Between Hearing and Touch: The Global Discovery of the Vibratory Sense through a “Deaf Ability”

In 1932, Japanese psychologist Takano Kiyoshi conducted experimental research on vibratory sensations using hundreds of deaf schoolchildren as research subjects. This article examines the little-studied relationship between the global spread of oralism and the local formulation of knowledge about the vibratory sense—or senkaku 顫覚—in Japanese psychoacoustics. In the 1920s, American missionaries and educators helped spread oralism in Japan, and the Japanese state implemented the Blind and Deaf-Mute Schools Ordinance. There was also a notable development of experimental psychology in the country. Influenced by German psychologist David Katz’s work, Takano viewed deafness as a physical “ability” or physiological “advantage” for his scientific project. A close reading of Japanese, German, and American psychologists’ works on the vibratory sense around the time reveals that it was considered not quite identical to hearing, nor to touch. The five senses framework—based on the ideas of touch, hearing, sight, smell, and taste—does not always function properly in sensory history; this prevalent framework can put aside the actual nuances and complexities of one’s varying understanding of the human sensorium across time and space. This study highlights the (anonymous) participation of deaf individuals as research subjects and draws attention to how people with impairments played diverse roles in the history of science.