For those living with cancer, a place to talk in Tokyo that's neither home nor hospital

A diagnosis of cancer comes as a crushing blow not only to patients themselves but their families, too. Those around them have to tread lightly and watch their words on diet and therapy, for example. For those affected, it can feel as if the world they knew has shattered around them.

Every other Japanese person will experience life as a cancer patient at some point, according to Hitoshi Nakagama, president of the National Cancer Center Japan. Nearly 1 million people are newly diagnosed each year, and as Japan continues to age, the country can expect the proportion of the population affected by cancer to grow further.

In the district of Toyosu, Koto Ward, Maggie's Tokyo helps those affected — the patients and those supporting them — accept the changes in lifestyle and relationships that accompany cancer, and to empower them to move forward at this difficult time in their lives.