Former AV star turned cartoonist Mine Nayuka struck by man in a wheelchair at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Museum responds

Former AV star turned cartoonist Mine Nayuka (34) was hurt by a disabled man at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.

Mine known for her work “Arasa-chan” was at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum for the Gustav Klimt: Vienna – Japan 1900 Exhibition when an unfortunate situation happened at the museum.

今日は東京都美術館のクリムト展に行って絵を見てたら、急に車椅子に乗った男に殴られた。びっくりしすぎて固まってたら、さらに無言で2〜3発殴られた。美術館の人に伝えると「常連のお客様で頻繁にトラブルを起こす方なんですけど、こちらでできることは口頭注意くらいです」とのこと。

— 峰なゆか (@minenayuka) 2019年6月15日

追いかけて殴り返そうとしたけど「峰なゆか障害者男性に暴行」という見出しがよぎってやめた。何もできないわ痛いわ惨めだわで泣けてきて、とにかく私が泣きまくるので最終的に私が救護室に連れていかれて終了しました。

— 峰なゆか (@minenayuka) 2019年6月15日

Mine wrote on Twitter:

Today, I went to the Klimt exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and when I was looking at the artwork, I was suddenly hit by a man in a wheelchair and then when I was struck 2-3 times silently and was overwhelmed.

Mine reported what happened to the museum staff.  She felt it was a hard choice because while she turned around, was about to chase after him, what could she say, that she was assaulted by a disabled man?

I couldn’t do anything, it was miserable and I was crying and I was taken to another room”

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum wrote the following statement:

Thank you for visiting the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and for your support.

A customer visited us a day before yesterday and was upset by the response of the museum during trouble in the building. We were worried about asking many people to make inquiries about this, and we apologize.

We kept in touch with the woman who was made uncomfortable and we apologized in good faith.

The museum said they will strengthen their security in the exhibition room and try to prevent any problems.  In addition, when a problem occurs, they will check the circumstances from each customer and depending on the situation, will take further measures from the standpoint of the patron, and respond.

本日、東京都美術館の方から美術館側の対応について謝罪をいただきました。防犯カメラの映像で被害を確認したとのことです。今後は警備を強化し、同様のことが起こった際には警察を呼ぶなどの毅然とした対応を行うそうです。また興味のある展示があればお伺いしようと思っています。 https://t.co/63zPmtXewg

— 峰なゆか (@minenayuka) 2019年6月17日

Mine wrote that she received an apology by the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum and the incident was confirmed by their security cameras and that they will be strengthening their security and next time, if it happens, they will contact the police.

Comments were supportive of Mine and that her being a celebrity and going public, helped bring a response out from the museum. Others wrote that even if the person is disabled, being disabled or not disabled is not an excuse for what the person did to her.

But there were those who suffer or know those who suffer from a disability/disabilities and made a point that certain people with disabilities are sometimes unable to respond or communicate right away.