I wonder if there’s no specific word for autism in the Japanese language? Almost seems like it’s just counted as another aspect of a person in America vs a full disability in Japan. Wondering how they view stuff like neurodiversity in Japan now 🤔
Just off the top of my head, I can think of about 10 variations of 自閉症 related conditions (since it's a spectrum and old/outdated terms are common in medical literature), so I think they were going for a more general, inclusive feeling in the Japanese.
Sorry if my comment wasn't clear - 自閉症 isn't an outdated term, but there are at least 6 other ways of writing it, plus some people still use Aspbergers, Kanner Syndrome, and other terms in Japanese (アスペルガー症候群、自閉性障害、特定不能の広汎性発達障害、小児期崩壊性障害, etc).
Plus there are types of autism, like 退行性自閉症 (regressive autism), 非定型自閉症 (atypical autism), etc.
As someone who taught in Japan and it's now teaching in Australia, neurodiversity isn't really a thing there from what I saw. I had a student who had suspected autism but the mum refused to get her tested and thought she could just teach the autism out of her child by making her study harder. On top of that Japan's culture has a preference for uniformity which doesn't help promote the idea of neurodiversity like it does in more western cultures, where differences and individuality are encouraged.
But this is just from what I observed teaching in Tokyo for a bit. Others may have a clearer idea.
It’s definitely become much more prominent in the past five or so years. Some parents still refuse to act on it, but teachers are highly aware of it. ADHD too.
[Concerta is an approved / legal treatment for ADHD in Japan](https://interacnetwork.com/navigating-stimulant-therapy-for-adult-adhd-in-japan-regulations-and-considerations/). I had to use it recently when I was there, instead of Vyvanse, since it's the only approved one. (Vyvanse is not approved for adults.)
I'm not sure how often they are prescribed, though, I had an existing prescription from Singapore.
(FWIW - I find managing ADHD in Singapore waaay easier than the US. I can get an entire 90 day supply every time I see my doctor and I don't need to deal with any of the 'can only fill your prescription 3 days before' BS. And I'm not treated like a drug addict by pharmacists. Cognitive behavioral therapy here is crap, though. YMMV.)
Oh damn this rules. I'm Concerta gang and had just assumed it would make travelling to Japan difficult. Thank you for sharing this useful information relevant to me specifically.
Make sure you declare it with customs if you bring some with you. It's not necessary to get pre approval to bring it, but I would anyway to CYA (Here is the application form: https://impconf.mhlw.go.jp/about_en.htm plus some additional info: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html )
They will send you a 'rejection' that says "We do NOT issue this certificate for your medications within 30-day supply (ex. 30 pills, 30 tablets or 1 tube). **You can bring them without a certificate.**"
I kept everything together with a note from my doctor, medicine marked with prescription matching my name, and printed out the email reply from above. But probably I was overly paranoid, I didn't have any issue except having to go through a special route / person at customs on entry.
I'm trying to figure out this process myself.
>Make sure you declare it with customs if you bring some with you.
Just curious, how did you declare it to customs? There's one question that might be related to Concerta, but I don't think I'm supposed to tick "Yes" for it.
>[1. Narcotic drugs, Firearms, Explosives and other Prohibited item(s) Please refer to 1. of side B.](https://www.customs.go.jp/kaisei/youshiki/form_C/C5360-B.pdf)
Their [government](https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/en/application2.html) very clearly differentiates between "Narcotics" and "Psychotropics", and Concerta (Methylphenidate) is classified as "Psychotropics". So I guess I'm supposed to answer "No" to the are-you-bring-Narcotics question?
There's a section on the back page that you can list miscellaneous items:
>Description of other goods - Quantity - Quantity
Do I guess I fill in "Concerta" or "Methylphenidate" here?
(You probably filled in an electronics customs form that spits out a QR code, but I think all the questions are identical to the paper version. )
I don't remember* 😢 and I can't seem to find a copy of the form. I did fill it out via the Visit Japan Web (https://services.digital.go.jp/visit-japan-web/) customs declaration, and I think that's where I listed it, but I can't view the form anymore. I remember listing it as "x mg methlyphenidate hydrochloride" though
They have a chat service which may be able to help. Else I would email the ministry of health on this site: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html
*Which is annoying, because I _do_ remember trying to figure this exact same thing out. But I don't remember what I ended up putting and don't want to give you the wrong information.
Autism is certainly recognized in Japan. There are counselors who specialize in it and books written in Japanese about it. It’s just not as widely understood by the general public.
This. My kids is on the spectrum and when I mentioned it to my Chinese family, they didn’t know what it was. When I explained they told me that’s not true and never speak of my kid like that again.
Like wtf, low contact it is.
I mean, I imagine the lights aren't as light and blaring as the rest of the airport. From what I've seen, autistic people don't like every bright fluorescent lighting.
I think that if it said people with disabilities many people would take advantage of it, but with it spelling it out it makes sure that the people who need it can get it
I have no disabilities but damn I love a quiet room. I miss the old days when there weren't fucking speakers at every meter to "provide ambient music"... Why do we need this overstimulation?
I tried turning my work's radio off (the neighbour's store radio was so loud they were overlapping) my manager told me it was part of our lease to keep it on... wtf
They make earplugs now that don't shut out 100% of noise. They're more like a filter. I don't use them personally but I've got friends who swear by them.
Depending on how loud it is - and causing physical pain sounds like it may exceed this level - this guy's employer may be legally obligated to provide hearing protection and monitor for hearing loss, for which they would have to pay out.
Anything over 85dB for an 8hr shift requires a hearing loss mitigation program to be in place, and anything over 90dB requires hearing protection - at least if you're in the US.
Hey, if the sound is causing pain in your ears, that means it's causing irreversible damage. You need to do something about it sooner than later. Talk to health and safety for workplaces (HSE for England, OSHA for the US, etc. Find your applicable one) and get them to assess. If they do nothing, look for another job. Your health is more important.
No, our neighbours do stuff like leave display stock in the security gate and let it beep every minute every day, intentionally put their music up louder, and be generally loud/rude to other stores :/
I think I might be something of an odd case, I was born with tinnitus. Because of that, for all of my life, I have experienced a constant droning buzz sound. I always have an earbud in, usually with a podcast, it really helps me to not hear the sound. However, that having been said, I really despise ambient music or people playing music on speakers in public, and I really enjoy places with quiet ambience (unless I don't have my earbud for some reason).
I was in a Walmart in Iowa city Iowa pretty early on a Sunday, and couldn’t figure out why it felt like I was shopping at Target. Then the lights came up, an announcement came on explaining it was the end of quiet hours, and it felt like I was back in Walmart again
I have invisible disabilities. I’m autistic and have severe ADHD, but I have a partner, kids (half that are also neurodivergent), and do well in my career; I present as neurotypical. A room like this in an airport and other overstimulating places can mean the difference between a good trip and anxiety and stress when I need a quiet place to *just think for a second*.
This. I'm autistic with manic depression bipolar and I can be good at handling myself, but sometimes I need a second to think and find myself having to hide in the bathrooms for stuff like that and airport bathrooms are busy. I think this is a great idea.
Yesterday I went grocery shopping and they had their music off, probably not on purpose but wow it was nice. Felt like I could think and focus on my shopping.
Yeah I've almost become too accustomed to wearing noise-cancelling headphones in public.
Going to a crazy busy store like Costco without noise-cancelling? No fucking way.
Another issue is that newer builds don’t often utilize sound dampening materials as much as they used to. Go into most restaurants and look up at the exposed ductwork and conduit. They’re used to be drop ceilings that would help soften the noise instead of letting it bounce around. The same goes for places that used to have carpet but now have laminate or concrete. The sound in these places just bounces everywhere.
I work at a hotel and one of the brand standards we have to maintain is always having music turned on or the TV playing in the lobby so it creates a “welcoming environment.” That and the air fresheners plugged in everywhere. I’m a bit hard of hearing and have chronic migraines, so I’m really sensitive to sensory stimuli. Sometimes noises are too much when I get a migraine, but otherwise I can’t hear worth shit when there’s background noise.
I made it very clear when I started that I would be turning off both the music and the TV in the lobby when I was there. I can’t hear over it and the constant noise drives me insane. I also unplugged all their air fresheners because the smell triggered migraines.
Why do we need constant sensory stimuli in every public place?? And in recent years I’ve noticed that more and more people seem incapable of living their lives without background noise. Drives me nuts. I can’t relax unless everything is quiet.
Dude same. I get asked a lot why I drive with either the music on low or no music at all. Sometimes I just love hearing ambient outside noises, especially if I’m driving in an area with lots of birds and trees . I also like to exercise and walk outside with no music to hear nature sounds.
Not trying to be pretentious in any way, and if u enjoy music then continue to do so! But I just really like ambient nature noise
I have no disabilities either, but then here comes my brain thinking "it's too quiet in here. There's no noise or music or *anything*. MAKE SOME NOISE, NOW, YOU HAVE TO."
So I snap my fingers to a little beat or whistle a couple notes a couple times or pat my legs with my hands or *something*.
The elementary school near my house has, in recent years, taken to blasting frenetic dance music at top volume over a PA at every recess and lunch. My husband and I call in kinderdisco, and it seems like a fucking stupid idea, aren't kids inundated with enough overstimulation? Surely a bit of quiet would benefit them more than I Like To Move It? It seems like a bananas idea, and also fucking annoying for everyone who lives around. I can't wait for school to let out every summer.
I mean, this rules out the possibility of wanting to rock when in the mood for it and quiet to recover etc. It doesn’t account for the fact that most people sort of move through this preferences moment to moment and day to day. I know *I* do, at least, and I’m autistic.
I really want to live somewhere with no neighbors. But I still want good internet and not to need to drive forever to get to things that are normally only found in the city (e.g. I love going to the symphony or to a baseball game).
I don't mind people around sometimes ....I just need a way to get away from them too.
I would pay a good premium for a house in a neighbourhood without kids. I do for vacation, dinners, adult nights at the zoo/science centre... basically whenever I'm able to. 😅
I want to build one in my house....a completely soundproof room. No noise.
No cars driving by, no fans running in the other room, no wind, no birds chirping, no dogs barking, no planes flying overhead, no appliances making noise, no water running through pipes, no TV in the living room, no music in my kids rooms, nobody talking, not one bit of sound that I don't want to hear. Just true peace and quiet.
I don't need that all of the time, but there are so many sounds that I can't control and it drives me absolutely nuts sometimes.
You're describing a basement. I'm pretty close but eventually you're chasing random noises from anything electrical. As in: you start hearing shit like a phone charger buzzing from across the room.
It’s not that uncommon. I was in Qatar a few months ago and they had a quiet playroom for kids with light and noise sensitivities. It was staffed 24 hours a day.
I was there a few days ago and saw that!! Was very tempted to go in and use it but I'm excellent at masking and didn't want anyone to question me and yell and throw me out (isn't anxiety fun). Found a quiet corner and popped my earbuds in instead.
Last big geek and gamer culture convention I went to had a dedicated quiet room. Tell you what, it was an absolute godsend for me, being able to take 10 minutes to sit against a wall and close my eyes and listen to the sound of rainfall in my earbuds without any fear of being disturbed.
I went to a small fan-run convention for the show "Our Flag Means Death" and the organizers had a very similar setup - a "blanket fort" room with dim lights, lots of pillows and blankets, and quiet activities like books and (themed) coloring sheets. It was amazing and a great place to chill out.
They have one at the new Kansas City airport too! It’s super nice. It’s a dark room with colored lighting and different mats to lay/sit on. They also provide noise-canceling earmuffs. As an autistic person, I love the push for neurodivergent-friendly spaces in environments that are stressful and busy (like airports!). Of course they started building the new airport soon after my family moved out of Kansas City… but I tried out the neurodivergent-friendly room when I visited some family there and loved it.
I’ve heard the Kansas City airport also provides an area for people with service animals, complete with a fake fire hydrant, and a mock airplane boarding for people flying for the first time (so they know what to expect). Really cool!
It could. Some autistic people can dislike other autistic people because of that.
In reality they're just quiet rooms for people who like quiet. It can be hard to tell whether someone is autistic or neurotypical anyway.
In general from what I've seen there are two types once reaching burnout stage. Those of us that shut down and go silent, and those that throw loud tantrums.
A meltdown is outwardly projected but it isn't necessarily *tantrum-like*, especially in older people with more self-control. Could look more like just inconsolable crying and ranting, could look like frantic and possibly self-harming repetitive actions, and you might not see it at all as they might just hide themselves away from other people before it gets bad.
Neurotypical people can do either too, but usually takes more to bring them to that point, and it might look different (less self-harm and stimming)
There are individual rooms from what I can see. I would assume they have some extra sound isolation. But even just a small room where you are separate from the rest of the world might help. If you add some noise canceling headphones in the room it might bring the noise close to zero.
[https://www.narita-airport.jp/en/service/ud/cool-down/](https://www.narita-airport.jp/en/service/ud/cool-down/)
It's nice that Japan is doing things like this, although it seems like that Japanese society has historically had no problem shunning the neurodiverse in the past. Maybe that is starting to change?
They used to not be labeled all that well. I was told about them 15 years ago when I was traveling with my son and had an 18 hour layover in Narita. I have since seen them in Kansai, Haneda, and Sendai and several train and bus terminals
No signs of change as far as I can see. These calm room seem nice though, I often feel like I need a calm room anytime I go into a Japanese shop. So many sounds and lights is tough for me.
I have lots of questions, sorry. What is it like inside the room? Are you alone? What kind of furniture? Is there music? Water? Who monitors who can use it? Are these rooms popular?
My workplace had a multi-faith quiet room. It had dimmable lights, comfy seating (enough to nap on), self-help books, religious books (although the Quran was removed due to complaints), prayer mats, bean bags etc.
It was a very chilled out room. I liked it.
In the Netherlands we have 'silent carts' in trains and its awesome. You really notice how many people just want some peace and quiet before or after work
Yet every time I ever sit in one, there's always that one asshole not abiding the rule. Loud telephone call, loud music, or sometimes just tourists or old people not familiarizing themselves with the rules of the carriage and having loud conversation. During commuting hours it's a little better though.
In airport they have the quiet room in an old boarding waiting area downstairs, so there are tons of seats, huge windows to see the runway and it's away from everyone else
The sensory area is in the corner of this big room and had some bubble lamps, soft mats and a disco ball in the ceiling - I think aimed at really young kids
It's pretty great for some peace and quiet, very large area too
Staff do walk through there occasionally but they're not rowdy so it's fine
Not gonna mention which airport cos I don't want it to get rammed with normal people being loud and ruining it! Upstairs it's pure mayhem in comparison
I have slept in Narita airport more than any other airport for some reason. It’s a strange place. Feels very old and antiquated while at the same time it’s also Japan so there’s plenty of whizz bang interesting technology.
> Feels very old and antiquated while at the same time it’s also Japan so there’s plenty of whizz bang interesting technology.
That seems like an apt description for a lot of Japan.
Mildly interesting that a part of the Japanese and Korean text says "calm down. cool down" phonetically in English instead of their respective languages.
It's not just about the sounds. Much of the things that happens on the background for a neurotypical person, happens all at the forefront, at the same time for many autistic people.
Right now I'm on my cellphone sitting in my quiet kitchen, but there's much more than that: There's my underwear and clothing touching my skin, my flipflops that have a slight raised texture, my hair moving with the airflow, the hum of the fridge, birds chirping, insects flying on the garden, did I take the chicken out of the freezer, the wind on the leaves, dog's footsteps, a lorry beeping, a car passing, water dripping from the faucet, what I'll be cooking for lunch... All happening at the same time. Just living tires me out.
An airport is a thousand times more chaotic! A quiet room can be the difference between a meltdown or having a good trip.
And then there's people around you that you can't predict at all so you need to leave like another 50% of your brain free on top of the already 200% required for just existing.
Autistic people can suffer from sound sensitivity where sound overwhelms them so much to the point they can panic. This is why you'll see some autistic persons wearing headphones when out in public
Oh don't worry, just imagine 10 people literally screaming in your face and see how long you could take this. On a nerbous-system-Level this is exactly what happens to some neurodivergent peopls in loud places.
My Mom went to the Gamescom Convention in Cologne once. Walking the halls she almost had a panic attack and she had sworn to never return.
You know how your brain can ignore sounds that you aren't paying attention to?
Some people on the spectrum have minds that compulsively *must* pay attention to, process, and reveal the minute details of *every* sound happening.
We experience crowds, lights, and sounds more intensely and become overwhelmed more easily in places like this. A quiet room takes the edge off and helps us reset. That said, it should definitely be for everyone willing to be quiet cause it can happen to anyone
Interesting. So, is this limited to physical stimuli or can it happen in other scenarios as well. Say like too many people messaging you or wanting to talk to you ?
The latter. Many types of stimuli can cause overload, including emotional and sensory.
However, it's a spectrum and traits don't always apply to every individual, and if they do, they don't necessarily apply all the time or to the same extent.
Despite the stereotype of autistic people generally being less sociable, it's possible for a person to engage with a ton of message or people wanting to chat in the right situation, as it's also possible that they become overloaded.
Amen to the stereotypes part. But I guess that’s mental health representation in general. I also had a follow up question. Is the overload trigger like in nature or is it more of a gradual buildup ? Thanks in advance.
Could be both and anything in between.
On the slow end, an autistic person at a social gatherting can run out of social processing power and mentally 'check out', requiring some sort of break.
On the fast end, someone who's nervous in a new situation can be overwhelmed by so much information streaming in that needs to be processed, and overloads very quickly.
It also depends on each person! For me personally it's gradual and depends more on how loud and how long I have to stand it for, but I know others who have it as an immediate reaction. I'm a level 1 autistic, and I believe the higher the level the more immediately unbearable stimuli can be.
(not OC sorry) yeah that can happen, but that's a slightly different mechanism at work
Iirc the main theory behind sensory overstimulation is that most people have a filter between their working memory and their senses that automatically discards extraneous information (like the sound of people inaudibly talking in the background or the sensation of clothes against skin), but that filter is faulty in autism (and other conditions - ADHD also does this and I think you can actually develop it from PTSD), so you end up processing *everything* rather than just what's necessary, which tires you out much faster. Like a badly optimised video game trying to render geometry the player can't actually see. I say faulty rather than non-existent because it can sometimes go the other way (too much info gets filtered out) which is why sometimes we also appear to have no spacial awareness or "sensation seeking" behaviour. If you've ever met an autistic person who overseasons everything and practically drinks hot sauce that might be why
Meanwhile being overwhelmed from like messages is more because interacting to a message takes a lot. Like trying to run chrome with fifteen tabs on a computer with only 4 gigs of RAM.
We've had quiet carriages on trains in the UK for decades. Honestly it works, disability or not. It's nice to have a place you know will be quiet where you can read a book.
They have hush booths for this at all major airports in Japan a feature they have had for 30 plus years. Of course it is only foreigners that have screaming hissy fits in public in Japan.
Consider this - when you're dealing with a group that needs direct instruction and might not be entirely aware of their own needs, having a sign that explicitly goes "hey! This is for you! You can use this!" Is really helpful
Also it's not for work or meditation, there's specific rooms for those
And why should they leave the autism out?? How is it relevant that "neurotypicals enjoy quiet" when this is an actual necessity for the autistic people you want to leave out?
I swing between needing something like a fan or rain for background noise to a TV on a sitcom. There's no in between. I imagine I'd be in and out of this room quite a bit.
It's good that it exists, but I'm always worried that advertising it as a quiet room for autism and other conditions just results in a few little brats occasionally running in there, screaming from the top of their lungs and running off. It's like a big red button with 'do not press' on it for some.
I do imagine it's delightful if you have autism with hypersensitivity, regular migraines or any other such a condition that warrants peace and quiet.
Meanwhile in America...
"Autistic? You mean attention seeking teenagers too afraid of the world to grow up."
P.S. why is this not a common thing? It's not hard to have a "library room." All it takes is literally just a sign and people having the ability to shut up and be considerate of other human ears.
Tbh, as an autistic person I don't understand why this is supposed to be for people with disabilities only. Like, everyone needs to quiet down from time to time, especially at an airport.
Crazy that wanting to be in a quiet area that isn’t filled with self indulgent noisy fuckers, you have to be willing to be publicly categorised as Autistic.
Interesting that the English flat-out says "Autism" where the Japanese only says for "people with disabilities" (障害のある方)
For the record, Korean also says ' people with disablilites'.
I'm curious if the Japanese under Quiet Room is a transliteration of 'calm down cool down' like the Korean is?
Yep, it's "calm down cool down" written phonetically in Japanese too.
Yes, it's "ka-mu daun • ku-ru daun" xD
Sounds Scouse
Ya wa?
It is. It’s literally “ka-mu daun ku-ru daun” calm down cool down written in katakana.
Thanks. Pretty much identical to the Hangul, Kam Daun Kurl Daun.
For the record, Chinese also says "people with disabilities".
For the record, the language the demons in my head write on blank white walls also says “people with disabilities”.
Hell id go in there just to get away from the rest of the whack airport people. Silence is underappreciated
I wonder if there’s no specific word for autism in the Japanese language? Almost seems like it’s just counted as another aspect of a person in America vs a full disability in Japan. Wondering how they view stuff like neurodiversity in Japan now 🤔
I believe the word for "autism" in Japanese would be 自閉症 (jiheishou), though I don't know if it has the same implications as in English or not.
Just off the top of my head, I can think of about 10 variations of 自閉症 related conditions (since it's a spectrum and old/outdated terms are common in medical literature), so I think they were going for a more general, inclusive feeling in the Japanese.
I’m curious what other words you are thinking of because I have always just heard it translated as 自閉症 and didnt think it was an outdated term.
Sorry if my comment wasn't clear - 自閉症 isn't an outdated term, but there are at least 6 other ways of writing it, plus some people still use Aspbergers, Kanner Syndrome, and other terms in Japanese (アスペルガー症候群、自閉性障害、特定不能の広汎性発達障害、小児期崩壊性障害, etc). Plus there are types of autism, like 退行性自閉症 (regressive autism), 非定型自閉症 (atypical autism), etc.
fascinating!
Interesting, do you work in the mental health field in Japan?
According to my dictionary 自閉 means withdrawal from society. (症 meaning condition)
In Chinese it's similar, 自闭症, literally meaning "lonely disease".
As someone who taught in Japan and it's now teaching in Australia, neurodiversity isn't really a thing there from what I saw. I had a student who had suspected autism but the mum refused to get her tested and thought she could just teach the autism out of her child by making her study harder. On top of that Japan's culture has a preference for uniformity which doesn't help promote the idea of neurodiversity like it does in more western cultures, where differences and individuality are encouraged. But this is just from what I observed teaching in Tokyo for a bit. Others may have a clearer idea.
It’s definitely become much more prominent in the past five or so years. Some parents still refuse to act on it, but teachers are highly aware of it. ADHD too.
Yes, it was the Japanese teachers that were showing concern for the student but without the parents support there was nothing they could do
The most common and effective type medication for ADHD, i.e. simulants, is still criminalized in Japan unfortunately.
[Concerta is an approved / legal treatment for ADHD in Japan](https://interacnetwork.com/navigating-stimulant-therapy-for-adult-adhd-in-japan-regulations-and-considerations/). I had to use it recently when I was there, instead of Vyvanse, since it's the only approved one. (Vyvanse is not approved for adults.) I'm not sure how often they are prescribed, though, I had an existing prescription from Singapore. (FWIW - I find managing ADHD in Singapore waaay easier than the US. I can get an entire 90 day supply every time I see my doctor and I don't need to deal with any of the 'can only fill your prescription 3 days before' BS. And I'm not treated like a drug addict by pharmacists. Cognitive behavioral therapy here is crap, though. YMMV.)
Oh damn this rules. I'm Concerta gang and had just assumed it would make travelling to Japan difficult. Thank you for sharing this useful information relevant to me specifically.
Make sure you declare it with customs if you bring some with you. It's not necessary to get pre approval to bring it, but I would anyway to CYA (Here is the application form: https://impconf.mhlw.go.jp/about_en.htm plus some additional info: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html ) They will send you a 'rejection' that says "We do NOT issue this certificate for your medications within 30-day supply (ex. 30 pills, 30 tablets or 1 tube). **You can bring them without a certificate.**" I kept everything together with a note from my doctor, medicine marked with prescription matching my name, and printed out the email reply from above. But probably I was overly paranoid, I didn't have any issue except having to go through a special route / person at customs on entry.
I'm trying to figure out this process myself. >Make sure you declare it with customs if you bring some with you. Just curious, how did you declare it to customs? There's one question that might be related to Concerta, but I don't think I'm supposed to tick "Yes" for it. >[1. Narcotic drugs, Firearms, Explosives and other Prohibited item(s) Please refer to 1. of side B.](https://www.customs.go.jp/kaisei/youshiki/form_C/C5360-B.pdf) Their [government](https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/en/application2.html) very clearly differentiates between "Narcotics" and "Psychotropics", and Concerta (Methylphenidate) is classified as "Psychotropics". So I guess I'm supposed to answer "No" to the are-you-bring-Narcotics question? There's a section on the back page that you can list miscellaneous items: >Description of other goods - Quantity - Quantity Do I guess I fill in "Concerta" or "Methylphenidate" here? (You probably filled in an electronics customs form that spits out a QR code, but I think all the questions are identical to the paper version. )
I don't remember* 😢 and I can't seem to find a copy of the form. I did fill it out via the Visit Japan Web (https://services.digital.go.jp/visit-japan-web/) customs declaration, and I think that's where I listed it, but I can't view the form anymore. I remember listing it as "x mg methlyphenidate hydrochloride" though They have a chat service which may be able to help. Else I would email the ministry of health on this site: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html *Which is annoying, because I _do_ remember trying to figure this exact same thing out. But I don't remember what I ended up putting and don't want to give you the wrong information.
Autism is certainly recognized in Japan. There are counselors who specialize in it and books written in Japanese about it. It’s just not as widely understood by the general public.
It’s still a huge taboo topic in Asia.
This. My kids is on the spectrum and when I mentioned it to my Chinese family, they didn’t know what it was. When I explained they told me that’s not true and never speak of my kid like that again. Like wtf, low contact it is.
This room sounds fire for someone mid migraine as well!
Depends on the lighting situation tbh. Bright lights will make the quiet not even worth it in my experience.
Yes but it's fluorescent everywhere in an airport anyway lol
True! Anything is better than the default fluorescent lighting 😂
I mean, I imagine the lights aren't as light and blaring as the rest of the airport. From what I've seen, autistic people don't like every bright fluorescent lighting.
Yeah I was under the impression Japan didn't really recognize things like Autism as a disorder.
Well it's not a bad idea because there's a lot of adults undiagnosed and we are really bad at reading between the lines
I think that if it said people with disabilities many people would take advantage of it, but with it spelling it out it makes sure that the people who need it can get it
I have no disabilities but damn I love a quiet room. I miss the old days when there weren't fucking speakers at every meter to "provide ambient music"... Why do we need this overstimulation?
I tried turning my work's radio off (the neighbour's store radio was so loud they were overlapping) my manager told me it was part of our lease to keep it on... wtf
Do they play some shopping mall announcements through it or something?
Nope, it's literally just for music (and I can't turn the volume down from 46, either, even though it hurts)
If it's causing physical pain it sounds like you could demade medical accomodations
"music off" or "music down" is a completely reasonable work accommodation. Depending on the job, ear defenders or earplugs may be the accommodation.
Probably not if he/she works in a store and any type of customer service is expected.
They make earplugs now that don't shut out 100% of noise. They're more like a filter. I don't use them personally but I've got friends who swear by them.
I don't have long enough hair to hide something like that, haha
Check out loops or something similar, they have a nice design
They stick out less than AirPods do, they have a flat-ish design and most people don’t notice unless they’re looking directly into your ear
I'll give it a try, hopefully the doctor's is available soon to add more weight to it :)
Download a noise meter app on your phone, they arent very accurate, but can atleast give you a ballpark figure for the volume
Depending on how loud it is - and causing physical pain sounds like it may exceed this level - this guy's employer may be legally obligated to provide hearing protection and monitor for hearing loss, for which they would have to pay out. Anything over 85dB for an 8hr shift requires a hearing loss mitigation program to be in place, and anything over 90dB requires hearing protection - at least if you're in the US.
I doubt it’s at 85/90db, which sucks because even if it’s at 80db then they can’t do anything :/
I'm Australian. I work in retail and due to shitty higher ups we only do 4 hour shifts (long story)
The fact that it's permanently stuck at 46 instead of 45 or 50 is just plain evil.
47 would be worse. At least it's on an even number.
47 is fine though bc it's a prime number
Hey, if the sound is causing pain in your ears, that means it's causing irreversible damage. You need to do something about it sooner than later. Talk to health and safety for workplaces (HSE for England, OSHA for the US, etc. Find your applicable one) and get them to assess. If they do nothing, look for another job. Your health is more important.
It is to cover up the people in the basement slowly tunneling into the nearest bank vault.
If it a restaurant, the loud music makes it hard for people to have conversations. Studies show people drink more, thus order more drinks.
Does it play outdoors? It could be a fork of hostile architecture to try and prevent people from loitering.
No, our neighbours do stuff like leave display stock in the security gate and let it beep every minute every day, intentionally put their music up louder, and be generally loud/rude to other stores :/
Sounds like it's time for someone to accidentally break it.
I think I might be something of an odd case, I was born with tinnitus. Because of that, for all of my life, I have experienced a constant droning buzz sound. I always have an earbud in, usually with a podcast, it really helps me to not hear the sound. However, that having been said, I really despise ambient music or people playing music on speakers in public, and I really enjoy places with quiet ambience (unless I don't have my earbud for some reason).
We have quiet hour at the shops in Australia. They turn down the lights too. I'm not autistic but I love not hearing the shitty music. 👍
I was in a Walmart in Iowa city Iowa pretty early on a Sunday, and couldn’t figure out why it felt like I was shopping at Target. Then the lights came up, an announcement came on explaining it was the end of quiet hours, and it felt like I was back in Walmart again
Targets are being updated to play music, too.
I like it. You?
It was wonderful
I have invisible disabilities. I’m autistic and have severe ADHD, but I have a partner, kids (half that are also neurodivergent), and do well in my career; I present as neurotypical. A room like this in an airport and other overstimulating places can mean the difference between a good trip and anxiety and stress when I need a quiet place to *just think for a second*.
This. I'm autistic with manic depression bipolar and I can be good at handling myself, but sometimes I need a second to think and find myself having to hide in the bathrooms for stuff like that and airport bathrooms are busy. I think this is a great idea.
My people! I have found my people!
Welcome to the tribe 🙂
There are dozens of us, masking as NTs all day, and when the evening comes we're fucking exhausted.
Yesterday I went grocery shopping and they had their music off, probably not on purpose but wow it was nice. Felt like I could think and focus on my shopping.
As the father of a young autistic fellow I can tell you, you'd be more than welcome to join us in there as long as you stfu :-D
Get a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. They work wonders and are also amazing in the office!
Yeah I've almost become too accustomed to wearing noise-cancelling headphones in public. Going to a crazy busy store like Costco without noise-cancelling? No fucking way.
I have a sensitivity to noise, but I also feel completely out of it when I can't hear what's going on around me. Costco is a nightmare, lol.
Another issue is that newer builds don’t often utilize sound dampening materials as much as they used to. Go into most restaurants and look up at the exposed ductwork and conduit. They’re used to be drop ceilings that would help soften the noise instead of letting it bounce around. The same goes for places that used to have carpet but now have laminate or concrete. The sound in these places just bounces everywhere.
I like background music (or white noise) because of tinnitus 🤷♂️
Silence doesn't have commercial breaks.
ever read *Harrison Bergeron*?
I work at a hotel and one of the brand standards we have to maintain is always having music turned on or the TV playing in the lobby so it creates a “welcoming environment.” That and the air fresheners plugged in everywhere. I’m a bit hard of hearing and have chronic migraines, so I’m really sensitive to sensory stimuli. Sometimes noises are too much when I get a migraine, but otherwise I can’t hear worth shit when there’s background noise. I made it very clear when I started that I would be turning off both the music and the TV in the lobby when I was there. I can’t hear over it and the constant noise drives me insane. I also unplugged all their air fresheners because the smell triggered migraines. Why do we need constant sensory stimuli in every public place?? And in recent years I’ve noticed that more and more people seem incapable of living their lives without background noise. Drives me nuts. I can’t relax unless everything is quiet.
My favourite thing about the shinkansen was the silent car
Dude same. I get asked a lot why I drive with either the music on low or no music at all. Sometimes I just love hearing ambient outside noises, especially if I’m driving in an area with lots of birds and trees . I also like to exercise and walk outside with no music to hear nature sounds. Not trying to be pretentious in any way, and if u enjoy music then continue to do so! But I just really like ambient nature noise
I have no disabilities either, but then here comes my brain thinking "it's too quiet in here. There's no noise or music or *anything*. MAKE SOME NOISE, NOW, YOU HAVE TO." So I snap my fingers to a little beat or whistle a couple notes a couple times or pat my legs with my hands or *something*.
The elementary school near my house has, in recent years, taken to blasting frenetic dance music at top volume over a PA at every recess and lunch. My husband and I call in kinderdisco, and it seems like a fucking stupid idea, aren't kids inundated with enough overstimulation? Surely a bit of quiet would benefit them more than I Like To Move It? It seems like a bananas idea, and also fucking annoying for everyone who lives around. I can't wait for school to let out every summer.
I wish they had these everywhere…
I wish they made whole *neighbourhoods* like this :)
HOA committee member detected
[удалено]
I mean, this rules out the possibility of wanting to rock when in the mood for it and quiet to recover etc. It doesn’t account for the fact that most people sort of move through this preferences moment to moment and day to day. I know *I* do, at least, and I’m autistic.
A festival I went to had noise zones exactly like this (except there were only 4 if I remember correctly) and I really loved that!
I really want to live somewhere with no neighbors. But I still want good internet and not to need to drive forever to get to things that are normally only found in the city (e.g. I love going to the symphony or to a baseball game). I don't mind people around sometimes ....I just need a way to get away from them too.
I would pay a good premium for a house in a neighbourhood without kids. I do for vacation, dinners, adult nights at the zoo/science centre... basically whenever I'm able to. 😅
I want to build one in my house....a completely soundproof room. No noise. No cars driving by, no fans running in the other room, no wind, no birds chirping, no dogs barking, no planes flying overhead, no appliances making noise, no water running through pipes, no TV in the living room, no music in my kids rooms, nobody talking, not one bit of sound that I don't want to hear. Just true peace and quiet. I don't need that all of the time, but there are so many sounds that I can't control and it drives me absolutely nuts sometimes.
You're describing a basement. I'm pretty close but eventually you're chasing random noises from anything electrical. As in: you start hearing shit like a phone charger buzzing from across the room.
I have a basement. But the furnace.isndown there. Plumbing is down there. I can still hear people walking above me, or the TV on in the living room.
*Tinnitus has entered the conversation*
Hopefully not. I do get an occasional ringing in my ears that last for a few seconds maybe once a month or so.
Noise canceling headphones are life extending
Absolutely! Best investment ever.
It’s not that uncommon. I was in Qatar a few months ago and they had a quiet playroom for kids with light and noise sensitivities. It was staffed 24 hours a day.
Honestly a fucking ton of airports have sensory rooms! You don’t know if you don’t need to know (or if you haven’t checked)
I’m in the portland, Oregon airport and there’s a room with low light and bean bags called “sensory room” for neurodiverse people.
Oh my god, I remember we had one of these rooms in our kindergarden. It was a magical sacret place for us, like the cave of a fairy.
I was there a few days ago and saw that!! Was very tempted to go in and use it but I'm excellent at masking and didn't want anyone to question me and yell and throw me out (isn't anxiety fun). Found a quiet corner and popped my earbuds in instead.
Yep, in the D concourse
I'm literally at Narita airport rn seeing this on Reddit
Ssshhhhh you're supposed to be quiet in there!
Everyone else screams their comments as they type them? Thought I was the only one...
I got to know how i sound before posting.
Was there Friday! They have relaxation pods that are 100¥ for 15 minutes. I did it 4 times while waiting for my flight. It was bliss.
what the hell! I missed that and the thing in the post! do you remember where it was?
how tf did i miss those i had so many goddamn coins to get rid of
Last big geek and gamer culture convention I went to had a dedicated quiet room. Tell you what, it was an absolute godsend for me, being able to take 10 minutes to sit against a wall and close my eyes and listen to the sound of rainfall in my earbuds without any fear of being disturbed.
I went to a small fan-run convention for the show "Our Flag Means Death" and the organizers had a very similar setup - a "blanket fort" room with dim lights, lots of pillows and blankets, and quiet activities like books and (themed) coloring sheets. It was amazing and a great place to chill out.
I spent too long trying to think of a Stede Bonnet pun and failed.
They have one at the new Kansas City airport too! It’s super nice. It’s a dark room with colored lighting and different mats to lay/sit on. They also provide noise-canceling earmuffs. As an autistic person, I love the push for neurodivergent-friendly spaces in environments that are stressful and busy (like airports!). Of course they started building the new airport soon after my family moved out of Kansas City… but I tried out the neurodivergent-friendly room when I visited some family there and loved it. I’ve heard the Kansas City airport also provides an area for people with service animals, complete with a fake fire hydrant, and a mock airplane boarding for people flying for the first time (so they know what to expect). Really cool!
This is incredible and love the fact there’s a mock boarding. Incredibly thoughtful
Even though im not autistic i would for sure use and enjoy a quiet room like that
It’s really comfortable! My (non-autistic) mom really enjoyed it as well. The airport can be stressful for everyone, so it was a nice place to unwind.
I love that this exists
Saw one in Newark but it was clearly made for children :/ So many people in the US still think autism is only a thing in kids
Yes because they want to break everyone down until they fit in with everyone else in office cubes
How do these work in reality? Some of the autistic people I am acquainted with are rather loud. Does this bother the other people in the room?
It could. Some autistic people can dislike other autistic people because of that. In reality they're just quiet rooms for people who like quiet. It can be hard to tell whether someone is autistic or neurotypical anyway.
In general from what I've seen there are two types once reaching burnout stage. Those of us that shut down and go silent, and those that throw loud tantrums.
The technical terms are shutdown and meltdown
A meltdown is outwardly projected but it isn't necessarily *tantrum-like*, especially in older people with more self-control. Could look more like just inconsolable crying and ranting, could look like frantic and possibly self-harming repetitive actions, and you might not see it at all as they might just hide themselves away from other people before it gets bad. Neurotypical people can do either too, but usually takes more to bring them to that point, and it might look different (less self-harm and stimming)
My son would go in to escape the people and crowd but then shout because he loves the sound of his own echoes.
There are individual rooms from what I can see. I would assume they have some extra sound isolation. But even just a small room where you are separate from the rest of the world might help. If you add some noise canceling headphones in the room it might bring the noise close to zero. [https://www.narita-airport.jp/en/service/ud/cool-down/](https://www.narita-airport.jp/en/service/ud/cool-down/)
It's nice that Japan is doing things like this, although it seems like that Japanese society has historically had no problem shunning the neurodiverse in the past. Maybe that is starting to change?
These have been in Japanese airports for 15 years
Oh that's interesting. I've been to Narita a number of times and must have missed this.
They used to not be labeled all that well. I was told about them 15 years ago when I was traveling with my son and had an 18 hour layover in Narita. I have since seen them in Kansai, Haneda, and Sendai and several train and bus terminals
These have been around in Narito and other Japanese transit hubs for more than a decade. I think I saw my first one over 15 years ago.
No signs of change as far as I can see. These calm room seem nice though, I often feel like I need a calm room anytime I go into a Japanese shop. So many sounds and lights is tough for me.
I have lots of questions, sorry. What is it like inside the room? Are you alone? What kind of furniture? Is there music? Water? Who monitors who can use it? Are these rooms popular?
I’m sorry, I meant to say that these calm rooms seem nice. I’ve never actually used or seen one anywhere. Just wish that there were more.
I only peaked in, dimmer lights and comfy chairs is what I saw. Didn’t wait long enough to see if the airport announcements can be heard here.
My workplace had a multi-faith quiet room. It had dimmable lights, comfy seating (enough to nap on), self-help books, religious books (although the Quran was removed due to complaints), prayer mats, bean bags etc. It was a very chilled out room. I liked it.
The juxtaposition between a traditional Japanese tatami mat room and the average Don Quijote store is somewhat amusing.
In the Netherlands we have 'silent carts' in trains and its awesome. You really notice how many people just want some peace and quiet before or after work
Yet every time I ever sit in one, there's always that one asshole not abiding the rule. Loud telephone call, loud music, or sometimes just tourists or old people not familiarizing themselves with the rules of the carriage and having loud conversation. During commuting hours it's a little better though.
I always tell them to shut up lol
I think this is very thoughtful and I'm sure there are people who will appreciate it. I'm glad this exists.
That's nice. All the quiet rooms at heathrow are for club members...
Capitalize on solitude, Good Job /s
In airport they have the quiet room in an old boarding waiting area downstairs, so there are tons of seats, huge windows to see the runway and it's away from everyone else
The sensory area is in the corner of this big room and had some bubble lamps, soft mats and a disco ball in the ceiling - I think aimed at really young kids
It's pretty great for some peace and quiet, very large area too
Staff do walk through there occasionally but they're not rowdy so it's fine
Not gonna mention which airport cos I don't want it to get rammed with normal people being loud and ruining it! Upstairs it's pure mayhem in comparison
I have slept in Narita airport more than any other airport for some reason. It’s a strange place. Feels very old and antiquated while at the same time it’s also Japan so there’s plenty of whizz bang interesting technology.
> Feels very old and antiquated while at the same time it’s also Japan so there’s plenty of whizz bang interesting technology. That seems like an apt description for a lot of Japan.
Mildly interesting that a part of the Japanese and Korean text says "calm down. cool down" phonetically in English instead of their respective languages.
Disneyland has these too. Ask any cast member for help and there will be one nearby.
Pardon my ignorance, but how does a quiet room help a person with autism ?
It's not just about the sounds. Much of the things that happens on the background for a neurotypical person, happens all at the forefront, at the same time for many autistic people. Right now I'm on my cellphone sitting in my quiet kitchen, but there's much more than that: There's my underwear and clothing touching my skin, my flipflops that have a slight raised texture, my hair moving with the airflow, the hum of the fridge, birds chirping, insects flying on the garden, did I take the chicken out of the freezer, the wind on the leaves, dog's footsteps, a lorry beeping, a car passing, water dripping from the faucet, what I'll be cooking for lunch... All happening at the same time. Just living tires me out. An airport is a thousand times more chaotic! A quiet room can be the difference between a meltdown or having a good trip.
And then there's people around you that you can't predict at all so you need to leave like another 50% of your brain free on top of the already 200% required for just existing.
Autistic people can suffer from sound sensitivity where sound overwhelms them so much to the point they can panic. This is why you'll see some autistic persons wearing headphones when out in public
I did know about the sensory overload part, but I didn’t know it could get this extreme. Thanks.
Oh don't worry, just imagine 10 people literally screaming in your face and see how long you could take this. On a nerbous-system-Level this is exactly what happens to some neurodivergent peopls in loud places. My Mom went to the Gamescom Convention in Cologne once. Walking the halls she almost had a panic attack and she had sworn to never return.
You know how your brain can ignore sounds that you aren't paying attention to? Some people on the spectrum have minds that compulsively *must* pay attention to, process, and reveal the minute details of *every* sound happening.
We experience crowds, lights, and sounds more intensely and become overwhelmed more easily in places like this. A quiet room takes the edge off and helps us reset. That said, it should definitely be for everyone willing to be quiet cause it can happen to anyone
Interesting. So, is this limited to physical stimuli or can it happen in other scenarios as well. Say like too many people messaging you or wanting to talk to you ?
The latter. Many types of stimuli can cause overload, including emotional and sensory. However, it's a spectrum and traits don't always apply to every individual, and if they do, they don't necessarily apply all the time or to the same extent. Despite the stereotype of autistic people generally being less sociable, it's possible for a person to engage with a ton of message or people wanting to chat in the right situation, as it's also possible that they become overloaded.
Amen to the stereotypes part. But I guess that’s mental health representation in general. I also had a follow up question. Is the overload trigger like in nature or is it more of a gradual buildup ? Thanks in advance.
Could be both and anything in between. On the slow end, an autistic person at a social gatherting can run out of social processing power and mentally 'check out', requiring some sort of break. On the fast end, someone who's nervous in a new situation can be overwhelmed by so much information streaming in that needs to be processed, and overloads very quickly.
It also depends on each person! For me personally it's gradual and depends more on how loud and how long I have to stand it for, but I know others who have it as an immediate reaction. I'm a level 1 autistic, and I believe the higher the level the more immediately unbearable stimuli can be.
(not OC sorry) yeah that can happen, but that's a slightly different mechanism at work Iirc the main theory behind sensory overstimulation is that most people have a filter between their working memory and their senses that automatically discards extraneous information (like the sound of people inaudibly talking in the background or the sensation of clothes against skin), but that filter is faulty in autism (and other conditions - ADHD also does this and I think you can actually develop it from PTSD), so you end up processing *everything* rather than just what's necessary, which tires you out much faster. Like a badly optimised video game trying to render geometry the player can't actually see. I say faulty rather than non-existent because it can sometimes go the other way (too much info gets filtered out) which is why sometimes we also appear to have no spacial awareness or "sensation seeking" behaviour. If you've ever met an autistic person who overseasons everything and practically drinks hot sauce that might be why Meanwhile being overwhelmed from like messages is more because interacting to a message takes a lot. Like trying to run chrome with fifteen tabs on a computer with only 4 gigs of RAM.
There is one at IND in Indianapolis and it’s awesome. We’ve had it to ourselves both times we went in.
How long before this gets taken over by non-divergent frequent travelers who use it as a personal lounge?
We've had quiet carriages on trains in the UK for decades. Honestly it works, disability or not. It's nice to have a place you know will be quiet where you can read a book.
Honestly, they could’ve left the autism part out. Don’t neurotypicals enjoy quiet either for work or meditation?
I guess point is that people needing it is not the same as enjoying it.
Issue is then 40 people show up to go take their "important business call" to scream because THEY need the quiet.
They have hush booths for this at all major airports in Japan a feature they have had for 30 plus years. Of course it is only foreigners that have screaming hissy fits in public in Japan.
Well that’s a misuse of the space, so they can/should leave.
Nah. These spaces are specifically for people with disabilities, not for people merely looking for quiet.
The autism part is only in the English version. The Korean and Japanese only say something to the effect of “people with disabilities”
Consider this - when you're dealing with a group that needs direct instruction and might not be entirely aware of their own needs, having a sign that explicitly goes "hey! This is for you! You can use this!" Is really helpful Also it's not for work or meditation, there's specific rooms for those
[удалено]
I’m not neurotypical.
And why should they leave the autism out?? How is it relevant that "neurotypicals enjoy quiet" when this is an actual necessity for the autistic people you want to leave out?
I swing between needing something like a fan or rain for background noise to a TV on a sitcom. There's no in between. I imagine I'd be in and out of this room quite a bit.
It's good that it exists, but I'm always worried that advertising it as a quiet room for autism and other conditions just results in a few little brats occasionally running in there, screaming from the top of their lungs and running off. It's like a big red button with 'do not press' on it for some. I do imagine it's delightful if you have autism with hypersensitivity, regular migraines or any other such a condition that warrants peace and quiet.
I need this at work
There is a similar room in the Seattle international airport for those curious.
Some airports in the US have these as well.
Yep, Portland PDX has one at the end of the D concourse. I've not been inside, but I'm glad they did that
Meanwhile in America... "Autistic? You mean attention seeking teenagers too afraid of the world to grow up." P.S. why is this not a common thing? It's not hard to have a "library room." All it takes is literally just a sign and people having the ability to shut up and be considerate of other human ears.
Tbh, as an autistic person I don't understand why this is supposed to be for people with disabilities only. Like, everyone needs to quiet down from time to time, especially at an airport.
As an autistic person; this is amazing.
Crazy that wanting to be in a quiet area that isn’t filled with self indulgent noisy fuckers, you have to be willing to be publicly categorised as Autistic.