Japanese Sign Language is a distinct sign language with unique vocabulary and grammar that is totally unrelated to ASL although it has some relation to Korean Sign Language and Taiwanese Sign Language.
JSL is not standardized at all. There are minor variations of signs and grammar from region to region and island to island. Similarly to the Pidgin Signed English and Signed English languages in the US, there are Pidgin Japanese and Manually Signed Japanese languages in Japan. JSL, like ASL, is preferred by the deaf. In the same way as ASL, JSL utilizes the mouthing of words to supplement the signs. Incredibly, over 95% of the Deaf understand Japanese Sign Language and 80% understand finger spelling.
Only a minority of schools have sign language and
most of time they use the Manual Sign Language over the preferred
JSL. Recent changes in the Ministry of Education's policy is
beginning to encourage more sign language use in the future.
Fingerspelling was only introduced this century and is not used much. Instead, for place names and personal names, many deaf write the corresponding "Kanji" in the air. "Kanji" signs are a standardized set of signs that spell out personal or place names.
JSL is becoming more popular with hearing people in Japan. There is a weekly television show that teaches JSL, and some news casts are open-captioned. There are plans for a new satellite TV station that will be dedicated to the deaf and hearing impaired. Pidgin Signed Japanese is often used for TV, lectures, and speeches.
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