Kodaira-san presents the book (left).
He tells about Yokoo-san, the first Deaf villiage mayor (right).
July 13, 2012
In 1951, Yokoo Yoshitomo-san of Koguro Village (currently Koguro Town, Yasuzuka Ward) in Niigata Prefecture located in Northeastern Japan became the village mayor.
He was the only one Deaf village mayor in Japan at that time.
He worked hard since he was a boy, returned to the hometown after studying in Tokyo, became a village mayor with the villagers' reliance, and rendered for the village and its people.
Furthermore, he contributed to establish a school for the Deaf.
The life of Yokoo-san was made into the picture-book titled "Sonomama de ii" (Be easy to come out as it is).
The persons concerned with the production of the picture-book visited the Joetsu Municipal Yasuzuka Elementary School and presented the children the book.
Kodaira-san, a Deaf man from Nagano Prefecture, told about Yokoo-san in sign language, and taught the children about sign language.
The children were looking earnestly at the talk in sign language for the first time.