A 16-year-old parolee was sent to a social welfare facility in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward in late July to volunteer for social service as part of his rehabilitation.
"Please clean this corridor," instructed 72-year-old Ritsuko Noda, a probation officer and human rights commissioner representing the ward. The boy picked up a broom and started sweeping in silence.
He smiled shyly when he was praised for spotting stains on a flower pot during his two-hour shift.