Japanese Sign Language – 手話

If you’d like to try something different but keep learning Japanese I strongly recommend shuwa (しゅわ・手話), Japanese sign language.

I’ve found learning Japanese sign language to be a really enjoyable experience, not only because it’s fun to learn something new but learning it from Japanese people who use Japanese Sign Language (JSL) is also a fantastic experience. I find them to be incredibly friendly and outgoing people and you will often find some people wanting to learn foreign languages or about foreign culture. So if you’re living in Japan and want to make some new friends I learn JSL.

It’s actually surprisingly easy to learn sign language, and there are LOTS of videos on youtube to help you. The following are videos are ones I’ve found which give you a good start on the basics of Japanese sign language.

When watching these videos make sure you pay attention to which hands are doing what. You want to make sure your right hand is doing what their right hand is doing etc so that you don’t get your signs mixed up and accidentally say something else.

Something good to know about Japanese sign language is it’s structured the same as a Japanese sentences but without the particles! So 「ベールをのみたいです」”I want to drink beer” in sign language would be 「ベール」「のむ」「ほしい」 (ほしい being “want”, the same as saying “のみたい”).

Deaf Japan TV

This first video is a great one from Deaf Japan TV and shows you basic greetings, numbers, time, dates, some adjectives and other useful words, and even some sentences at the end.

Deaf Japan TV also have a lot of 1min sign videos. These are great because they have the English as well as Japanese and are good for practising basic Japanese phrases. Not only that but they teach you sentences as well as words which builds up your vocabulary. Unfortunately though, they’re not well organised so here’s a list of all the ones they have on their youtube so far (in order they were uploaded so the first few look older):

• まあまあ – So-so
• だいじょうぶ – I’m ok (and other useful phrases)
• さよなら – Goodbye
• ごめんなさい – Sorry
• ありがとう – Thank you
• おわり – Finish
• いつ – When
• どこ – Where
• だれ – Who
• なぜ – Why
• なに – What
• どうやって – How

• なつ – Summer
• たいよう – Sun
• あたたかい – Warm
• あつい – Hot
• き – Tree
  
• ビーチ – Beach
• うみ – Sea
• バーベキュー – BBQ
• ビール – Beer
• キャンプ – Camp
• アイス – Ice Cream
• カキこおり – Shaved Ice
• はなび – Fireworks
• まつり – Festival
• おぼん – Obon (Japanese festival)
• か – Mosquito
• かとりせんこう – Mosquito Repellent (incense not cream)
• ゆかた – Yukata (summer Kimono)
• ふうりん – Wind Chimes
• かいだん – Ghost Stories

• あき – Autumn
   
• さむくなる – Become Cold
• がっこう – School
• ぶんかさい – School Culture Festival
• うんどうかい – Sports Event
   
• こうよう – Autumn Leaves
• いちょう – Ginko Leaves
• くり – Chestnuts
• ハイキング – Hiking
• おちゃ – Japanese Tea
• かぼちゃ – Pumpkin
• なし – Pear
• てんき – Weather

Deaf Japan TV also has a number of JSL and ASL (American Sign Language) videos if you want to learn some American as well.