Member of the House of Councillors Eriko Imai

Towards a society where people with disabilities can live and interact together, transcending the barriers between people without disabilities

■ Profile

Graduated from Yakumo Gakuen High School. Debuted as a member of SPEED in 8. After SPEED disbanded in 12, she began her solo career. In 16, she gave birth to her first son. In 20, she announced that her son was hearing impaired. She has been active in a wide range of fields, including hosting NHK's "Minna no Tehura" (Sign Language for Everyone), giving lectures and writing. In 28, she ran for the 24th regular election for the House of Councillors in the national proportional representation district as a candidate endorsed by the Liberal Democratic Party, and was elected for the first time.

Imai Eriko, the vocalist of the popular group SPEED, transitioned into politics. She was the first politician in history to use sign language in a representative question session. As the mother of a child with a hearing impairment, she is on the front lines of her work to break down the barriers between people with disabilities and those without, as a representative of people with disabilities and their families. We spoke to Imai about her journey to becoming a politician and her future aspirations.

■ His teenage years as a member of a popular group

I was a member of SPEED from the age of 12, so I wasn't able to lead a typical student life. It was really busy, and looking back, the days flew by so quickly that I hardly remember them. However, it was a fulfilling job because I was able to pursue my dreams of singing and dancing as an extension of my hobbies at the time. Living away from my parents in my mid-teens sometimes made me homesick, but I also got to travel abroad through my activities, so I feel like I was able to have valuable experiences from a young age.

Becoming a politician to make the voices of families with disabilities a reality

I gave birth at the age of 21, and as my child was hearing impaired, I began to learn about disabilities and wondered if there was anything I could do to help parents and children in the same situation. So, alongside my musical activities with SPEED, I began volunteering to sing at special needs schools and orphanages. During this time, I met Akiko Santo, the current President of the House of Councillors, who approached me and inspired me to choose a career in politics.
To be honest, at the time I was approached, I was mainly focused on raising my children and my musical activities, so I wasn't particularly interested in politics. However, looking back now, I feel that my volunteer work was ultimately leading me to become a politician. In my work delivering songs, I met mothers in similar situations and people with disabilities, and heard a variety of opinions directly. However, even when I shared these issues, they were merely the opinions of one artist, and I felt that the only way to create a system that could change the world was to become a politician, so I made up my mind.

■ I want to create a society where many people think about disabilities.

My main focus as a member of the Diet is disability policy. While Japan's disability policy is advanced, there is still a lack of information security, such as access to sign language. For example, because disaster prevention radio broadcasts do not reach the hearing impaired, many hearing-impaired people suffered during the Great East Japan Earthquake. To ensure safe cities, we must incorporate the voices of people with disabilities into policy. Naturally, political activity cannot be achieved alone; creating laws and policies requires the support of many members of the Diet. While it takes time and is difficult, I find it rewarding and fulfilling. It's been almost eight years since the Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities was enacted, and I believe there is a possibility that we may be unconsciously discriminating against people with disabilities due to a lack of understanding. I hope that by using social media and interacting with many people, both in person and through the media, I can begin to think about disabilities.

■ The first time in the history of the Diet that budget questions were asked in sign language

A major step forward was the first time in the 130-year history of the Diet that I used sign language when I asked questions about the budget during a plenary session. Furthermore, starting in 2021, sign language interpreters will be available for some live broadcasts of plenary sessions of the House of Councillors. There are still no sign language interpreters or subtitles available in committees and other settings, so I want to improve this situation and create a world where information is equally accessible to everyone.
During my time as Minister of Finance in the Cabinet Office, I worked on gender equality. Through exchanging opinions with a wide range of people, I became aware of the current difficult situation regarding women's career development. However, I believe that it is important to create a society where individuals have diverse options to live and shine as they are, regardless of gender, disability, or age, rather than just under the guise of a society where women can play an active role.

■ Creating a place to learn together to eliminate unconscious discrimination

Changes in education are also important in reducing the tendency to unconsciously discriminate against people with disabilities. I would like to break down the barriers between people without disabilities and those with disabilities by providing opportunities for learning and fun interactions for all, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, from an early age. For example, some people say they would like to receive an education at a school in their local area, rather than just at a special needs school. Currently, there is no support system in place that satisfies everyone. I would like to build an education system that can respond flexibly. Furthermore, in order for people with disabilities and their families to live with peace of mind, I believe it is important to create an environment that not only allows them to be employed but also allows them to take on challenges such as starting their own businesses. I would like to continue working to remove the barriers that society creates around disabilities.
One of the efforts to remove barriers for people with disabilities is the campaign to host the Deaflympics. There are two objectives to this campaign. The first is to remove the barriers between able-bodied people and people with disabilities through sports. The second is to provide an opportunity for people with disabilities and their families to discover the joy of physical activity through sports.

■ I want more opportunities to see and experience things for myself.

I want you to take on many challenges and take one step forward without fear. As we become adults, we tend to limit ourselves in many ways, so I want you to make the most of your time as a university student and try many different things. You may hit a wall, but you should see it as an opportunity to grow as a person. I think this is an important mindset to have when tackling things. Also, because we live in an information society, we can gather a lot of information, so our knowledge increases even without experience, but I also want you to go to the site, see with your own eyes, hear with your own ears, and feel with your heart - and have lots of "experiences."
Also, if you know someone with a disability, please try to communicate with them. It's important to honestly ask questions like, "Is there anything you're struggling with?" and "How would you like us to help?" Rather than leaving things unclear, open your mind and try to understand even a little, and unconscious discrimination against people with disabilities may decrease.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on March 17, 2021 by Yuina Oguma, a third-year student at Yokohama City University