“Crying to Japan as seen from the cabin” Deaf Sakhalin visits Japan

I want to see the scenery of Japan that I believe in my homeland with my eyes. The long-standing dream of Hiranuma Nikolai (75), a hearing-impaired person living in Sakhalin, Russia, was realized on the 18th. Hiranuma, who arrived at Narita Airport, embraced the long-awaited supporters.

Hiranuma and his wife Emma (64) showed up at the arrival lobby around 3pm. After seeing the surroundings deeply and exchanging hugs with supporters, he explained, “I cried when I could see Japan through the cabin window.”

About 380,000 Japanese lived at a time in the southern part of Sakhalin, which was Japanese territory before the end of the war. For Japanese people who were detained for some reason after the war, they returned home temporarily or returned home permanently from around 1990 with the support of private organizations, but such information did not reach Mr. Hiranuma. . The first time I met a Japanese was last year's exchange between hearing impaired people.

Hiranuma and others will visit the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Nara during their stay in Japan until the 29th, and interact with deaf people from Sakhalin. Hiromi Saito, an NPO that supports Japanese residents in Sakhalin and returnees permanently, Japan Sakhalin Association said, “Because they were deaf, we were able to establish a connection. Let ’s say. (Yumi Kumai)