A documentary film on the former “home custody” system, under which patients with mental illnesses were lawfully locked up in sheds and other structures at home, has won praise from the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
This photo of Kintaro was taken in 1967. (Provided by Yoshikazu Hara)
While she was watching a documentary two years ago, Yukie froze when she saw a photograph of a man being held in a room with bars and looking at the camera with a calm expression.
The 41-year-old instantly thought that the man, who was referred to as “Kintaro” and living in Okinawa Prefecture, might be her grandfather.
Yukie, who asked that only her first name be used, said all she had known about her paternal grandfather was that his name was Kintaro, that he lived in the southernmost prefecture, and that he suffered from a mental illness after losing his boat.