The trial of Satoshi Uematsu, who is accused of killing 19 people with disabilities at a care facility in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, in 2016, began on Jan. 8 and is expected to end in March. Uematsu admits to the murders. His defense team is trying to convince the judges, who include lay judges, that he carried out the killings with "diminished capacity" owing to marijuana use. This seems to be the only strategy his lawyers could think of to keep him off death row. An evaluation of Uematsu concluded he has "narcissistic personality disorder," but prosecutors argue he can be held criminally responsible for his actions.
The focus of media coverage is Uematsu's mental competency, a consideration complicated by the defendant's own statements as well as the public's general attitude toward people with disabilities. Uematsu claims he killed for the good of society, since those whose disabilities prevent them from communicating are "not people" and thus somehow "harmful." His comments have drawn disgust, but they've also sparked reflection in the media as to how prevalent this sentiment is. Just because it isn't virulent enough to compel others to do what Uematsu did, that doesn't mean it isn't widespread.
In December, the Mainichi Shimbun ran a feature about a neighborhood protest against the opening of a care home for people with disabilities in a residential area of Yokohama that was described by the magazine Shukan Josei as "celeb town," meaning it's well-to-do. The facility is operated by a company called Moana Care, which, following approval for construction in March 2018, held explanation sessions for nearby residents in late 2018 and early 2019.