24 Years Since the Ikeda City Tragedy: A Family Member's Words of "Grief" and "Hope" at the Memorial Service, and the Evolving Landscape of the Safety Business

On March 4th, many people visited "Niji no Kakehashi" (Rainbow Bridge), a memorial facility in Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture, from early in the morning. It marks 24 years since that tragic day at the Osaka Kyoiku University附属 Ikeda Elementary School. The附属 Ikeda Elementary School incident, where eight children lost their lives in a random stabbing attack, sent shockwaves through schools across Japan and shattered the myth of absolute safety.

Approximately 300 people, including bereaved families, school staff, and local residents, attended this year's memorial service. They observed a moment of silence and offered flowers. One bereaved woman who attended spoke quietly: "Even after 24 years, my child's smile is still vividly etched in my memory. We must not let this incident fade into the past. To ensure this tragedy is never repeated, we will continue to share our story." Her words resonated deeply with everyone present.

Over these 24 years, school safety in Japan has undergone a significant transformation. The installation of security cameras has become standard, and many schools have implemented controlled gate access and established manuals for responding to suspicious individuals. However, as someone who has been involved in safety measures in this industry for many years, I am concerned that we still often see 'safety in name only.' For instance, it's not uncommon to find cameras installed but without functioning recording capabilities, or manuals exist but practical training drills are insufficient.

At this year's memorial service, the bereaved families' association renewed its call for "enhanced mental health care" and "building a community-wide system to watch over children." The children who were young at the time of the incident are now adults, living with their own trauma. Furthermore, the challenge of passing on the memory has become evident, as many of the teachers who experienced the incident have since left the school.

"Please Don't Forget" – A Message from the Bereaved Families, 24 Years On

At the memorial service, several family members struggled to express their feelings. Their words conveyed wishes that can be summarized as follows:

• Preventing the incident from fading from memory: "As time passes, we feel society's interest waning. We won't forget, but the challenge is how to convey this to the next generation."
• Continuous evolution of safety measures: "We want them to apply the lessons learned that day and create a school environment that can also respond to new threats."
• Consideration for invisible scars: "With more teachers unaware of the incident, it's crucial to have adults who can notice subtle changes in children."

These voices highlight an area that cannot be resolved simply by enhancing safety equipment. In other words, a major theme for the future will be how to complement physical infrastructure improvements by addressing vulnerabilities in the 'softer' aspects, such as human resource development, community engagement, and mental health support.

Business Opportunities in "Safety": Market Transformation 24 Years On

Over the past 24 years, the market related to school safety has undoubtedly expanded. The demand for hardware like security cameras, IC card gates, and emergency notification systems remains stable. However, what I'm focusing on is the emergence of new business ventures beyond this.

Firstly, the mental health care sector. The trauma from such an incident casts a long shadow not only on the bereaved families but also on local residents and the emergency responders from that time. While numerous mental health services exist for corporations, counselling and training programs specifically tailored to 'critical incident stress' are still scarce. This represents a highly specialized niche market with significant growth potential.

Next is community watching technology. As volunteer crime prevention patrols age, there is a growing demand for IT solutions that complement 'community eyes', such as AI-powered surveillance cameras and location-sharing apps for children. For example, services that inform parents in real-time about their children's safety during the commute to and from school are already being adopted by many municipalities. However, there is still considerable room to add new value, such as through more advanced risk prediction systems.

Furthermore, there are initiatives to develop business models around 'preserving memory.' This could involve creating digital archives of the incident's records and providing them as educational materials for schools. Another concept is 'memorial tourism,' linking the operation of memorial facilities to regional revitalization. Due to the highly public nature of these endeavours, collaboration with local governments and fostering a culture of donations will be key. However, they are worth considering as a sustainable way to pass on history.

Of course, the most crucial aspect of developing such businesses is balancing 'dignity' with 'profit.' Exploiting a tragedy purely as a marketing tool is absolutely unacceptable. Building services that are truly beneficial to society while gaining the understanding of the bereaved families and the local community — I am convinced that this is the absolute prerequisite for long-term success in this field.

A Changing Landscape, an Unchanging Vow

Even after the memorial service ended and the attendees departed, flowers continued to be offered at "Niji no Kakehashi." The memory of that day 24 years ago has not faded; it remains etched into the fabric of this community.

The nature of safety changes with the times. However, the vow to 'never let such a tragedy happen again' is an unchanging principle that must be passed down by society as a whole. The process of bringing that vow to fruition involves many challenges requiring collaboration between the public and private sectors. What can each of us do to ensure this event doesn't become mere 'past'? Perhaps continuously asking ourselves this question is the true starting point for a meaningful safety business.