2023-06-29 20:30:00
On the 29th, it has been 18 years since the “Kubota shock”, when the health hazards of asbestos were revealed at the former Kanzaki factory of machine maker “Kubota” in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture. Damage such as mesothelioma, which develops following a long incubation period, continues to this day. A 76-year-old man from Takarazuka City in the same prefecture who grew up regarding 200 meters from the old factory was diagnosed with cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma caused by asbestos in March this year. “I can’t believe this happened just because I lived there.” His words smear with regret. (Megumi Nakagawa)
The man lived in a tenement house near the old factory for regarding 15 years, starting when he was in first grade. Fourth of five siblings. This overlaps with the time when the old factory was using highly toxic blue asbestos, but he says, “I never felt (uncomfortable).”
In his twenties, he moved to Tokyo to become a musician. With her saxophone in hand, she played dance halls and accompanied enka singers on the road. After returning to Amagasaki, she continued to perform, but following the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, there was no place for her to perform, so she changed her job to a taxi driver.
About a year following the 2005 Kubota Shock, my nephew in his 40s died of lung disease. He lived in the same tenement house as the man. She suddenly remembered that she had said, “I can’t breathe.” At this time, she never dreamed that it would happen to her.
In January of this year, the man went to the hospital complaining of back pain. Fluid was found in his lungs, and a biopsy revealed he had mesothelioma. His stifling forced him to retire from his job. Currently, he is preparing to apply for certification under the Asbestos Health Damage Relief Act and seek relief money from Kubota.
When I wake up in the morning, I can’t take a deep breath comfortably. Just a short walk makes me feel short of breath. Even if I go shopping with my wife, I can’t even carry my luggage, so I wait in the car. At the hospital, he was told that one lung was not working. As a saxophonist, he was confident in the strength of his lungs, so he felt regret and pity for not being able to play.
“If you don’t like living around here, it can’t be helped. I have no choice but to give up,” he complains. However, I still think. “I can’t accept that I got sick just by living there. I want things to go back to normal.”
■ Talking regarding doctors and patients Gathering in Amagasaki on the 2nd
An Amagasaki rally aimed at relieving and eradicating asbestos damage will be held at 1:00 pm on July 2nd at the Small and Medium Enterprise Center in Showa-dori 2, Amagasaki City. Asbestos patients and their families will speak, and Dr. Shinichi Fujimoto of Okayama Rosai Hospital’s Oncology Department will give a talk titled “Mesothelioma and Cancer Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.” free. Capacity 150 people. Mr. Hiroshi Iida of Amagasaki Labor Safety and Health Center TEL 090-8202-3851
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