Most people would probably consider park benches an unusual target for journalistic scrutiny, but Yumiko Hayakawa was determined to get to the bottom of the matter. She interviewed over 100 people, spoke to park officials, gave out a questionnaire and took photos in parks around Tokyo.
Her article was about the replacement of ordinary park benches in the capital by queer and uncomfortably shaped seats. The reason, she soon discovered, was that officials didn't want homeless people sleeping in their parks. But is that fair? she asked. And what about other park visitors, like a mother who might need to change her baby's diaper?
When the article was published, more than 80 comments from readers fueled a lively online debate.
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