Keiko Sagara (相良 啓子, born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese Deaf researcher specializing in sign language linguistics, focusing on sign language typology, historical linguistics, and sociolinguistics. Her work has centered on the comparative study of East Asian sign languages, particularly Japanese Sign Language (JSL), Taiwan Sign Language (TSL), and Korean Sign Language. She is known for her contributions to understanding the historical development and regional variations of sign languages.
Early Life and Career Transition
Sagara grew up with hearing and initially aspired to be a kindergarten teacher. However, at the age of 19, she became completely deaf due to mumps, a life-altering event that prompted her to change her career path and learn sign language[6][7]. To better understand what it means to be deaf, she enrolled in the Tsukuba College of Technology, where she first learned sign language and had the opportunity to travel to the United States[6][8]. After graduating, she pursued her initial dream, earning a teaching license and a master's degree in special education from the University of Tsukuba[2][7].
For ten years, Sagara worked at JTB, a major travel agency in Japan, where she served as a barrier-free tour promotion officer. In this role, she supported deaf employees and clients, planned trips, and gained experience in tour escorting and interpreting. This experience exposed her to International Sign, which broadened her communication skills[2][6][7].
Research and Academic Career
Sagara's transition to a research career began when she accepted a research assistant position at the International Institute for Sign Languages and Deaf Studies (iSLanDS) at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in the United Kingdom. Her time at iSLanDS, from 2010 to 2014, marked the start of her formal research in linguistics. She also pursued a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in linguistics at UCLan, where her research focused on sign language typology, specifically on number, color, and kinship signs in various sign languages. She found the experience of studying and working in the UK to be both challenging and rewarding, as it boosted her confidence and inspired her to share her story with others[2][6][7].
Return to Japan
After returning to Japan, Sagara worked as a project researcher and assistant professor at the National Museum of Ethnology from 2014 to 2021. Her work there included creating exhibitions and conducting research on sign languages[2][5]. She later earned her Ph.D. in Academic Studies from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in 2021[1][2].
Currently, Sagara is a specially appointed researcher at the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics. Her research projects have been supported by competitive funds and have included:
- A comparative study of sign languages in Asia-Pacific countries[2].
- An investigation into the historical changes of vocabulary and meaning in Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean Sign Languages[3][4].
- A study on cross-signing phenomena in online meetings[2].
In 2022, she received the Young Researcher Presentation Award at the 14th International Conference on Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research[1][3]. Her work often involves analyzing historical relationships between different sign languages and exploring variations in numeral systems[1][2].
- Researchmap (n.d.). Keiko Sagara.
- J-Global (n.d.). Keiko Sagara's professional profile
- KAKEN (n.d.). Keiko Sagara researcher profile.
- NIHU Magazine (2024, January, 30). Keiko Sagara publications.
- 相良啓子さん【手話言語学研究者】 vol.29. (2024, August 1).
- Naito, Y. (2013). Sagara Keiko: Sign Language Researcher.
- Japanese Association for Sign Language Studies. (2023). Sagara Keiko's journey.
- Keiko Sagara's Website (n.d.). Retrieved from r.minpaku.ac.jp/ksagara
