When I first started studying Japanese, one of the first phrases we learned was sumimasen (すみません). As a sort of catch-all saying that can mean “I’m sorry”, “excuse me”, and “thank you” depending on the context, my teacher would often tell us that this was the most important phrase for you to know while you are in Japan. Sumimasen, they said, can not only diffuse a bad situation, but also start a conversation off on the right foot. Manners and common courtesy go far in any language, but I couldn’t deny the frequency this phrase hit my ears as I made my way through the crowded streets of Tokyo.
But even words meant with the best of intentions can have different and unintended interpretations. This was what singer-songwriter Sodska Lena (曽塚レナ) showed this week with a tweet describing her experience navigating through a busy train station in her wheelchair.
Just a small thing, but I noticed whenever someone pushes me in my wheelchair, they’ll bow their head and say, “sorry, excuse me” to everyone we pass by. It makes me feel down, like I’m luggage or a nuisance to be apologized for. Train station attendants do it, too. Somehow the words “apologies for the trouble” always cut deep.
The tweet has since accrued over 14 thousand likes and 6 thousand retweets, and inspired feature write-ups on NHK and Buzzfeed Japan. Sodska’s experience was met with a wave of discussion, both from fellow users of wheelchairs, crutches, and strollers, as well as from those looking to expand the conversation on their role as supporters.
That’s so true!! It feels like we’re a bother just for riding the train. I often make friends with the attendants helping me, who will say “Coming through~!” for me. I say “Thank you!” with a big smile as we pass by. If I’m going to stand out, I might as well be confident and do it with a big smile like a model or something lol.
I use crutches to get around, but I say “Thank you” as I pass by. I feel like it gets across my appreciation more than “excuse me” does without putting either of us out.
気持ちはすごくわかるけど、円滑に目的地にたどり着くためには必要だから悩みますね
I completely understand how you feel, but we have to struggle through it so we can get where we need to go without problems. It’s rough. (Mother with baby stroller)
I’m on the pushing side of the wheelchair, but I always say something like “Excuse me, passing from behind”. Even when it’s just me walking, I’ll say “excuse me” when I pass people. I don’t think saying “sorry” is necessary per say, but showing some common courtesy is important regardless of whether you’re able-bodied or not. The train attendant’s “Apologies for the trouble” comment wasn’t necessary, though.
But this attention also brought what Sodska describes as a mob of of criticism and inflammatory comments, including those that pegged her as entitled or ungrateful (shougaisha-sama, 障害者様). Some internet trolls blatantly admonished her as a disabled person.
邪魔なのは事実だろ
健常者の善意で存在を認めてもらってるだけなんだから— ねむい (@yaki_omusubi014) July 10, 2019
The truth is you are a burden. You exist only because healthy people allow you to.
Despite all this, Sodska remained collected and steadfast in sharing her experience, hoping that it might allow others to openly communicate about matters of disability in Japan.
People can say whatever they want about me, but to say that wheelchair users and disabled people in general are a nuisance and better off gone, or that they are ungrateful for the lives healthy people so graciously have given them shows that we have a larger cultural problem. What happened, Japan?
A Larger Cultural Problem
Sodska is not the first person to recognize the sociocultural difficulties facing those with disabilities in Japan. Otsuka Kunpei (大塚訓平), president of the nonprofit Accessible Lab, argues that Japanese people in general still don’t know how to be act around people with disabilities.
海外に出かけると、周りにいる人が車いすに素早く気づいてくれて車いすをよけてくれ、さらに移動を自然に手伝ってくれるので『ありがとう』の言葉だけで目的地に着くことができる。その一方で、日本では誰にも気づいてもらえず、よけてもくれないので『すいません』を言い続けてやっと目的地に到着します。
理解が進んでおらず、自宅から出かけにくいと感じる今の現状は残念ですが、それを嘆くだけでは環境は変わりません。車いすへの理解を深め対応に慣れてもらうためにも、車いす利用者はめげずにどんどん外出して『ごめんなさい』を何度も言わなくとも出かけやすい社会をみんなで目指していきましょう。
When you’re abroad, people quickly notice your wheelchair and step out of the way, making it easier for you to move around. They naturally step aside to help you, and you can get where you need to go just by saying “thank you”. In Japan, on the other hand, no one notices you or moves out of the way, so you’re forced to say “sorry” over and over until you finally make it to your destination.
Without society’s understanding, many of these people find it difficult to even leave their own home. It’s unfortunate, but lamenting won’t change the situation. To make people better understand, those who use wheelchairs need to be able to go out without feeling discouraged, as we strive for a society where they don’t feel they need to constantly apologize. (Otsuka Kunpei)
Others, like Sato Toshiaki (佐藤利章) of the Silent Foot Wheelchair Association, are looking for alternative ways to account for both the safety and the feelings of those commuting using a wheelchair.
まず大切なこととして、車いすが人にぶつかって転倒してしまうことが、１番おそろしいということを分かってほしい….ぶつかってしまう危険性を思えば、必要な声がけだった….声がけを『すいません』『ごめんなさい』ではなく、『ご協力ありがとうございます』にしていただくと、車いす利用者の心の負担がすこし減るのかもしれません。また、車いす利用者も車いすを利用していることに負い目を感じすぎることなく『何も悪いことをしているわけではないのだ』と、自信をもって強くあってほしいなと思います。
First and foremost, I want people to understand that nothing is worse than a wheelchair colliding with someone and tipping over…. If there’s a risk of colliding with someone, then it’s necessary to call out to them…. Though rather than saying “excuse me” or “sorry”, if we said something more like “thank you for your cooperation”, we could better account for the feelings of those using a wheelchair. Moreover, we can assure these people that shouldn’t have to feel indebted to anyone, or that they’re doing anything wrong by using a wheelchair. I want these people be able to feel confident in themselves. (Sato Toshiaki)
Railroad companies, too, are looking for ways for their staff to better accommodate those with disabilities. Odakyu Electric Railway Co. has attendants undergo training seminars to better understand the point of view of those in wheelchairs, while explicitly recruiting staff that have experience in public care service. (NHK)
But the problems are not just sociological. Japan also has several infrastructural hurdles when it comes to making the country truly barrier-free for disabled people. Though the government says they are pushing for more accessible public transportation ahead of the 2020 Olympics, many still find themselves unable to enter the older and more narrow buildings that constitute Japan’s more traditional architecture. Recent disputes over the installment of elevators at the historical landmarks of Osaka and Nagoya castles come readily to mind.
While Japan certainly has a ways to go in how it treats its disabled population, people like Sodska are actively getting the proper conversations started. Internalized language and word choice are just one facet of this conversation. In Sodska’s words, open communication will be key in making Japan a place where disabled people can live unapologetically.
