Sanya, a low-income neighborhood straddling Tokyo’s Taito and Arakawa wards, may be a name that some would like to forget — it was scrubbed from city maps in 1966 — but the kindness of its residents reverberates across the lives of many today.
For 65-year-old Danny Matsumoto, it was the kindness of one person in particular whom he says saved his life.
Born in Japan but raised in the U.S., Matsumoto was deported to Narita International Airport in 2019 after missing a probation appointment. With no knowledge of Japanese or family contacts in the country, he lived in the airport for several weeks before connecting with the Meguro Catholic Church. In 2022, the church introduced him to Magokoro Yoshihira, managing director of Yui Associates, a nonprofit that helps those who have ended up on the streets.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.