten years ago when I walked near my house a male bicyclist hit me and I got angry and
asked "what do you think you are looking at?". He apologized. Sometimes I change my appearance and expression of my face, while staring into the directions of cars running or bicycles based on their sound, to protect myself to from being run over. At one time my cane has been bent by a bicycles whose owner bought an umbrella for me to use as a substitute.
Is your cane a friend?
HY: A friend or maybe a slave... but I didn't name it.
What are difficult places to get around, what are easy ones?
HY: Crowded places are difficult. Places with bicycles. Sidewaks. And bicycles on Tactiles. Easy places are inside the stations and places without obstacles on floors and Tactiles.
If you would be an architect and could build your own world, what would you make different?
HY: I proposed at a meeting at Gaidai university to establish an indicating voice guiding with maps like at the Lighthouse entrance. Upon entry a voice tells visitors: "The guiding board in Braille is over there". Upon pressing the buttons on the guiding board a voice gives directions. Audible sign posts.
When we met you offered me your hand as greeting. Do you do usually do this?
HY: Yes, but sometime certain individuals refuse, maybe because they feel ashamed or are shy.
Shaking hands means to be impressed or there is an agreement. Sometimes affection and the gesture "please be a friend of mine". When shaking your hand I felt comfortable because I found that we had become friends. Talking on the phone and meeting face to face is different.
Can you recognize somebody's handshake?
HY: Primarily I know somebody from talking [voice] and secondary from shaking hands and introducing ourselves. From the way of a hand's grip maybe we can read what kind of person we're meeting, like shy person, or active person, or friendly person.
How do you meet your mother or close friends?
HY: Usually just by talking. When I meet friends after a long time possibly I firmly shake hands. When meeting a person from the opposite sex we sometimes hug each other in Japan, too. This shows is impressed after long absence. When I came back from Vancouver after six months I shook hands and shared lots of stories with friends and family.
Were there cultural differences in Canada when relating to other persons?
HY: In Vancouver there was always lots of talking. Lots of small talk with people. Like, when I said good morning others would respond. But in Japan there is no response. No answer. Even if I say "konnichi wa". I felt like a culture shock. Men hug each other. And men and women as friends, because they are showing emotions.
Can you feel a smile, feelings of somebody?
HY: Maybe only from the voice. From talking , from laughing. But I cannot see smiling without voice.
I was impressed that you could tell our age just from hearing a voice. Can you hear more?
HY: Sometimes I mistake a voice and misinterpret that a person is in a hurry or studying. On the train or bus if I say it's very hot and the answer is simply: "oh yes." then maybe this person doesn't want to talk. And when the reply is "oh, yes it's raining..." then this voice pattern can indicate that this person wants to talk to me.
Can you tell us more about the meaning of hand shakes?
HY: If the grip is strong they seem more active and communicative. If the grip is lose maybe they don't want to be connected or communicative. There is no clear answer to this question
Is it easy to recognize and remember people?
HY: There are vague situations, but after being told their names. Good indications are voice, the size of hand, the way of patting shoulders. The best way to recognize is the voice.
What about smell?
HY: Many girls and women put on perfumes but if they change it I probably cannot recognize them. Or if they change the shampoo. Good smells are helpful. People smelled differently in Vancouver but I forgot because it was four years ago.
How was life in Canada different than in Japan?
HY: At the first home stay I couldn't use the internet freely, or I couldn't telephone freely. The host family set many rules and they didn't help students actively. But during the second home stay my host sister introduced me to her house and friends. We talked often at home and I could share Canadian life. That was important for my English which depends on talking to as many people as possible.
What makes it easier for you to get around in a new place or foreign country?
HY: In the beginning tell me clearly how to go places. And in the second and third time let me go by myself. It's the same about cleaning dishes, or doing household things. First tell and show me, then let me do it alone. Communication is important.
How did you learn to speak English so well? Any advice?
HY: Get used to it more than being taught. Talk to people more than study by yourself. We don't have to stick to grammar when we're talking to each other.
With whom do you live?
HY: I live with my father and mother. I do have an elder brother but he is in Tokyo now.
With whom do you live? Do you sometimes go shopping?
HY: Depends on how I feel. Sometimes I go browsing and look around for books. Maybe in Kinokuniya bookstore or Maruzen, which recently closed...
How do you shop for books?
HY: First I check the publisher's website like TS Planning. Then I ask the bookstore for specific range of books like TOEIC or TOEFL or test strategy, or relating to English grammar. Then if there is a book available then I ask the assistant to bring a copy in front of me and show it which allows me to check the thickness. If I become interested in the book I will buy it. Regarding money and payment, I sometimes mistake the paper bills like one of five thousand Yen. But coins I can distinguish easily depending on their sizes. I always ask and look for volunteer groups to translate my books into Braille. Sometimes this service costs. I bought one story book in British English. Recently books with CD are increasing which I can listen to. Today for example I bought TOEIC grammar book and tomorrow I will buy the respective CDs. The internet helps me find not only books but IC-recorder or CD-radio player. First I check online then I go to the store and touch it or feel it for buying.
When you shop for food...
HY: I chose the restaurant or coffee shop with the help of others. They usually don't have Tactiles. At the entrance area I ask the clerks to guide me to the table. Then I ask what kind of food I want to eat. Maybe McDonnald's or fast food stores like Moss burger I first listen to the clerks voices like "irraishamase!" and then I go to that spot. I hear the direction from the voice. At supermarkets I go first to the place where the register is sounding "katcha-katcha-katcha...". Then I know there IS at least one staff member there where I can ask them to look for what I want. What tea? Lemon tea or not? This one? Apple tea? No! If I want to have a 500ml coffee I ask a clerk to bring it to me, then I pay.
Which shops do you like more, which less?
HY: It depends on my mood. Related to a smile or voices, if the clerk tends to get angry or impatient I decide not to go there again because of the attitude. It happens also in Japan. Sometimes I don't return there because the food or drinks are not tasty. Sometimes I buy rice bowls or lunch box at convenient stores like Family Mart or Lawson or 7/11. My choice depends on the people in the store and the distance from the places I know.
Do you sometimes go shopping for clothes?
HY: Usually I leave that to my mother because she can see. Sometimes when she needs to check the fit I accompany her like suit, pants.
Do you have a system to distinguish the colors of your clothes?
HY: They are color sensing machines called ColorTalk from Matsushita (National) which I don't have. If you record with its microtip a product it will recognize it next time it touches the same surface. I have a jacket with a pocket which has a fastener to attach my wallet or name card box to prevent it from slipping it out. I don't like buttons on my pockets because fastener is safer. A button can rip off.
You read and write Braille. Do you have a favorite Braille letter or word.
HY: Every letter I like. There are six dots total in each character. Sometimes in my elementary school days we had a competition of six-dot-writing: how many characters a student can write in two minutes. I won the first prize about 13 years ago when I was a second year high school student. The Braille letter for "Me" has all six dots filled (raised) which is written in this competition. Each letter of alphabet is alloted to each Japanese character like "A" aligns with Japanese "ア".
For learning Braille did you make helpful mnemonic hooks?
HY: I cannot explain clearly but there are associations in writing Braille letters: a, e, u, i, o. "A" has the first dot, "E" has second dot, "U" has fourth dot with "A", and "O" has second and fourth dot. Then KA KI KO KE KO is made by adding the sixth dot. There are six-dot and eight-dot Kanji in Braille, but I learnt with a concept of Hiragana. But I am learning Kanji from personal computer speech guide through examples.
How do you take notes? How do you organize your documents?
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Hiroshi Yorishita in conversation with sound artist Kalna Katsuom |
How do you take note
HY: Until about four, five years ago I took notes on Braille papers, then I got a machine called Braille Memo like maybe Yuki JIn has. It consists of a PIN-display like to representing Braille and there are basically six keys and space, enter and shift keys. That way I take my notes and create a data file. I do my homework with this.
Are you able to read music scores?
HY: There are Braille scores (Tenjigakufu) but I currently try to learn symbols like staccato, marcato, andanta, piano, forte.
How are you gonna compose music in Pasadena?
HY: I am thinking about using a Braille score making software called "B-score" which translates into Midi files. I really want to learn how to make music or sound arrangements from the computer.
What does music mean to you?
HY: It makes my life enjoyable. It cheers me up and brightens the day. Sometimes I listen to more quiet and sad songs. Sometimes I get really, really enthusiastic to play in front of people. Sometimes I become anxious to play in front of people. When I first played at the Booking Live [concert place] with other performers near Kyoto Station, people from the audience - who drank a bit - hugged me and wished me "good luck". I also could make good connections with other performers.
How can seeing people do a better job in explaining what we see to the blind?
Can we improve the way we talk to you?
How do you like to "watch" TV?
HY: About three years ago there was a weekly program series called "Inuyasha" on Yomiuri TV channel. At the end of each episode it would show a preview for the following in visuals only - which could be made more accessible with sound cues.
Do you wish that somebody would explain visuals while watching a film or TV show?
HY: Sometimes I ask my family. Hints like "the hero is now kicking his enemies" or it is helpful for me to have the action and scenes conveyed through gestures with my hands.
Do you listen to the radio?
HY: I like music request programs because I want to know what has become of recent music and styles, like in Japanese pop or foreign sound. Also the greetings part is interesting and the introduction of new artists.
If you could make radio yourself what would you do?
HY: At this point there doesn't seem much need for improvement, but I should look closer into this. I like live performances of music hopefully with explanations of what the musicians are doing.
What does color mean to you?
HY: When I was in the third grade of elementary school I was told that "green" stands for a light, delighted, enlightened, or releasing color. Until then I only knew about the "blue" as a vivacious, radiant color. Writing the Kanji characters 青春 せいしゅん for "youth" (blue spring), so "blue" means young. When I hear that the sky is blue then I know that the weather is fair and warm or hot.
Do you like speed and motion?
HY: I like speed. When a car engine runs at a higher pitch of sound it runs faster. Sometimes there are exceptions. When the train engine sounds in a low pitch it's running in slow speed. On my commute I only use local trains (Keihan-Senidome and JR Nara-Line Fujinomori Station). In my junior high school days I rode in my cousin's car, a Toyota Starlet. My cousin likes noisy mufflers so I enjoyed listening to that car. I even have tapes at home with that sound recorded. Sometimes he took speed turns with the hand break on. To protect myself I put on the seat belt. Of course I recorded the sound of speed turning, too. Shinkansen provides a comfortable and safe structure allowing only for little sweeps even at high speed. I substitute the modest sensation of sound and movement in the Shinkansen with talking to my fellow passengers. - What do you think about the Niigata Shinkansen when the earthquake struck in 2005? The older train cars wouldn't derail but the newer cars did... hmm.
Are there other sounds you like to listen to?
HY: Helicopter or airplanes. Because when I left for the US about twelve years ago I was very excited. So when I went recently to Canada I loved hearing the airplane's sound. I like engine sounds and like buses, too. Like sudden breaking is interesting. I love roller coaster. In Vancouver one attraction is going to Playland. There was a place called Hell's Gate and I loved that. It was speedy and went "Uuuhhh!". It had more than sudden speed and acceleration.
Do you like to be in the water?
HY: In my childhood I was afraid of water, but since my elementary school days I love to swim. I think I am good at crawling and chest stroke. I got inspired by swimmer Omurashita-san.
Can you remember any dreams?
HY: Sometimes I see myself being with my favorite woman. Or doing some musical activities or hugging each other (smiling). I can hear people's voices in my dreams. There are lots of voices. Sometimes I am touching cars or guitars, or pianos and performing on these instruments. Oh, I remember one horrible dream when I was eight years old. I was sitting on my own in a moving car... even when I relocated to the back row it was still moving, eventually I woke up... I don't see colors in my dreams.
Do you have Deja Vues?
HY: Not that I can remember.
Hiroshi, annything you want to tell us?
HY: What do you think of the sense of skinship or touching. Like padding shoulders. Seeing people sometimes refuse of being touched. Blind people cannot do gestures clearly, when agreeing or being friends. It depends on person, but sometimes I pad shoulders or shake hands. I was happy, glad to meet you... what do seeing people think about this? I wish musicians would be more flexible and relaxed but I have to do my part as well. After a concert there was a woman who gave me a hug and kissed my lips. Later I heard that she was married... ooho.
Should seeing people ask if it is okay to shake hands or give a hug?
HY: Since recently I am more considerate about the physical distance while talking to people. Sometimes I have the chance to talk to somebody from a different culture and some women told me to stay a bit further away. Maybe because of love to her boyfriend or husband.
What makes you happy?
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Hiroshi Yorishita taking notes on his braille editor |
Masaru Miura [MM] — the guy who hit Hiroshi's white cane...
By pure coincidence we met Masaru Mirua who was the bicycle rider of Hiroshi's trafic (see above). Here is a conversation we had with Masaru, a graphic design student at Zokei University in Kyoto, on June 7, 2006:
Do you move around often in Kyoto?
MM: When I came from Shizuoka to Kyoto last year I didn't have a bicycle. Soon afterwards I bought a bike and started explore various parts of town since I like that kind of thing.
In Shizuoka you didn't use the bike much?
MM: Shizuoka is very rural so when I lived there I rode my bike actually more often than in Kyoto, which has convenient trains and transportation services.
Do you have any experiences with blind individuals?
MM: Last year — I can't exactly recall when, sometime in the beginning of summer — when I happened to be out I had a collision with a blind man. Unfortunately I broke the person's white cane. I blamed myself for breaking it, so I bought an umbrella closeby and handed it over to him. I am playing in a punk rock band. Out of a whim the blind man asked me "you play the guitar, don't you?" He somehow knew that fact despite the fact that he was certainly without any eye sight. That was a very precious experience. What a mysterious incident.
Can you tell us how the crash occurred?
MM: I was just riding on the sidewalk and this man was waiting for the bus. It was dark and I didn't had the light on, so I didn't see and hit him...
You decided instantly to buy an umbrella...
MM: The blind don't know their surroundings without touching its surface and they need to give a signal to the world. Because I damaged his cane he would need something to replace it, I thought. So I bought an umbrella of most similar proportion.
Did you have a conversation during the encounter?
MM: I mentioned before that I play the guitar in a band. Normal strangers certainly have no way of knowing that based on my voice and mere apperance. But he was able to perceive that. "You play the guitar in a band, don't you?" I was thunderstruck by that and asked him how he knew. "From your presence I sensed it" was the answer. Generally blind are said to be 'disabled', but they clearly have their own abilities and other senses are sharpened. We had a real connection going on there.
Did something in your approach change?
MM: I got much more careful. Bacause my home area is very rural I had not much exposure to blind individuals. But in Kyoto you can see the blind and handicapped frequently. In the beginning I wondered what kind of people they are. But after this accident I had my epiphany (realization). When I am passing near a person with impairment — even while in a rush — I slow down and make an effort.
If you had a chance to meet Hiroshi Yorishita again, what would you tell him?
MM: I would apologize once more. Since we talked previously about my guitar playing we could chat about what happened since then in this regard. Apart from the disability issue we could have an ordinary conversation and respect each other.
Did you have any contacts with him since the accident?
MM: At that time we didn't swap our contact info so we were not able to get in touch again. In the beginning I felt insecure (awkward) because I never had contact with such kind of individuals. However, when I was told about my guitar all my fear vanished. It was heartwarming and I was moved. The next day I told my friends about how amazing it was. He left a very good impression on me.
What do you think about creating exchanges between blind and seeing?
MM: There are many different kind of people with impairments... It's definitely not good to build walls, I hate that. If we create exchanges you can only setup a framework for exchange where we can have free and ordinary conversations. Opportunities to become normal friends because we all share the human experience. I would emphasize on the form (the setup, the conditions) where nobody feels themselves as a burden or disabled, but equal in sharing.
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