Club (3)

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Chapter 4 Selective mutism and my junior high school years

Club (3)

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As I mentioned earlier, I belonged to Igo and Shogi club. Igo is a strategic board game. Shogi is Japanese chess. But no club members played Igo. All members liked Shogi.

[Senpai, Kohai]

Senpai Kohai relationship is one of the most important element in club in Japan. Senpai is Kohai's upperclass student(s). Kohai is Senpai's underclass student(s). Kohai have to respect Senpai.

But some Kohai of mine didn't pay due repect to me.A Kohai of mine usually called me Tomishigekun. Kun is a Japanese title used towards one's juniors and contemporaries. Another Kohai sometimes insulted me and said, "I don't like Tomishigekun."

Indeed, in our club, members didn't traditionally stick to Senpai Kohai relationship very much. But even so, they were rudeness.

I guess that's because I was looked down on by them due to my mutism.

[Shogi Championships]

We took part in a team competition of Shogi Championships for junior high school in summer vacation. First, we challenged the local competition. But only two schools (including my school) participated in it. We won and advanced to the national competition. But we were beaten by natinal-class players.

When summer vacation ended and new school term began again, our club received a commendation from principal at all-school assembly. For some reason, I received the commendation as a representative of our club. My classmates and homeroom teacher were surprised to see that. "Tomishige took part in the national competition of Shogi!"

I was overestimated. We defeated only one team and advanced to the national competition. But I couldn't explain that. I had selective mutism. I was misunderstood.

(To be continued)

Index of SM story

Poem book of former SM sufferer (Japan)

I found a Japanese poem book by former SM sufferer, Hana ni nosete ISBN 978-4286035819.

The author was Yui Natsukawa. According to her book, she was born in 1985. When she was the fifth grade, she was diagnosed as selective mutism. When she was the ninth grade, she refused to go to school due to emotional distress and became Hikikomori. She suffered from auditory hallucination, and When she was 17, she was hospitalized. But she overcame mental illnesses at 19.

One day, she contributed her poems to a poem contest and received an honorable mention. Publishers asked her to publish her poems. That changed her life. She has published two poem books.

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Although I only read her poems using Amazon's "search inside," I'll give my impression of her poem book Hana ni nosete.

Many of her poems seem to be written to provide encouragement to readers. I guess she and the publisher target those who are troubled about something, especially mental health problems.

I feel that her encouragement poems have persuasive power. That's because she also suffered many mental illnesses but overcome them.

Although the author is a former SM sufferer, this book is not well-known among Japanese former or current SM sufferers and their parents. So, I added this book to my website about selective mutism to show them.

http://smjournal.com/books1.html

Index of SM in Japan

Shugaku ryoko - School trip in Japan

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Chapter 4 Selective mutism and my junior high school years

Shugaku ryoko - School trip in Japan

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Shugaku ryoko is one of the biggest school event in Japan. Shugaku ryoko, literally means "trip for learning", is school trip that aims to broaden students' horizons and to let students learn cooperation.

Shugaku ryoko was one of the most popular school event among students. Students are released from schoolwork and can enjoy trip with their friends. But for me, it was depressing event. I had no friends. I couldn't cooperate with students. I had selective mutism. Rather than Shugaku ryko, I liked schoolwork.

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Soon after I moved up to the ninth grade, my junior high school planned Shugaku ryoko for ninth grade students.

As part of preparation for trip, we students made Hans. Han is a group that belonged to classes. We had to travel in units of class and Han.
Almost all students had friends, and they grouped together and then made Hans. But I had no friends. When I was about to be left alone, two male classmates invited me to join their group. Han had to be composed of 3 male and 3 female students. But only 2 male students joined their group. So, they invited me. I joined their group.

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Our Shugaku ryoko was a trip of three days and two nights. Our destination was Kansai region, including Osaka and Kyoto.

I enjoyed school trip with no serious problems.

But I suffered from trouble when we reached the final destination Expoland, an amusement park in Osaka. Teachers accompanied by we students permitted to play freely in the park. So, almost all students began to play with their friends. But I couldn't. I had no friends. What I could do was wandering around rides and attractions alone and wait waiting for time to pass.

(To be continued)

Index of SM story