OSAKA - For children with life-limiting illnesses or severe disabilities, even simple experiences such as playing freely or having friends stay overnight can be difficult.
Children's hospices aim to make such experiences possible while also providing support for their families, and efforts are underway to expand the number of these facilities in Japan.
Tsurumi Children's Hospice in Osaka, which opened in 2016, launched a consultation service in April to help people establish similar facilities across the country.
Aya Mizutani, who oversees the initiative, said, "We want to create a society where children's hospices are a familiar part of everyday life."
The children's hospice movement began in Britain in the 1980s.
Unlike adult hospices, children's hospices are not primarily focused on end-of-life care.
Instead, they provide spaces where children with serious illnesses or disabilities can enjoy short-term stays or play and spend time with loved ones.
Staff at Tsurumi Children's Hospice also hope to challenge common perceptions surrounding the word "hospice."
One staff member said hospices are often viewed as places people prefer not to talk about, but stressed that the facility aims to show they are positive spaces for children and their families.
At the hospice, children can make use of a spacious playroom equipped with swings or stay overnight in the accommodation wing with friends, offering opportunities that may otherwise be difficult to experience.
Staff say the hospice gives children a chance to forget about their illnesses, even if only temporarily, while also benefiting their families.
The hospice relies largely on donations to cover its annual operating costs of about 130 million yen. It served 252 families in fiscal 2024 and has 13 staff members on site, including nurses and childcare workers.
Although similar facilities exist in places such as Yokohama, they remain relatively scarce. According to the Japan Children's Hospice Association, an estimated 20,000 children nationwide could benefit from access to such services.
Mizutani believes expanding the network of hospices will also help raise awareness of their role.
"As more hospices are established, public understanding of their role will also grow," she said.
The consultation service primarily provides online advice tailored to prospective founders, helping them address the specific challenges they face as they seek to establish new facilities.
Fundraising is often seen as the biggest hurdle, but Mizutani said it is only one of three essential elements alongside care and information dissemination. Winning the understanding and support of the local community is equally important and depends on communicating the hospice's mission in a way that makes residents proud to have one nearby.
Staff say watching children laugh and play can leave parents with cherished memories that endure even if the child later dies. According to the facility, some users do not survive their illnesses, with 20 dying in fiscal 2024 and 22 in fiscal 2023.
As one of Japan's pioneers in the field, Tsurumi Children's Hospice developed many aspects of its operations through trial and error. By sharing those lessons with others, Mizutani hopes new organizations can establish facilities more quickly and avoid repeating the same struggles.
"There is no need for others to go through the same difficulties," she said. "I hope those who come after us can accomplish in one year what took us three."
