Kobe ¨C While most of Japan is fixated on various stories associated with the Olympics, I¡¯d like to take a moment to acknowledge that July 26 marks the five-year anniversary of what is now often referred to as the ¡°Sagamihara stabbings.¡±
In the early hours of July 26, 2016, a former employee of the Tsukui Yamayuri-en care home in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, broke in and killed 19 residents between the ages of 19 and 70 with a knife, injuring 26 others. Later sentenced to death, the killer believed he didn¡¯t deserve such a harsh sentence and that people with disabilities that are unable to communicate can only ¡°create unhappiness in society.¡±
As someone with cerebral palsy who is living in Japan, this day in particular offers a chance to think about such horrific incidents in a broader sense. And this year, I can¡¯t help but notice that one of the topics of conversation overshadowing the anniversary of the massacre is a controversy surrounding Olympics opening ceremony composer Keigo Oyamada, 52, who has admitted to the ¡°extreme bullying¡± of classmates with disabilities in his past.
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