Mariko Miyagi

An actress who has also written screenplays, directed and produced films. Director of Nemunoki Gakuen, a school for disabled children - the first ever such school in Japan. The school was founded by Miyagi in Shizuoka-ken in April 1968 using her own money. At Nemunoki, children and young adults with physical, intellectual or familial difficulties are gently encouraged to discover and develop their talents through such activities as painting, music, tea ceremony and dancing. In 1997, the school moved to its current site on a hill, now named Nemunoki Village, in the city of Kakegawa, Shizuoka-ken, and accommodates 56 children and students aged 2 to 38, as well as 22 elderly people, all living alongside 96 staff members and their families. (Source: Japanese Women Behind the Scenes) Miyagi died on March 21, 2020 of lymphoma.