Samad Sharshybaev, who became blind, shared his experience of studying in the Japanese city of Tsukuba.
He was born on December 10, 1998, in the village of Ak-Bulak, located in the Issyk-Kul region, and attended a local school until the tenth grade. "When I was in the 10th grade, I had chickenpox, after which I unexpectedly lost my sight. After that, I was transferred to a boarding school for visually impaired children on Kulatov Street in Bishkek, where I completed my education in the 10th and 11th grades. In 2017, after finishing the boarding school, I studied massage for two years at the college affiliated with the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy named after Isa Akhunbaev in Bishkek and received a diploma. In my first year of massage studies, I met Shirin, who was studying in Japan. She told me that learning the Japanese language could open up opportunities for studying in Japan. This inspired me, and I started learning Japanese. In 2019, I completed my massage training and simultaneously studied the Japanese language using Braille for two and a half years. In 2020, I arrived in Japan. This became possible thanks to the International Blind Association, which helps blind people from low-income countries enroll in universities in Japan and process the necessary documents," Samad shares.
In January, he arrived in Japan, passed the exams, and enrolled in a college where he is being trained in acupuncture and Japanese shiatsu massage. "After three years of studying at the college affiliated with the (Special School for the Visually Impaired at Tsukuba University) in Tokyo, I successfully passed the state exam in 2024 and received three licenses. Last year, I enrolled in the third year of Tsukuba Technical University, which is an hour and a half from Tokyo, because blind Kyrgyz people cannot work with a Japanese acupuncture license. I enrolled to obtain a diploma, and now I am in my final year," he adds.
How did he manage to overcome the fears associated with traveling abroad in the context of losing his sight? "A writer named Hoskins Rene wrote about me. In the game I played when I could see, with each open card, the ones behind remained dark. At first, when I lived in my village, moving to Bishkek was a huge stress for me. But after adapting to the capital, I faced an even greater fear when I arrived in Japan. However, I believed that people here are kind. My faith was justified. I feel support and kindness, even though many do not know about Kyrgyzstan, they are interested when I tell them about my country. After five years here, I am no longer afraid, as people are always ready to help," Samad shares his feelings.
According to his observations, the Japanese are very polite and cultured. "They care about the mood of those around them. They have shown how to work with the blind by creating special models for training and providing all the necessary conditions. Education here is of a high level. Everywhere, in buses and shops, people stand in line and show respect for each other. The weather in Japan is humid due to its proximity to the ocean. In summer, the temperature reaches 30-35 degrees, and it feels quite hot. In winter, it is warm here. Japan has a strong economy and developed infrastructure. There are special paths for the blind on the sidewalks, and traffic lights are adapted with sound signals, allowing safe street crossings.
In Japan, drivers do not honk. In Kyrgyzstan, it is common to honk constantly, regardless of whether it scares someone or not. Once, I was walking down a narrow street with a cane, and a car was coming behind me. I didn't hear it, and only a passerby advised me, 'A car is coming behind you; if you step aside, it will pass.' The driver was going slowly and did not honk so as not to scare me. My plans for the future are—if everything goes well, I will finish my studies next year, return to Kyrgyzstan, and open my acupuncture clinic. I hope to achieve this, and I also plan to teach acupuncture. I would like to implement the methods I have learned here. In Tokyo, there is a club called 'Achilles,' where the blind gather on weekends to engage in physical activities, and I want to create something similar. I have five siblings; I have two older brothers, one older sister, and one younger sister. Everyone except me has already started their families. My parents live in Issyk-Kul and engage in agriculture. My sister is married and works as a teacher at a school, my older brother lives in Bishkek, my younger brother is with my parents, and my younger sister is also married. I plan to return to Kyrgyzstan in 2026," he concludes.
