The Yuyake Kodomo Club is a chain of daycare facilities for children with disabilities. There are three locations in Kodaira, Tokyo. They look after the children with autism and/or intellectual disabilities from the first grade of elementary school to the third year of high school who belong to special classrooms or attend special schools. They come to the facilities five days a week after school. Since its foundation over 40 years ago in 1978, The Yuyake Kodomo Club has watched children grow as facilities for the after-school care of children with disabilities. The club has been regarded as one of pioneers in their field. Previously, it was rare that children with disabilities participate in after-school activities. Shinji Muraoka (age 62) has been involved in the operation of the facilities and has promoted its activities since it was established.

It began when he was in the first year of collage in 1978. A senior student invited him to volunteer to help disabled children in Kodaira. Four disabled children and five adults were initially involved in the activities. Muraoka was surprised to see children running about when he arrived at the welfare office they had rented. The scene shattered his image of people with disabilities: people with disabilities in wheelchairs. He first learned that there were many different disabilities, such as developmental disability, autism, and intellectual disabilities. He was also surprised and inspired by the volunteers who played with the children in earnest. The experience was a personal milestone for Muraoka, who had previously had no interest in supporting people with disabilities.

He joined the people that founded the facilities. They lacked funding and a facility. He did clerical work necessary for the management of the facility, such as asking the local government for subsidies and looking for places for activities, in addition to looking after the children. "Activities were extremely fun," recalled Muraoka. This enjoyment stemmed from the pleasure he felt helping others and recognizing the dignity and richness of the lives of people with and without disabilities while the children's guardians expressed their gratitude.

After graduating from university, Muraoka was absent from activities for a while when he worked as an English teacher at a junior high school. The other founding volunteers also stopped participating in activities after graduation. Muraoka quit his job as a junior high school teacher after a year and returned to Yuyake Kodomo Club in 1984 over his parents' objections. He had a concern that there would be no one left who can convey the spirit when they had at the foundation, and he did not want the activities that had changed him and enabled him to grow disappear. Then, he devoted himself to the club's operations. In 1993, club staff carried out activities five days a week, an expansion from the initial one day a week. For many years after the club's founding, they used parks, public halls, community gathering places, welfare halls, and schools. Finally, in 1997, they permanently established a facility in a building that had formerly been a public hall. That same year, they began picking up children at school to bring them to the facilities. The number of users increased after this. To facilitate operations, he set up the Akane Kai, an incorporated nonprofit organization, in 2001 when they opened the second site within the city. The third location, also within the city, was opened in 2013. They also look after children during long school vacations (spring, summer, and winter). Currently, there are eight full-time and 30 part-time employees working at three facilities. Their activities are growing more diverse, for instance, they now hold concerts on special occasions.

"We would like to continue to ensure stable operation and a carefully managed environment for children, rather than just increasing the scale of our activities. For the future generation to carry on these activities, we need to establish a working environment that provides peace of mind, including good wages," said Muraoka. Although the path has never been or never will be easy, watching children grow every day motivates and energizes him.

Approximately 40 years have passed since he began volunteering as a college student. He became a teacher after graduating the university. However, he returned to the Yuyake Kodomo Club despite his parents' disapproval. Since then, he has watched children with disabilities grow. His way of life is respectful. Starting with a small group, the achievement that he has made to have established such a well-organized club through tireless efforts is remarkable. His idea of respecting the dignity of children with disabilities and enabling them to develop their own personalities slowly is a precious philosophy that we should remember because people tend to focus on productivity today.