First library for the blind to hold opening rites [Japan Times in 1943]

Wednesday July 14th 1943

Not a typo, The Japan Times on Sunday reprints articles from history.

The building to house the first library for the blind in Japan has been completed at Suwa-cho, Yodobashi-ku, and the opening ceremonies will take place there on July 18. The project was started through the efforts of Kazuo Homma 20, who lost his eyesight when 6 years old, to start a library for the blind.

Realizing that very few facilities for cultural development were accessible to the blind, Homma had determined on the occasion of the 2600th year celebration of the founding of the Japanese Empire to dedicate his life to the construction of a library for the blind. His privately operated Braille library has been utilized by 1,200 persons up to the present and the average monthly circulation of the books amounted to 1,000 volumes.

“The library work cannot be done by the blind people alone, as the braille books must be produce for us by people who can see and, therefore I would earnestly ask for the cooperation and assistance of all,” Homma said.