Amanda WeeJapan will welcome the country’s first of its kind signing store in Tokyo. The Starbucks Tokyo Signing Store will be the fifth in the world, after Washington DC, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Guangzhou. It is designed to operate with sign language as its main form of communication.
Scheduled to open in summer 2020, this branch will work with deaf employees and partners to offer services to customers. The store will be located in the vicinity of school for the deaf in Kunitachi City, an area with a long history with the culture for the hearing impaired.
Starbucks emphasizes creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome. In 2018, Starbucks began the #NoFilter campaign as a way to encourage a society without prejudice, one that transcends differences, and signing stores symbolizes the diversity and inclusivity they embrace.
Deaf culture did not receive much social acceptance in Japan until the 70s when the government and businesses began working on improving the quality of life for the hearing impaired. The Japanese Sign Language, also known as JSL, did not start developing until 1878 and was only accepted by the country in the late 60s.
Fast forward to the twenty-first century; there has been an overall rise in awareness about deaf culture in the country. Japan has widened its efforts to move toward a barrier-free community such as sign language interpretation for selected news programs, the introduction of the Deaflympics, and support from the Japanese Federation of the Deaf.
Other examples include Deaf LGBT Fukuoka, a non-profit organization that addresses the issues faced by both marginalized groups. One can find events and workshops surrounding topics relevant to their community.
Not only do these efforts serve as a pillar of support, but it also raises awareness of the challenges that do not receive adequate attention. These initiatives open up the world to the hearing-impaired.
[Reference] Starbucks Press Release
