Why is she totally blind at 16:01 on May 23, the charm of the starry sky?

A small planetarium that is old but constantly visited.

Therefore, there is a visually impaired woman who guides the stars to the customers.

Why do you do the job when you can't see her?

There was a reason she continued to convey the charm of her starry sky.

(Kanazawa Broadcasting Station Yayoi Yuikawa)

"Retro" and the popular planetarium

A children's house in a hot spring town in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Inside the building, there is the oldest planetarium in Ishikawa prefecture, which was built 42 years ago (1980).

The dome projection device is quite old-fashioned.

However, it has become popular as "retro", and customers come not only from the local area but also from distant places.

Mayu Kinoshita (47 years old), a staff member of the children's house, continues her work as a star guide at such a popular planetarium.

Mayu's eyes can feel a little light even in a bright place.

During the screening, other staff will accompany you as a supporter and operate the machine.

Mayu Kinoshita

"It is the first magnitude star Arcturus that glows orange. Arcturus is the constellation Boötes ..."

Stars and constellations are projected on the ceiling screen, and Mayu's relaxed and gentle commentary echoes in the dome.

The sickness that attacked Mayu

Mayu who worked as a nurse at a hospital in Kaga city and took care of patients with dialysis.

When she was 33, her headaches and illnesses began to continue.

She has a hard time seeing the letters.

She suddenly can't ride a bicycle.

Her vision narrowed in her eyes, and her close examination revealed that a tumor in the frontal lobe of her brain was compressing her optic nerve.

Her doctor explained that she had a large tumor and was difficult to remove.

Her eyes eventually disappeared altogether, and she had surgery at a hospital outside the prefecture seven years ago, with little chance of her vision returning.

Mayu Kinoshita

"I believed that I would be able to see if I had surgery. But when I removed the bandage after the surgery, I couldn't see anything. I asked my ophthalmologist," Can I see my eyes? ??

I heard, "I don't think it's there," he said clearly. Really? Can't you see it again? It was so shocking that I couldn't say it. "

An unforgettable purpose of life

Mayu was proud to be a nurse.

She doesn't have such a nice job.

She wants to continue for the rest of her life.

It was her purpose to be able to rely on and be close to those who have a hard time.

Shortly after her surgery, Mayu quit her nurse.

She helped her with clerical work at social welfare councils and NPOs, but she is said to have been dragging her days as a fulfilling nurse.

Mayu Kinoshita

"Until then, as a nurse, I thought I knew the feelings of patients, but when I became a disabled person, I was in a position to rely on people, and sick people were asking with this feeling. For the first time, I knew it. I want someone to need it. The more I thought I should have been a nurse, the harder it was. "

Offer received

Under these circumstances, Mayu made an unexpected offer last year.

She was introduced to the work of the children's house and visited her workplace, where she was asked to "explain at the planetarium."

Why do you want Mayu, who is visually impaired, to act as a planetarium guide?

Yoko Ugajin, the director of the children's house who made the offer, talked about an event several years ago.

Ms. Yoko Uga, Director of the Children's Center

"One of the nursery school children who came on an excursion was a visually impaired child. While the other children were overjoyed, she was quiet. Did you enjoy the planetarium? That was something I've always been thinking about. "

Mr. Ugajin has been thinking about how to bring the charm of stars to people with disabilities.

He felt that the encounter with Mayu, who had been eager to help someone even after losing her eyesight, was a "chance given by God," and offered her a guide role.

Mayu on the other hand.

She said she had no hesitation in accepting it.

Mayu Kinoshita

"I was really happy that I could help myself. I didn't know in detail what kind of work it was at that time, but I told him to let me do it. I can rely on people. I wanted to put myself in a place. "

With my husband and three-legged race

Of course, it is not easy for Mayu, who is blind, to prepare for the commentary.

The planetarium performance is 40 minutes each time.

The commentary manuscript is 6 sheets of A4 size paper.

You have to memorize all this.

She has become visually impaired and Mayu, who is "young", cannot read Braille yet.

She repeatedly reproduces and recites the voices of her colleagues in the workplace, imprinting them on her head.

Her husband, Welfare, is right next to her efforts.

Welfare always kindly gives a "help boat" to her wife who forgets or makes a mistake in her manuscript.

Mayu

"The constellation Boötes is said to be modeled after the Greek giant Atlas. The name Atlas means" bear keeper "..."

Mr. Kosei

"Arcturus" Doesn't it mean the bear keeper? "

Mayumi

" Did I remember by mistake? "

Mr. Kosei said, "I am encouraged," to my wife, who remains positive even in difficult challenges.

The fun of the starry sky for many people

March.

This is the first day of the release of a new program that introduces the constellations of spring.

The start time is approaching, and when I see Mayu-san, I'm crouching in the corner of the dome.

I was muttering the manuscript I remembered all the time, blocking my ears so that noise would not enter.

It is said that there is always extreme tension before a performance.

There was a special customer for Mayu in the hall.

Two elderly people with visual impairments.

Mayu added some ingenuity to the commentary on that day.

The performance will start and the hall will be dark.

Mayu-san has loved seeing the stars since she was little.

She talks while recalling the scene of the night sky in her memory.

"The head of Ursa Major is in the west direction at 3 o'clock. The

　tail is in the east direction at 9 o'clock on the clock.

The location of stars and constellations that often point to the screen with the light of a laser pointer.

Mayu expressed them in "time" so that even visually impaired people can easily understand them.

Mayu

"I was able to find Virgo and Spica in the direction of 8 o'clock.

　Together with Arcturus and the second magnitude star Denebola in Leo, it is called the Spring Triangle. Did you understand the spring constellation?"

Mayu who finished the commentary seems to be relieved.

She was well received by the visually impaired customers she was interested in.

A visually impaired woman

"I have never seen the sky since I was sick and blind, but I was very happy that the scene came to my mind."

Even if you can't see, you can "feel" the starry sky.

Communicating that fun to as many people as possible has become a new purpose for Mayu-san.

Mayu Kinoshita

"I try not to feel sorry for myself who is blind. I remember each phrase of the star commentary one by one, and when it becomes a constellation in a row, it is" fun ". I have a responsibility to do it, and I'm getting help from everyone, so it's difficult to balance my feelings, but I'll do my best even if I make a mistake. "

Postscript of the interview

Mayu told me that she was thinking about the stars and constellations even when she was doing housework at home, and that every day was fun.

The immediate goal is to broaden her knowledge so that she can explain the constellations of all seasons.

When she talks to Mayu, she feels positive, saying, "I have to take on more challenges."

We rely on someone, with or without disabilities.

I think that I feel a sense of purpose and happiness in that relationship.

Yayoi Yuikawa

In charge of coverage at Kanazawa Broadcasting Station for 15 years.

She cherishes the eyes of housewives and mothers.

She makes use of her wide network to send out community-based news every day.