Stories about people, stories about life.

Hometown stories.

Imagine living in a world where all you can hear is white noise.

The Shibasakis live in Fukuoka Prefecture.

It's November and Shibasaki Akane is celebrating her 16th birthday.

Happy birthday, Akane.

Open your gift.

Just what I wanted.

Say cheese.

Did it work?

Her father Norimasa is a systems engineer.

Her mother, Haruka, runs an English school.

This is her younger sister Izumi and their dog Uni.

Akane, why did you want a camera?

- Photos.
- You want to take photos?

- Fun.
- Taking photos is fun.

Akane was born with a serious hearing disorder.

Because it's so rare, she was initially diagnosed with a mental disability at the age of two.

It was only at the age of ten that she was correctly diagnosed.

For the intervening seven and half years, Akane's world was devoid of words.

It's so frustrating.

She could've learned so much in those seven and a half years.

More than regret, I feel despair.

- I want to eat natto tomorrow.
- Natto tomorrow?

She communicates with her family using a mix of spoken and sign language.

- What about your tangerine?
- It's an orange.

I actually don't like oranges.

Please eat it.

At the age of 16, Akane is trying new things and expanding her horizons.

Pochi, come here.

Good dog.

She's graduated from middle school and is ready for high school.

What does the future hold?

We look at two years of her life with her family, as they move ahead, step by step.

I'm home.

We began filming Akane in September 2021.

She was 13, and attending a school for the deaf.

What day comes after September 30th?

- Septem...
- October.

October what?

- Fir...
- First.

F-i-r-s-t.

Even this curtain is labeled.

Various objects in the house are identified by name.

Since she has a hearing problem, it's hard to teach new words verbally.

That's why so many things are labeled.

Almost everything in the house.

Akane was born in November 2007.

Her parents were overjoyed to welcome their first child.

I was in labor for 32 hours.

When I first laid eyes on her,

I thought she was the cutest thing in the world.

In that moment I truly understood what love is.

At the age of two and a half, she was still not talking and her parents began to worry.

So they took her for a checkup.

Since she barely responded to words, Akane was diagnosed with an intellectual disability.

But her parents were not convinced.

She was really good at solving puzzles.

She could solve 50-piece puzzles at the age of two.

I found it hard to believe that she had an intellectual disability.

We brought it up with the doctor,

but we were told it just meant she had autistic tendencies.

We had no choice but to take his word,

but we continued to feel that the diagnosis was off.

- I did it.
- Good job.

For the next seven and half years, the family consulted with numerous doctors,

but they all supported the original diagnosis.

Why're you hiding?

Then, when she was 10, her parents decided to take her to a hospital in Tokyo.

That's where she was diagnosed with a rare hearing disorder called auditory neuropathy.

For people with this disorder, sounds become disrupted as they travel to the brain.

Speech becomes garbled.

This simulation was created by a Canadian health organization.

(Sample sound in English)

This is what a person with auditory neuropathy hears.

(Sample sound in English)

The words are muffled, as if spoken underwater.

When she was born, Akane underwent a hearing test, but it did not reveal signs of auditory neuropathy.

I didn't know that there were different types of hearing disorders,

that they could come in varying degrees, or that some frequencies can't be heard.

I had no idea that there were hearing disorders in which speech sounds garbled.

For the seven and a half years until she received the correct diagnosis,

Akane was raised under the incorrect assumption that there was nothing wrong with her hearing.

It's so frustrating.

At one point in elementary school she just gave up trying to communicate,

she gave up trying to listen to others, to hear what they had to say.

She could've learned so much in those seven and a half years.

More than regret, I feel despair.

I really wish we could go back in time.

It's a magnet, so it attaches easily.

After her diagnosis, Akane received a cochlear implant that converts sounds into electrical signals and sends them directly to the brain.

Can you hear properly?

Now living in a world with words, Akane has been making steady progress.

Her mother has kept records of every new step she's been able to take.

Before finding out about her hearing disorder,

I thought I could never send her out by herself to do small chores.

Now, when she wants to go out to buy something,

I can send her off without feeling worried.

In the past, I felt there was no way I could do that.

I made a note about the first time that happened.

After her surgery at age 10, Akane transferred to a school for children with hearing impairments.

She has recently started Japanese language classes.

"'At' the shop"... You were close.

It's referring to a place.

So that's why the correct answer is "at."

And then,

"'Into' the trash can" is correct. "Throw it 'into' the trash can."

We began filming her when she was in middle school.

At the time, she was still performing at the second-grade level.

It's not easy to make up for 7 and a half years of lost education.

She's attends a school for the deaf,

but she can't be in the same classes as kids who were diagnosed young

and taught accordingly.

I think about how many years of compulsory education she has left.

I feel pressure because it's like we don't have enough time.

When we came back a year later, Akane was in her third year of middle school.

Her mother Haruka was concerned about her future.

For kids with hearing disorders, there's something called the "age 9 wall."

If their hearing disability is not detected early,

their vocabulary and cognitive abilities stop at the level of a nine-year-old.

Haruka was worried that her daughter might not acquire the skills needed to be independent,

even if she continued to grow.

If that happens, she'll struggle to find a job and live on her own.

I don't want her to have a life in which she doesn't interact with people.

It's our duty as her parents to figure out what she can do in the future.

April 2023.

New pajamas for you, Akane.

Akane's parents have made a huge decision about her future.

She will be attending a special needs boarding school in a different city.

For the next three years, Akane will be living away from her parents during the week.

We want her to become independent, so she can interact with friends,

and learn to reach out to adults other than her parents.

I think these are some of the skills she can acquire at boarding school.

You'll be a high schooler. How wonderful.

Lots of friends.

Good morning.

Akane looks great.

It's her first day of high school.

Good morning.

You're in a blazer. You look great in that blazer.

Good luck. See you.

Off we go.

Bye-bye.

Akane hopes to make many new friends at her new school.

Her mother seems worried.

The next time you'll see all of us is Friday.

Are you going to be lonely? Or not?

- I'll have friends.
- Friends, I see.

Akane begins her new life with a bright smile.

However...

In the second week, her parents receive a call from the school.

She said that she wants to come home.

- Akane?
- Yes, at the dorms.

She was in bad mood, not going to classes and wanting to go home.

She stayed holed up for half a day.

It was a big change for her, with all the sound and no sign language.

I think that's what she's struggling with but I believe that she can overcome it.

That weekend.

I'm back.

Akane seems more cheerful than expected.

She's picked up a new trick.

Not good.

You try.

Is it a popular game at her school?

At her dorm.

I practiced.

I practiced with friends.

It's simple, but it helped her get closer to other kids who don't use sign language.

On this day, Haruka is taking Akane to a dog grooming salon owned by an acquaintance.

Akane loves animals, so her mother believes that learning how to groom pets may provide hints for her future career path.

This is Akane's first time communicating with someone outside of her school and family.

His name is Shishimaru.

He's a Shih Tzu.

Boy dog.

Akane will help with shampooing.

I'm scared.

The water comes out when you press this.

You'll catch him by surprise if the water pressure is too strong,

so be careful about that.

Akane couldn't hear the instructions properly because of the sound of the water and the dogs barking in the background.

She gave up mid-way.

She ultimately wasn't able to be of much help.

Akane, how was the shampooing?

Hard.

Scary.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Six months have passed since then.

I'm home.

Welcome back.

Akane's looking bright and cheery.

She's grown accustomed to life at the boarding school.

- What do you do with your friends?
- Coloring books.

Coloring books, I see.

It's fun. We're close.

Haruka takes her daughter to an outing.

They are visiting an animal shelter that takes in rescued cats and dogs.

Haruka wants to give Akane another try at caring for animals.

The dog can't hear?

No, I don't think she can.

She's quite old.

This is Akane's first encounter with older dogs that are ill.

Stinky.

He doesn't have teeth, so grime tends to build up.

That's why there's a strong smell.

Do they go on walks?

Not really.

Just outside to go to the toilet,

or to get some sun.

She used to be shy around strangers.

But on this day, she does her best to communicate.

My dog loves meat.

He gobbles it up.

She's the heaviest.

- It's a female dog?
- Yeah.

- Can she walk?
- Nope.

- This leg is bad.
- I see.

There's more to animals than just petting and cuddling them.

They are living creatures, so you never know what to expect.

One day, they will pass away.

That's important to know if you're working with animals.

This job deals with the transient nature of living beings.

Akane spent the entire day taking care of the aging dogs.

One weekend, Akane decides to take some initiative.

- What are you going to do?
- Give Uni a bath.

- A bath?
- Yep.

I'm practicing to be a groomer.

Washing such a big dog can be a bit of a struggle.

Uni, stay.

- Is it warm?
- Yes.

And why do we need to use warm water?

It will keep him warm while I'm shampooing him.

With a hearing disorder, it can be tough to start new things,

let alone reach a goal.

Those are the cards she has been dealt,

but I think Akane will be able to overcome them.

When I look at her now, I can imagine her having a bright future.

She's still in the process, but I believe in her.

I can envision it because she has grown so much.

- I'm off.
- Bye.

Akane lived in a world without words for nearly half her life.

Now, she's 16.

- Be careful.
- Thanks.

She's learning new things, and moving steadily toward her goals.

Wow, wow, wow.

- You enjoy taking pictures?
- Yes, I do. I'm good at it.

Akane.