Japan's first deaf bus driver challenges misconceptions
(31 May 2018) LEADIN:
Japan's first deaf bus driver is challenging the stigma associated with disabled people in the workplace.
Takeyama Matsuyama dreamt of becoming a bus driver since he was a child. He now plans to setup a tourist bus service specifically for deaf passengers.
STORYLINE:
All aboard!
Meet 25-year-old Takeyama Matsuyama. According to Nihon (Japan) Bus Association, Japan's first deaf bus driver.
Matsuyama, who has profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears, makes two round trips between Tokyo and Haneda Airport a day.
He wears a hearing aid, which helps him partially hear sounds.
Japanese traffic law had previously prevented deaf people, like Matsuyama, from acquiring a class two driver's license, needed for operating transportation vehicles that carry passengers, like buses or taxis.
But that law was amended in April 2016, giving Matsuyama the legal right to become a bus driver, under the condition of wearing a hearing aid.
That allowed him to finally fulfil his childhood dream.
When I was an elementary school student, I rode on trains or buses often and the drivers looked very cool to me, says Matsuyama.
I had longed for this job that carries passengers.
Since last October, Matsuyama has been driving buses on the streets of Tokyo.
Matsuyama says there's still prejudice against disabled people, but he's working hard to spread understanding.
In Japan, there's still prejudice against disabled people or a certain image that deaf people are unreliable even for work in coffee shops or ramen restaurants, he says.
We have worked hard to spread the understanding of disabled people, step by step.
Matsuyama decided to apply for a class two driver's license while working as a delivery driver.
He maintained a spotless driving record and worked his way up the ranks to persuade his company to hire another ten deaf employees.
Despite having the necessary license to drive a bus, Matsuyama's applications were originally rejected by all seven companies he applied to.
But Tokyo Bus Group then revised their earlier decision and hired him.
Tomohiko Sato, the director of Tokyo Bus Group, says there's a lack of drivers in the bus industry and transportation industry as a whole.
Easing regulations, such as for those with hearing impairments or lowering age limits, could help offset the problem, he says.
There is a lack of drivers, says Sato.
While thinking about this problem, easing regulations like the license's requirements, not only for the those with hearing impairment, but also the requirements for the medium - and large-sized vehicles and lowering the age limit are being discussed as well.
We are happy if people know that we hire people like him and help to expand the work fields for similar disabled people. Actually, some people have already contacted us.
Bus tour conductor Yahiro Ishibashiri helps Matsuyama with verbal communication with passengers and radio communication between colleagues.
She's worked with him four times already and says she hasn't experienced any problems.
There's no difference between him and other drivers except he needs a different communication tool. There is really nothing to worry about, she says.
Some of his Matsuyama's colleagues have started taking sign language classes so they can better communicate with him.
Although there have been some negative opinions from customers, most are positive about having Matsuyama as their driver.
Some taxi drivers talk to you, but some might not, she says.
Find out more about AP Archive:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Google+:
Tumblr:
Instagram:
You can license this story through AP Archive:
294th Knowledge Seekers Workshop September 19, 2019
Welcome to the 294th Knowledge Seekers Workshop for Thursday, September 19, 2019. This weekly on-going public series of Knowledge Seekers Workshops brings us new teachings, universal knowledge and new understandings of true space technology to everyone on Earth direct from the Keshe Foundation Spaceship Institute. Each Thursday, at 9 am Central European Summer Time, we broadcast live, the latest news, developments, and M.T. Keshe teachings on our zoom channel and other public channels. (see below for channel links)
If you wish to discover and learn more, please see our many categories of videos on our Youtube Channel:
Become a student at the world's first Spaceship Institute! For only 100 euros, you get a full calendar year of access to live and recorded private teachings. There are thousands of hours of extended Private Teachings stored in our private portal at the Keshe Foundation Spaceship Institute (KF SSI) that you have access to, and we teach Live classes six days a week in English, plus we also have live classes 7 days a week in 18+ languages. Apply today to become a student at the KF SSI. More information is at our website
A direct link to Student Application Form is
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live Streaming Channels
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other important KF links:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(instructions at the bottom)
(download blueprints)
(become a student of KF SSI Education)
(become a MOZHAN)
(KF SSI Education)
(SpaceShip Institute)
(USA Keshe Foundation)
とらバス
2008年12月23日をもって徳島県板野郡板野町と上板町、阿波市の旧土成町の観光施設を土日祝日を中心に無料で結ぶ「とらバス」が廃止となりました。
とらバス運行最終日に板野町にて。
とらバスは平成13年式の三菱ふそうエアロミディノンステップ9m車です。
【大阪市交通局】中央線20系2631F@九条('14/08)
大阪市交通局中央線20系2631Fを九条で撮影した記録です。
Osaka Subway;Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau
Chuo Line Kujo Station
Osaka City Osaka Pref. Japana
No.9971
【重要記事】長周新聞記事『世界中が禁止するラウンドアップ 余剰分が日本市場で溢れかえる』
【YYNews】【YYNewsLive】を主宰するネットジャー ナリスト＆社会政治運動家。I am a japansese independent journalist on internet media. I am also a political and social activist.
List of railway companies in Japan | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:00:13 1 Japan Railways Group
00:01:20 2 Major sixteen private railways
00:02:43 3 Semi-major six private railways
00:03:29 4 Other private and third sector railways
00:03:53 4.1 Hokkaido Prefecture
00:04:08 4.2 Tōhoku region
00:05:12 4.3 Kantō region
00:07:04 4.4 Chūbu region
00:09:46 4.5 Kansai region
00:10:49 4.6 Chūgoku region
00:11:22 4.7 Shikoku
00:11:54 4.8 Kyushu
00:12:47 5 Subways
00:14:40 6 Monorails
00:15:34 7 New transit systems
00:16:50 8 Trams
00:19:08 9 Funiculars
00:21:47 10 Trolleybuses
00:22:14 11 Freight-only companies
00:23:17 12 Selected discontinued companies
00:24:08 13 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.950210871895063
Voice name: en-US-Wavenet-E
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
List of railway companies in Japan lists Japanese railway operators.
Those in italics are the third-sector operators; being half-public, half-private.
List of defunct railway companies in Japan | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:01:35 1 span
00:08:42 2 Tōhoku region
00:08:51 2.1 span
00:10:07 2.2 span
00:11:37 2.3 span
00:13:38 2.4 span
00:15:12 2.5 span
00:16:02 2.6 span
00:17:05 3 Kantō region
00:17:14 3.1 span
00:18:55 3.2 span
00:20:30 3.3 span
00:22:04 3.4 span
00:23:52 3.5 span
00:24:57 3.6 span
00:25:41 3.7 span
00:26:52 4 Chūbu region
00:27:01 4.1 span
00:28:11 4.2 span
00:28:49 4.3 span
00:30:01 4.4 span
00:30:14 4.5 span
00:30:43 4.6 span
00:30:57 4.7 span
00:33:03 4.8 span
00:35:27 4.9 span
00:35:59 4.10 span
00:37:27 5 Kansai region
00:37:36 5.1 span
00:37:58 5.2 span
00:38:27 5.3 span
00:38:42 5.4 span
00:40:32 5.5 span
00:41:12 6 Chūgoku region
00:41:22 6.1 span
00:42:17 6.2 span
00:42:45 6.3 span
00:44:46 6.4 span
00:45:53 6.5 span
00:47:12 7 Shikoku region
00:47:22 7.1 span
00:47:37 7.2 span
00:48:12 7.3 span
00:48:33 7.4 span
00:48:50 8 Kyūshū region
00:48:59 8.1 span
00:50:57 8.2 span
00:51:57 8.3 span
00:52:18 8.4 span
00:53:38 8.5 span
00:54:48 8.6 span
00:55:34 8.7 span
00:56:02 8.8 span
00:57:42 9 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.7773460968544272
Voice name: en-US-Wavenet-C
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
List of defunct railway companies in Japan lists defunct Japanese railway operators. The list includes all types of railways, such as handcars, horsecars, trams, light railways, heavy rails, freight rails, industrial railways, monorails, new transit systems, or funiculars. Some companies are still active in other businesses, such as bus operation. Translated names might be tentative. Former names include those of preceding operators not directly related to their successors.
The list omits these types of operators:
Type 1: Direct predecessor of surviving railway operator. (e.g. Meguro Kamata Electric Railway, the current Tokyu Corporation.)
Type 2: Operator with lines largely succeeded by surviving railway operator. (e.g. Kaetsunō Railway, whose lines succeeded by Manyōsen.)
Type 3: Operator that was merged by surviving railway operator, Type 1, or Type 2. (e.g. Sanyō Railway, later merged into Japanese National Railways, which was later succeeded by Japan Railways Group Companies.)
Type 4: Planned line that was never built.