Category: Sagamihara

Many people visited the Tsukui Yamayuri-en residential facility for people with disabilities in the city of Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, on Sunday, the 10th anniversary of a mass stabbing attack that left 45 residents and staff members dead or injured. Chikiko Ono, 84, whose eldest son was seriously injured in the attack, visited the facility with her husband, Takashi, 82. Reflecting on the tragedy, she said, “There is not a day that goes by without us talking about Yamayuri-en. It feels as though our lives have been intertwined with the facility.”

The ceremony was previously held at the Tsukui Yamayuri-en care home, but this year, it took place at a larger venue in Sagamihara to attract more attendees, according to the prefectural government, one of the organizers of the event. Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa, bereaved family members and others connected with the facility took part.

A memorial ceremony was held Saturday to mark the ninth anniversary of the killing rampage at Tsukui Yamayuri-en, a care home for people with disabilities in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, that left 19 residents dead.  The ceremony was organized by the Kanagawa prefectural government and others and held at the facility’s gymnasium. A total of 85 participants, including bereaved families and facility staff, as well as Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa, offered a silent prayer. “On that day, our lives were overturned, and it took five years to restore them,” said Kazuma Otsuki, who leads a group of the families of facility users. “We will never forget you (the victims) all.”

A memorial ceremony commemorating the victims of the 2016 mass stabbing at Tsukui Yamayuri-en, a care facility for people with disabilities, was held on Saturday, July 26, marking nine years since the tragedy. The ceremony was organized by the Kanagawa Prefectural Government, Sagamihara City, and the facility’s managing welfare organization. Some political action groups also marked the day as a way to highlight injustices against people with disabilities and minority groups in general.