Parents Raised Concerns Early About Appointment of Chairman at ‘Inclusive’ Tokyo School, Alleging Harassment and Threats by Chairman

By Barrier Free Japan

March 31 2025

TOKYO – Parents of students attending Musashino Higashi Gakuen raised concerned about the appointment of Kenzo Matsumura as early as February 2024. In their change.org petition, parents express their concerns that the school as a “safe haven for our children is in a deep state of crisis, and with an ever growing concern about the future of our school”.

Further in a post on the change.org petition website, the parents write of how Chairman Matsumura had:

“been sending very threatening and harassing messages to students, faculty and parents.  There have been sudden displacements of key members of the faculty, and perplexing rule changes that go against the fundamental values of our school.”

They go on to say that the Chairman’s ideas goes against Musashino Higashi Gakuen’s “..core educational philosophy to foster a “spirit of love and friendship” in all children through inclusive education for normal children and children with ASD.”

One parent related a story about their daughter traumatized after verbally attacked by Matsumura who apparently:

“told her to quit school in a very threatening way, just because she expressed her own opinion.”

The parent goes on to say:

“Principal Ishibashi astonishingly said to her that Mr. Matsumura was deeply hurt by what my daughter said. Does he think my 17-year-old daughter was not devastated by the traumatic experience?

After the ordeal, she has not been able to sleep at night, and she cannot concentrate on her schoolwork.”

As of the date of publication, 2,241 people signed the petition.