Tenji [点字] is the Japanese word for referring to Braille, the alphabet used by visually impaired people that uses raised dots of 6 points to represent letters and allow people to read.
The Japanese word Tenji [点字] is literally the combination of the ideograms for point and letter, so it is literally an alphabet of points.
We recommend reading:
- Nihon Shuwa – The Japanese Sign Language
- Telephone Numbers of Japan
- Hiragana and Katakana in disuse ゐ ゑ 𛀁 ヰ ヱ
Table of Contents
The use of Braille in Japan
In Japan, Braille is widely used as an accessibility tool for visually impaired people, allowing them to read and write independently.
It is common to find signs and labels with information in Braille in public areas, such as restrooms and elevators, making these spaces accessible to everyone.
Additionally, there are specific Braille printers and displays for personal use, allowing visually impaired people to access information and communicate efficiently.
Japan also has a copyright law that allows the reproduction of published works in Braille, even during the copyright protection period. This is amazing, as it allows everyone to access information and communicate independently and inclusively, without relying on authors to create content.
Furthermore, on the streets of Japan, sounds are emitted at traffic signals so that blind people can identify whether the signal is open or closed. The ground is filled with yellow strips.
Shampoo containers, paper packaging, prepaid card records, forms, and many other objects in Japan are created with visually impaired people in mind.
Yellow blocks on the streets of Japan
Have you seen those yellow blocks on the sidewalks and train stations in Japan? These blocks are used by blind people to navigate their paths safely.
The first Braille block was installed in Japan, invented by Seiichi Miyake in 1965 and developed on March 18, 1967, at the current intersection of Route 250 Haraojima Route in Naka-ku, Okayama.
There are two types of Braille blocks, one block aligned with straight lines (linear block) that indicates the direction of travel and a warning block in dot form (dot block) that indicates the location of dangerous places and guided facilities.
Braille in the Japanese Language
Braille writing in the Japanese language follows the structure of 6 points like most countries. The points are numbered from 1 to 6, with the three points on the left numbered from 1 to 3 and the three points on the right numbered from 4 to 6.
The present points are represented by “●” and the absent points by “○”. It is important to note that this is the reading form and that when writing with the help of devices like the Braille typewriter, the order of the points is reversed due to the technique of pressing the points on the back of the paper.
The Japanese language is traditionally composed of 3 alphabets: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. In Braille, this is simplified; hiragana and katakana are the same, and there is no Kanji.
Basically, Braille in Japanese is what many foreigners and Japanese dream of, having an alphabet composed only of syllabic letters without ideograms, but we know that ideograms are important for understanding grammar and words with similar pronunciations.
We recommend reading: Why do Japanese people use Ideograms (Kanji) in their language?
How do Dakuten and contracted sounds work in Braille?
Unlike traditional Japanese, when a letter needs to have dakuten or handakuten (バパ), a structure with a dot at number 5 for dakuten and at 6 for handakuten is used before the Japanese letter.
We recommend reading: Dakuten and handakuten – Quotation Marks in Japanese
The same happens with the contracted sound (きゃ), which is marked at point number 4. The difference lies in the letter, which usually represents the sound of the small kana, for example: [きゅ] uses [く] and きゃ uses [か].
The dakuten can be combined with the contracted sound, so in the previous case we can mark points 4 and 5 followed by [か] to represent [ぎゃ]. I don’t know if you understood, but to make it easier, let’s leave the images below:
Communication of Braille using fingers
The communication system known as “manual punctuation system” or “finger punctuation system” is a method used by blind and deaf people to communicate.
It uses six fingers (thumb, index, middle, ring, little) to represent the six points of the Braille system. This system was created by Reiko Fukushima in 1981 and was presented in English at the 4th World Helen Keller Conference held in Stockholm in 1989.
The manual punctuation system follows the rules of Braille but has been adapted for use in conversations. For example, it does not use spaces between words, does not use punctuation marks like commas and periods, uses phonetic punctuation, starts with the name of the person communicating, and uses abbreviations for common words.
The manual punctuation system is faster and more accurate than other forms of communication, such as handwritten writing or the manual communication system, and can also be easily learned by those who already know Braille.
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