「旭川荘と私」―山陽新聞社会事業団創立７０周年記念講演（要旨）
(“Asahigawasō and I” — Commemorative Lecture for the 70th Anniversary of the Sanyō Shimbun Social Welfare Foundation (Summary))

平成29年8月号掲載(Published in August Heisei 29 (2017))

　社会福祉法人山陽新聞社会事業団は、昭和２３年（１９４８）に発足し、以来、社会福祉事業に取り組んできました。教主様は、平成９年（１９９７）よりその理事をお務めです。６月１５日、事業団の創立７０周年の記念式典が山陽新聞社さん太ホールで開催され、理事長で山陽新聞社社長の松田正己氏から感謝状が、教主様と川﨑明德川崎学園学園長等に手渡されました。その後、教主様と事業団専務理事の阪本文雄氏による記念講演がなされました。

　その教主様のご講演の要旨が、山陽新聞７月１６日付朝刊に「『人に尽くして人となる』実体験で学んだ。」というタイトルのもとに、前文「全国に先駆け、医療と福祉が一体となって障害者を支えてきた社会福祉法人旭川荘（岡山市北区祇園）と共に歩み、先頭に立って支援を続けてきた黒住教主の講演要旨を紹介する。」を添えて掲載されました。

　今号の「道ごころ」は、教主様の講演要旨を紹介させていただきます。（編集部）

The Social Welfare Corporation Sanyō Shimbun Social Welfare Foundation was established in 1948 and has since been engaged in social welfare activities. The Chief Patriarch has served as a director since 1997. On June 15, a commemorative ceremony marking the foundation’s 70th anniversary was held at the Sanyō Shimbun Santa Hall. At the ceremony, a letter of appreciation was presented by Matsuda Masami, President of the Sanyō Shimbun newspaper company and chairman of the foundation, to the Chief Patriarch and to Dr. Kawasaki Akinori, Chancellor of Kawasaki Gakuen.

Following this, a commemorative lecture was delivered by the Chief Patriarch together with Mr. Sakamoto Fumio, Executive Director of the foundation.
The essence of the Chief Patriarch’s lecture was published in the July 16 morning edition of the Sanyō Shimbun newspaper under the title: “Learning through real experience that ‘One becomes truly human by serving others’.” The introduction read: “Introducing the keynote lecture of the Chief Patriarch, who has walked together with Asahigawa-sō (Gion, Kita Ward, Okayama City)—a social welfare corporation that has led the nation in integrating medicine and welfare to support people with disabilities—and who has continued to stand at the forefront of its support.”

This month’s Michigokoro presents the summary of the Chief Patriarch’s lecture. (Editorial Office)

　山陽新聞社会事業団の７０周年記念の式典が行われましたきょうの佳（よ）き日に、記念講演をということで、まことに光栄に思っております。

On this auspicious day of the 70th anniversary ceremony of the Sanyō Shimbun Social Welfare Foundation, I am truly honored to be asked to give a commemorative lecture.

　きょう私は、「旭川荘と私」と題させていただいておりますが、申し上げるまでもなく、岡山県民にとりまして、旭川荘の働き、その存在は、大きな誇りであります。

Today I have entitled my talk “Asahigawa-sō and I.” Needless to say, for the people of Okayama Prefecture, the work and presence of Asahigawa-sō is a source of great pride.

　実は、こういう題名を付けましたのも、私には、先代の教主である父が旭川荘の創設者であります川﨑祐宣（すけのぶ）先生とごく親しくしていただいていたことから、先生は子供時分から見上げるような存在でした。昨年の暮、１２月１日から活動が始まりました、旧深柢（しんてい）小学校の跡地にできました川崎医科大学総合医療センター、旧川崎病院を開院されたのが、昭和１４年（１９３９）ですが、それ以来、川﨑祐宣先生は「昼夜診療、年中無休。病院には盆も正月もない、いつでも受け入れる。いつでも治療する」。これを自らに課し、世に公言して、自ら外科医としてメスを執り続けること４０年近く「患者のための医者、患者のための病院」を貫かれました。

In fact, the reason I chose this title is that my father, the previous Chief Patriarch, was very close to the founder of Asahigawa-sō, Dr. Kawasaki Sukenobu. From childhood, I looked up to him as a towering figure.
Last year, on December 1, activities began at the new Kawasaki Medical University General Medical Center, built on the site of the former Shintei Elementary School. The original Kawasaki Hospital was founded in 1939. From that time onward, Dr. Kawasaki Sukenobu imposed upon himself and publicly declared: “Day and night medical care, open all year round. The hospital has no Bon or New Year holidays. Always accept patients. Always provide treatment.”
He upheld this for nearly forty years, continuing to wield the surgeon’s scalpel himself, embodying “a physician for the patients, a hospital for the patients.”

　そういう中で、川﨑先生の手に負えない患者さんがありました。それが障がいをもった、とりわけ重い障がいをもった人々でした。そういう人たちを目の当たりにして、何もできない自分を叱りつけるような思いであったのが川﨑祐宣という方だったと思います。

In the midst of this, there were patients whom Dr. Kawasaki could not treat. These were people with disabilities, especially those with severe disabilities. Confronted with such individuals, he felt as if he were rebuking himself for being unable to do anything. That was the kind of person Dr. Kawasaki was.

　まだ終戦間もない瓦礫（がれき）が残る岡山の街の中で、今日（こんにち）の旭川荘創立を高々と掲げられたわけであります。

Amid the rubble that still remained in Okayama City shortly after the war, he raised high the banner of founding what is today’s Asahigawa-sō.

　昭和３１年に国の認可を受け、ちょうど６０年前の昭和３２年に旭川荘は、今でいう知的障がいの人々のための旭川学園と、身体障がいの人々のための旭川療育園、そして親御さんが病気あるいはいろいろな都合で育てられない乳児を預かり育てる乳児院、この３つの施設から、スタートしました。

In Shōwa 31 (1956), Asahigawa-sō received national authorization, and in Shōwa 32 (1957), exactly sixty years ago, it began with three facilities: Asahigawa Gakuen, the school for people with intellectual disabilities, Asahigawa Ryōiku-en for people with physical disabilities, and an Infant Home to care for babies whose parents were ill or otherwise unable to raise them.

　今日、この旭川荘は、最初の３つから８６の施設、利用者が２４００～２５００人、職員が２０００人余。ひとつの町といってもよい姿になりました。

Today, Asahigawa-sō has grown from its original three facilities to eighty-six, serving between 2,400 and 2,500 users, with more than 2,000 staff. It has become like a town in itself.

　ところで昭和３９年、１回目の東京オリンピック・パラリンピックが開催されました。上京した私は、オリンピックは観（み）ることができませんでしたが、パラリンピックの車椅子バスケットボールを観ることができました。障がいをもった人たちが、それに挫（くじ）けず、逆にそれをバネにして生きているすごさに本当に感服いたしました。帰りまして、父に話しましたら、「障がいをもった人に対する関心をもつことは、宗教者となるお前としてはよいことだ。是非、旭川荘に江草先生を訪ねろ」ということで、早速電話してくれました。一人の身で、目も見えない、物も言えない、噛（か）むこともできない、手足も動かない、寝返りも打てない、そういうお子さんが全国に３万人からいる。「何とかしようではないか」。幸い信者というよりも友人のような若い仲間が次々といて、何か役に立つことをやろうではないか、という声が出ていた矢先でしたから、何も分からないままに江草安彦先生の一言をそのまま鵜呑（うの）みにして、「中四国を対象に重症心身障がい児の施設を造ろう」という大きな看板を掲げてしまいました。

In Shōwa 39 (1964), the first Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were held. When I went up to Tokyo, I was unable to see the Olympics, but I did see wheelchair basketball at the Paralympics. I was deeply impressed by the greatness of people with disabilities who did not succumb to their condition but instead used it as a springboard for living.
When I returned and told my father, he said, “To take an interest in people with disabilities is a good thing for you, who are to become a religious leader. You must visit Dr. Egusa Yasuhiko at Asahigawa-sō.” He immediately telephoned for me.
At that time, there were children across the nation—about 30,000—who could not see, could not speak, could not chew, could not move their limbs, could not even turn over in bed. Dr. Egusa said, “Let us do something about this.” Fortunately, I had young companions who were more like friends than followers, and voices were already rising: “Let us do something useful.” Without understanding much, I took Dr. Egusa’s words literally and raised a great banner: “Let us build a facility for children with severe multiple disabilities, serving the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions.”

　そういう中で、３人のお母さんが手を上げて下さったのです。今は真庭市になった県北勝山の森脇さん、今は岡山市になった旧上道町の礪波（となみ）さん。きょうこのホールに来ていらっしゃる、今は瀬戸内市になった邑久町の山根さんでした。この３人のお母さんが、わが子の生活ぶりを写真や映画にご自由にお撮り下さいと仰（おっ）しゃって下さいました。この３人のお母さんの勇気が今日の旭川児童院を造ったのです。

In this context, three mothers raised their hands. They were Mrs. Moriwaki from Katsuyama in northern Okayama Prefecture (now Maniwa City), Mrs. Tonami from the former Kamidō Town (now part of Okayama City), and Mrs. Yamane, from the former Oku Town (now Setouchi City), who is here in this hall today. These three mothers said, “Please feel free to photograph or film the daily lives of our children.” It was their courage that created today’s Asahigawa Children’s Home.

　中・四国の青年たちは、映画を各地で上映し、更に各県の映画館でも上映してもらい、また日曜祭日毎（ごと）に街頭募金をしながら、一方で皆さまからお金を出してもらうだけではいけないと、自分たちで進んで田植えなどして働いて献金してくれました。おかげで半年と区切った昭和４０年の４月から９月の末までで集まった約一千万円近くのお金を、当時の加藤武徳知事に渡すことができました。

Young people from across the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions screened the film in various places, arranged for it to be shown in theaters in each prefecture, and on Sundays and holidays carried out street fundraising. At the same time, they felt it was not enough simply to ask for money, so they themselves went out to earn money for donation through works like rice planting and more. Thanks to this, between April and the end of September Shōwa 40 (1965), they raised nearly ten million yen, which they were able to hand over to Governor Katō Takenori.

　その年の８月に山陽新聞の社告を打って、「重症心身障がい児、この子たちに愛の手を」との半年間のキャンペーンは、凄（すさ）まじいばかりの動きでありました。昭和４２年５月、旭川荘の中に旭川児童院が県民立、市民立のような形で生まれました。

That August, the Sanyō Shimbun issued a public appeal, and the six-month campaign under the slogan “Extend a hand of love to these children with severe multiple disabilities” became a tremendous movement. In May Shōwa 42 (1967), within Asahigawa-sō, the Asahigawa Children’s Home was born in a form that was truly citizen-initiated and prefecture-initiated.

　その日川﨑祐宣先生に、森脇さんはじめ、礪波さん、山根さんを紹介しました折、川﨑先生が「よくぞお子さん方を世の中に出して下さった」と言われた時に、３人のお母さんが異口同音に同じことを言われました。「この度は有り難うございました。初めてわが子が人様のためにお役に立つことができました」。私は側（そば）で聞いていて、なんと親心は深いものかと思いました。わが子が寝たままで人様にお世話になることはあっても、何も役に立たない。それが、ありのままの姿を写真や映画に撮られることによって多くの方々が理解して下さり、そして、多額の浄財を捧（ささ）げて下さった。同じように病み苦しむ人のために、わが子が役に立つことができた。それを川﨑先生にお礼を言う３人のお母さんでありました。

On that day, when I introduced Mrs. Moriwaki, Mrs. Tonami, and Mrs. Yamane to Dr. Kawasaki Sukenobu, he said, “How admirable that you have brought your children into the world.” At that moment, all three mothers, with one voice, said the same thing: “Thank you very much. For the first time, our children have been able to be of service to others.”
As I listened nearby, I thought deeply about how profound a mother’s heart is. Until then, their children, bedridden, had only received care from others and had never been of use. Yet by allowing their children’s lives to be photographed and filmed just as they were, many people came to understand, and offered generous donations. In this way, their children were able to be of service to others who suffered in the same way. These three mothers expressed their gratitude to Dr. Kawasaki.

　有り難いことは、旭川荘には、県民市民の、いや他県からもボランティアが多いことです。一人として〝してやった〟という思いを持つ人はいません。〝させていただく〟という、まさに奉仕、仕え奉る姿で、今に一万人前後のボランティアの方が毎年駆け付けて下さいます。そして私ども、２０代の青年期にあれほどの尊い仕事をさせてもらい、「人は人に尽くして人となる」を実体験させていただいたことを、この３人のお母さんに会う度にお礼を言ってきました。「あなた方のおかげで私どもは素晴らしい青年時代を持つことができた。そして、あなた方のおかげで旭川児童院は出来上がったのです」。この大元を常に忘れてはならないと思っております。

What is truly precious is that Asahigawa-sō has so many volunteers—not only from the citizens of Okayama Prefecture but also from other prefectures. Not a single one of them carries the feeling of “I did something for them.” Rather, they come with the spirit of “I was allowed to serve,” embodying true service, the attitude of serving humbly. Even today, nearly ten thousand volunteers come each year.
For us, in our twenties, to be allowed to do such noble work and to experience firsthand that “One becomes truly human by serving others”—this is something for which I have always expressed gratitude whenever I meet those three mothers. I have said to them: “Thanks to you, we were able to have a wonderful youth. And thanks to you, the Asahigawa Children’s Home was built.”
We must never forget this foundation.