An Enduring Connection: A Fulbright Experience in Japan
Kenny Fries, an author and faculty member of the Master’s in Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program at Goddard College in Vermont, is a lifelong traveler. As an undergraduate student at Brandeis University, he studied abroad in England, and later traveled to Thailand and the Galapagos Islands to conduct research for his 2007 book, The History of My Shoes and the Evolution of Darwin’s Theory.
It was a grant from the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts to pursue research in Japan, however, that ignited an unexpected and enduring connection with the people and culture of Japan. As a Creative Arts Fellow, Fries wrote “In the Gardens of Japan,” a sequence of poems, and collaborated with Japanese composers and singer, Kimula Mika, in setting the poems for traditional Japanese instruments and voice. “It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Fries. “I had such a wonderful time and had only scratched the surface. I was looking for an opportunity to go back.”
In 2005, Fries received a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Scholar grant to return to Japan to conduct research for Genkan: Entries Into Japan, a book of creative nonfiction in which Fries explores how the United States and Japan view the body and physical difference through his experience as a foreigner with a disability in Japan.
Fries, who uses a cane and orthopedic shoes for mobility, describes the Fulbright program staff as “absolutely amazing” with regard to providing disability-related accommodations. In order to navigate less accessible rail and subway stations upon arrival in Japan as well as assistance needed during international flights, Fries inquired about funding to cover the expenses of a travel companion en route to and from Japan. Although Fries was willing to cover these expenses himself, he was delighted that the Fulbright program offered to cover the expenses of a travel companion as a reasonable accommodation. Once settled in Japan, Fries experienced little difficulty navigating public transportation and infrastructure. “As soon as it was apparent that I needed help, there would be five people there offering to help.”
He was also able to arrange housing with an accessible entrance, an elevator and other accessibility features through contacts he had made during his first trip to Japan.
During his Fulbright experience, Fries traveled throughout Japan, and was struck by the apparent shift in disability culture and awareness between his first and second trips to the country. Most notably, Fries said, visibility of people with disabilities increased between 2002 and 2006, especially outside of Tokyo. Although Japan does not have a law equivalent to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there is significant momentum on the part of the disability rights movement in Japan to expand educational and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Fries’ Fulbright research included several meetings on disability issues with Japanese scholars and with colleagues at the Japan Society for the Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities.
“After giving talks in Japan, I was often asked, ‘What is it like to be disabled in Japan?’ and I could never answer that question. Since I’m not Japanese, you would have to ask a Japanese person with a disability that question to get a sense of how disability is perceived in the family and in society as a whole. In contrast, I felt that I was treated as a foreigner first, and as a disabled person second. It was not a big deal that I had a disability. Japanese people were far more concerned that they wouldn’t be able to assist me due to the language barrier, not my disability.”
As a Fulbright Scholar, Fries crisscrossed the geographic and cultural landscape of Japan to explore theater, poetry, music and perceptions of disability and otherness. Still, Fries said, “My most memorable experience was meeting with Hanada Shuncho, a scholar and writer with cerebral palsy whose article on images of disability in Japanese culture I used. My over three-hour meeting with Hanada-sensei not only provided a basis for my research, but was an extremely moving personal exchange. The communication between us, across cultures, across languages, generations, and different physical disabilities will always remain with me as an example of an important cultural dialogue.”
“Additionally, one of the most important relationships during my Fulbright experience was with my faculty advisor, Professor Ryosuke Matsui in the Social Welfare Department at Hosei University. Professor Matsui introduced me to numerous colleagues. We also developed an extremely important personal relationship, as he introduced me to his family, as well.”
Fries continues to collaborate with Japanese composers and singers to record the series of poems. “Now every time I go back, I feel like I’m going home.”
Stephanie Gray is a consultant with Mobility International USA.
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program provides grants for U.S. faculty and professionals to lecture and/or conduct research in a broad range of subject fields and disciplines in more than 125 countries worldwide.
