Day 9. July 18, 2012

Were back in Tokyo when a whirlwind trip through half of Japan

. It has certainly been an incredible ride thus way. Today I really get to rest a bit, or on behalf of me it extremely suggests that I get to write and catch up a little. I truly slept in all the manner until seven:30 AM. I got a smart seven hours of sleep, something I think I very needed. Even thus, I haven't had the chance to try to to abundant catching up on e-mail a lot of less simply sit and meditate for a bit. A day of slowing down is always smart for the soul.

It's Thursday here in Japan, Wednesday in California. I checked in with Karen and located that everything is okay at home. I known as Celia black, my publicist, to test in. I haven't done this since I came to Japan. Really, I'm obtaining things out of order as I spoke with Celia later in the day, however I'll place it in now.

The solely planned activity was the speech at Yurakuchyo Yomiuri Hall. Mr. Sampa, the director of life investment coming up with and former president of Sony Life Insurance, had come to the Daichi Hotel at noon to meet us and escort us to the venue. We tend to got wind of the hall regarding 12:thirty PM. We have a tendency to traveled through a bustling lobby, happened an elevator and went up to the ground where the meeting Hall was located, and exited to a loud din of individuals shouting and hawking their wares. It sounded sort of a trading floor on Wall Street, however it wasn't very. Some people were selling food to the individuals and workers. Others were selling some things to assist raise money for the earthquake victims of March eleven, 2011. Mr. Sampa had arranged for these people to sell items and raise funds on behalf of Sony Life Insurance.

After passing all the noise we have a tendency to went into a small area where we had a bite of lunch. While talking with Mr. Sampa I raced a matter that had been puzzling me for several days. I had learned that blind individuals may not purchase life insurance in Japan and that all insurance for them was provided by the govt. Knowing could give me a extremely good solid reason for this. I thought that Mr. Sampa might be in a position to shed some light on this topic. After I broached the topic, he explained that the fundamental reason why folks could not obtain life insurance was that blind people were not allowed to sign legal contracts in Japan. I was incredulous and asked him why. He said that the sensation of the govt. and of the Japanese people came right down to the fact that since blind individuals might not browse contracts they may not probably apprehend what they were signing. They might not understand, as an example, if somebody was reading the contract to them properly. He said that the choice was created to "protect" blind individuals by not permitting them to sign contracts. He any explained that the govt. provided life insurance for blind individuals.

I said that such a call puzzled me. I asked him if it was his feeling that sighted folks had ever been cheated once they signed a contract? He paused for some moments and then finally admitted that sighted people are cheated. I then asked why sighted folks were allowed to sign contracts since clearly they'd been cheated. He thought for some moments and then said that he didn't really have a good rationalization aside from what he had told me. I explained that after all there have been a range of ways that blind individuals may use to read contracts together with getting the documents electronically, taking note of them, printing them, and then signing the print copy. I said that actually it should be the blind persons selection if they decided to have someone read the contract as a result of the blind person may then opt for who they trusted. I indicated that there ought to be no special requirement for a witness for a blind person unless such a witness was required for anyone who signed a specific contract. I suppose Mr. Sampa left our discussion moved and thinking about the issue. At least I hope therefore.

My speech this afternoon is to be given to three hundred staff and guests of Sony Life Insurance. The employees are all life planners, investment counselors, and insurance salespeople. Management staff was conjointly invited, and this happens usually in Japan and that they came since an "invite" is extremely just about of a mandate.

I was asked as usual to speak concerning my life, my philosophy, and 9/11. Additionally, I was asked to talk about the upcoming kids's book in addition as the signing of the "Thunder Dog" movie contract. I have been in Japan long enough to have a truthful understanding of a number of the blindness issues. I set it had been time to contrast and compare Japan with America when it involves blind folks. I thought it was necessary to speak about the nice and therefore the dangerous on each sides. I particularly wished to speak about the problem of signing contracts in addition to blind blocks.

Once I was introduced I explained briefly who I was and introduced a video. This time instead of the KGO video I chose to use the Michael Hingson intro video. I chose this video as a result of I wished individuals to see that I speak in a big variety of situations. I hope that there may be a chance in the longer term to work with Sony Life Insurance once more or that some of the people there might have alternative contacts they would seek advice from me. Once the video we have a tendency to got right to it. I started talking concerning my life. I 1st told the audience how my folks had been inspired to "place me away" when it had been discovered that I was blind. I explained that my parents bucked the system and therefore the prevailing attitudes of the day by refusing to send me away and set to bring me up like all alternative kid as well as my brother who was two years older than I. I explained that although my parents did not grasp about the National Federation of the Blind they had independently adopted the identical basic philosophy that was that blind people might do no matter they chose to do and that, (my words now), the $64000 disability of blindness is not the shortage of eyesight rather the poor attitudes and misconceptions that people have concerning blindness and blind people.

I talked a bit concerning the history of blind people in America and concerning a number of the work of the national Federation of the blind that is led to some real legal changes. I told how blind folks used to not be able to get life insurance, but as a result of of the efforts of the national Federation of the blind it is currently against the law for blind or different persons with disabilities to be denied life insurance well not afforded to other persons. In alternative words, disability could not in of itself be used as a factor in determining the worth or amount of life insurance provided to someone with a disability unless it could be scientifically proven that the incapacity in question caused by it self a modification within the life expectancy for that person. My purpose in telling the story was to speak about how blind people brought about this variation which along the manner they invited different disability teams to affix in the fight. I knew that, as usual, there have been a number of blind folks within the audience. I want to start getting blind folks to think about taking a lot of control over their own lives. No matter what the culture amendment has to start out somewhere.

I talked concerning the difficulty of blind persons in Japan not being able to sign legal contracts. I explained that in America blind individuals could sign contracts although typically folks tried to place roadblocks in our manner. I explained that there was no law that said that blind people may not sign contracts.

I additionally mentioned the subject of "blind blocks". I talked concerning the differences in the cultures in the US and Japan regarding blind blocks. I did my best to demonstrate how blind blocks were very a pathway to the past and the way they did not actually promote independence. Once more, I am hoping to just plant seeds.

I talked regarding my work and how I travel throughout the world independently, but I did explain that I was perfectly willing to ask for facilitate once I required it. I conjointly explained that we tend to all want facilitate sometimes. I cited to them Gandhi's quote that goes like this: "interdependence is and ought to be as abundant the perfect of man as is self-sufficiency". I had been told that the Japanese people weren't quite as team oriented as they used to be. I was encouraged to talk regarding teamwork and interdependence as the subject appeared to resonate with audiences.

After speaking for 45 or fifty min. I opened the ground to questions. As usual, Yoshie was translating away and doing a nice job. She could be a gem.

I got several queries concerning the capabilities of blind people. Many of the queries came from blind audience members. One of the executives from Sony asked me to help them perceive why it didn't appear like I was afraid as I descended the steps on nine/eleven. I explained that I was is afraid as anyone else, however I also had employment to try to to. I told him my job was to support Roselle and encourage her. I explained that Roselle and that i worked as a team and as a result of of our very close bond and interdependent relationship Roselle gave me one thing on that to concentrate thus that I didn't have to think about my fears as abundant. I told the story from "Thunder Dog" regarding my real concern of being stuck on the steps with thousands of light dependent functionally blind people if we have a tendency to lost our power and lighting. I explained how I told individuals that if we have a tendency to lost the facility and lights that they ought to not worry as a result of Roselle and i were here and we have a tendency to were offering a half-worth special to urge them out that day. I explained that I was deliberate in using humor, but that I also was serious.

We have a tendency to wrapped up the session at about 3:forty five PM. We then went back to the hotel where I was to satisfy with some members of the press for some private interviews. The first interview was with a gentleman from a pet magazine. He needed to talk concerning Roselle and her behavior on 9/eleven. He wished to induce his readers a real read into the numerous aspects of the human-guide dog relationship. We talked a lot about guide dogs and how they seem to differ from a "traditional pet". I explained that personally a lot of pet homeowners should learn from guide dog users and give a lot of rules for their pets annotates to pay a lot of time actually bonding with their animal friends.

The second interview was with a Tokyo newspaper which is resembling the Herald Tribune. The queries were a bit more general, however this gentleman had listened to my interview with the pet magazine reporter, and so he additionally asked some questions regarding the human animal bond. The interviews wrapped up at about vi PM. The second reporter wished to spend your time talking with Yoshie learning concerning her expertise of translating "Thunder Dog". I left Yoshie and went up to my space to feed Africa. The set up was that Mr. Shirai, Mr.Ujita, and Mr. Cho were going to visit the most important Japan tech center, Akihabara. You may obtain anything technical at this center, and you'll buy it at a affordable price. The best means to explain Akihabara is to image it as a significant looking mall merely for electronics stuff. Best Buy beware.

I had some concerns concerning not taking Yoshie along as she spoke better English than all the fellows. They were supposed to administer me a good go searching and let me look for things and possibly buy something. However, once we got there, we have a tendency to went into one camera store, I have to be compelled to touch one good phone, (one thing I had no curious about buying), and then all of them decided that they wished to go to dinner. We have a tendency to visited a restaurant known as En. This restaurant conjointly includes a facility in New York City. The food was great. I let them do all the ordering. We tend to had tons of fish, some pork, and the same old rice and Misu Soup. I should explained that the reason Yoshie wasn't with us was that once I returned downstairs once feeding Africa Mr. Ujita told me that Yoshie was tired and needed to rest. It turned out that Mr. Shirai additionally didn't return with us. This all appeared simply a touch strange to me, however I went together with everything. Once all, I'm simply a singer in the band.

Anyway, once we arrived to the hotel and that i walked Africa, I came to my room and commenced to put in writing this entry. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. I opened the door to seek out a very angry Yoshie who asked where I had gone and why I was gone for therefore long. The original arrange had been that the fellows were going to take me to Akihabara and return among an hour. I told Yoshi that I never thought that we tend to could do it in an hour. Yoshie explained that she had never been told that the arrange was to require me to dinner therefore she had been waiting in the lobby for nearly two hours. Ruko, (or Mrs. Wi-Fi as Yoshie now calls her since this nice lady gave me her Wi-Fi access box), showed up so Yoshie had some company. Nevertheless, Yoshie had no idea what was happening. I had conjointly not expected to be taken to dinner. I explained all this to Yoshi and he or she was a small amount a lot of calm. Yoshie and that i chatted a touch concerning the vagaries of Japanese men and then we decided to decision it a night. Since we had a 10 o'clock speech in the morning we set to induce along at 7:thirty AM for breakfast.

The weather continued to be hot and humid in Tokyo just prefer it had been after I arrived and just as it had been throughout my trip in Japan thus way. I'm going to possess tons of cleaning and laundry to try to to once I get home. The dry cleaners are visiting be proud of me. Oh well, that's for another day. By regarding ten:thirty PM I was in bed. We tend to'll see what tomorrow brings.

by: Harley l Porter

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