Shinya Tateiwa, Sociologist who Researched People with Disabilities Dies, Aged 62

From Barrier Free Japan, The Tokyo Shimbun

August 1 2023

JAPAN –  Shinya Tateiwa, a sociologist and professor at Ritsumeikan University, who was known for his essays on the disabled and euthanasia, including a critique of the murder case at a facility for people with disabilities in Sagamihara, passed away at 1:33 p.m. on July 31 at a hospital in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City due to a malignant lymphoma. He was 62 years old.

Tateiwa was born in Niigata Prefecture. The funeral service will be held privately. The pallbearer will be his eldest son Sou.

Born on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, he studied sociology at the University of Tokyo and its graduate school. After the Sagamihara incident in 2016, he bitterly criticized arguments in favor of euthanasia. With critic Shunsuke Sugita, he co-authored “The Sagamihara Disability Murder Case,” examining the incident from a historical perspective, including discrimination against people with disabilities.

Member of the House of Councillors and Reiwa Shinsengumi party member Daisuke Tenbata, who has multiple disabilities tweeted:

“We have lost another person who can talk about the problem of eugenics. Shinya Tateiwa, a professor at Ritsumeikan University and my mentor, has passed away. Tateiwa-sensei’s writing was difficult, but I understood it well when I spoke. That’s why I transcribed it, digested it, and reflected it in my thesis. I was listening to the recording yesterday and my eyes were burning.”