Disability Discrimination Intellectual disabilities Japan Podcast

Disability News Japan Podcast: Documentary ‘On The Way Home’ Alleges Discrimination Against Intellectually Disabled By Japan’s Police

At approximately 6PM on September 25th, 2007, 25-year-old Kenta Yasunaga was cycling home from a workshop he regularly attended in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, when police officers attempted to stop him, believing him to be acting suspiciously. However, Kenta Yasunaga had difficulties in communicating due to his autism. Kenta Yasunaga would later die at the hospital to which he was taken and his cause of death was found to be acute cardiac arrest.

By Barrier Free Japan

February 26 2023

JAPAN – At approximately 6PM on September 25th, 2007, 25-year-old Kenta Yasunaga was cycling home from a workshop he regularly attended in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, when police officers attempted to stop him, believing him to be acting suspiciously.

However, Kenta Yasunaga had difficulties in communicating due to his autism. Kenta Yasunaga would later die at the hospital to which he was taken and his cause of death was found to be acute cardiac arrest.

A new documentary titled ‘On The Way Home’ produced by Tsuyoshi Fujioka, challenges what happened to Yasunaga. For example, it “claims that that injuries were discovered all over his body following the incident” and that when Kenta’s father, Takayuki told the police that his son had autism, “the officer appeared shocked”, the police had apparently attributed Kenta’s behavior to “mental derangement.”

The documentary can be found on YouTube and there are four versions with Japanese subtitles and with sign language.

Episode Notes: https://barrierfreejapan.com/2023/02/25/documentary-on-the-way-home-alleges-prejudice-by-police-towards-people-with-intellectual-disabilities-in-japan/

‘On The Way Home’ YouTube Video (Japanese language with sign language):

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