One teacher’s lesson in the power of saying, ‘I need help’
Teacher Narumi Hiramatsu poses by a classroom at Shingu Elementary School in Shingu, Fukuoka Prefecture. She says she worked together with students to decorate the classroom windows. | Nishinippon Shimbun
NISHINIPPON SHIMBUN
Nov 2, 2026
At a public elementary school in the town of Shingu, Fukuoka Prefecture, teacher Narumi Hiramatsu draws on her experience of living with hearing loss to teach children the importance of expressing their needs — and learning to help one another.
“It’s important to tell people when you’re struggling. You need to let them know,” Hiramatsu, 32, tells her students at Shingu Elementary School.
Born with hearing loss, she once grew frustrated with people who, she felt, failed to understand her needs. What changed her mindset was advice from a mentor: “You have to speak up for yourself.”
In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.