Furukawa Tashiro

Background

Furukawa Tashiro was born in Kyoto in 1895.

Career

When Furukawa Tashiro was a teacher at the Taikenmon Elementary School, he took care of two deaf-mute children. Thereafter he devoted himself to the education of thus handicapped children. Established the Kyoto School for the Blind and Deaf (1878). Later was appointed director of the Osaka Institute for the Blind and Deaf. Developed new methods and implements for education of the handicapped children. After his death, the Education Ministry published a book, “Furukawa’s Method of Education of the Blind and Deaf.”

Achievements

• He was a pioneer of education for visual and hearing impaired people in modern Japan, having founded the Kyoto Moain (later Kyoto Prefectural School for the Blind and Kyoto Prefectural School for the Deaf) in 1879, and developed the originator of the Japanese Sign Language.