Sanseito aims to boost the number of its House of Representatives seats by 10-fold in next month’s election for the all-important parliamentary chamber in Japan, in order to gain momentum to realize its policies, Sohei Kamiya, leader of the rising opposition party, said in an interview. “Our goal is to secure 30 seats,” Kamiya said. “We hope to be in a position where bills can’t pass without our party’s support,” he said.
Heavy snow mainly pounding the Sea of Japan coast since Tuesday has left four people dead and 26 others injured. According to data compiled by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency as of Friday afternoon, one person died in each of the cities of Uonuma and Sado and two in the city of Nagaoka, all in the central prefecture of Niigata.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned the government’s responsibility in her meeting with victims of forced sterilization conducted under the country’s now-defunct eugenics law. “The government’s responsibility is extremely grave,” Takaichi said when she met with the victims at the prime minister’s office on Wednesday. A law on compensation to forced sterilization victims took effect on Jan. 17 last year following a Supreme Court ruling that recognized the state’s liability. While victims are estimated to include around 25,000 individuals subjected to sterilization procedures and about 59,000 who had abortions, the number of cases certified under the law remained at just 1,560 as of the end of November last year.
Presiding Judge Shinichi Tanaka suggested that the motive claimed was irrational, stating, “It cannot be said that his background had a great impact.” During the trial, the defense argued that, given Yamagami’s troubled background related to the controversial religious group Unification Church, with which Abe allegedly had ties, his sentence should be no more than 20 years.
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare will hold a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 29, to examine disease names covered by certification criteria for mental disorders following the domestic application of the ICD-11 international disease classification system. The study group, convened under the supervision of the ministry’s Director-General for Policy Planning in charge of industrial accidents and wages, is composed of experts with specialized knowledge in medicine and related fields. Members of the public wishing to observe the meeting must apply in advance in accordance with the ministry’s observer guidelines.
Taro Yamamoto, leader of Japanese opposition party Reiwa Shinsengumi, on Wednesday resigned from the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament, due to health problems.
“I’m one step away from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood. If I don’t live by the main theme of not letting it progress, I could lose my life,” Yamamoto said in a video posted on the party’s official YouTube channel.
Presiding Judge Shinichi Tanaka suggested that the motive claimed was irrational, stating, “It cannot be said that his background had a great impact.” During the trial, the defense argued that, given Yamagami’s troubled background related to the controversial religious group Unification Church, with which Abe allegedly had ties, his sentence should be no more than 20 years.
Tetsuya Yamagami, who fatally shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday 21st January, three and a half years after the killing Abe in Nara. Prior to the ruling, 685 people gathered outside the court to apply for the 31 available gallery seats, according to the court.
The Japanese government has asked prefectures to lead efforts to secure hotels as shelters during large-scale disasters. Guidelines drawn up by the Cabinet Office call on local officials, mainly at prefectural governments, to work to secure accommodation and match it with evacuees. The Cabinet Office also advises local governments to list hotels based on whether rooms are barrier-free and if evacuees can use them continuously for a certain period.
On December 23 last year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government submitted a request to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Children and Families Agency regarding the June 2026 interim revision of disability welfare service fees, calling on them not to implement a nationwide reduction in basic compensation for newly established providers of certain services.
A district court in western Japan is scheduled to hand down a sentence on Wednesday to the man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. A key issue is how Nara District Court will assess the influence on the defendant, Tetsuya Yamagami, of his mother’s involvement with the Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.
Osaka District Court on Friday dismissed a request from three death-row inmates for the state to ban executions by hanging. The three, whose death sentences have been finalized, claimed that executions by hanging are against an international treaty that prohibits cruel punishments.
Japan’s Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry has begun investigating the handling of disability pension assessments after it emerged that some decisions were changed following re-evaluations requested by Japan Pension Service staff. The ministry reported that over the roughly three months since October last year, 61 cases were revised from payment to non-payment or suspension after reassessment, while 120 cases were changed from non-payment to payment. Disability pension eligibility is determined by physicians commissioned by the pension service, but media reports prompted concerns that staff-initiated re-evaluations could overturn initial approvals. An interim probe found that reassessments accounted for about 1% of all cases since fiscal 2024, and while some original assessment documents had previously been discarded, the ministry said it has found no evidence so far of intentional non-payment.
Gold medal hopefuls in snowboarding and wheelchair curling will be Japan’s flagbearers at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympics. The country’s Paralympic Committee named Aki Ogawa, one half of Japan’s mixed doubles wheelchair curling team, and para snowboarder Junta Kosuda as the flagbearers while announcing the first 40 members of its delegation on Friday.
The South China Morning Post reported on January 13th that Grok-generated deepfake images of Japan’s Princess Kako, the niece of Emperor Naruhito, in a bikini circulating online have renewed scrutiny on Elon Musk’s X chatbot. Princess Kako has performed various official duties at home and abroad, while working twice a week since April 2024 at the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, which she joined as a part-time employee in 2021.
The South China Morning Post reported on January 13th that Grok-generated deepfake images of Japan’s Princess Kako, the niece of Emperor Naruhito, in a bikini circulating online have renewed scrutiny on Elon Musk’s X chatbot. Princess Kako has performed various official duties at home and abroad, while working twice a week since April 2024 at the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, which she joined as a part-time employee in 2021.
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has decided to make an extraordinary revision to disability welfare service fees in June 2026, cutting basic fees for newly established providers of four services, including Continuous Employment Support (Type B), for fiscal 2026 only, while leaving fees for existing providers unchanged. The ministry says the move is intended to curb rising disability welfare expenditures, but concerns have been raised that it could discourage new entrants and worsen service shortages, particularly in underserved areas. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has opposed the plan, formally requesting that the health ministry and the Children and Families Agency reconsider the nationwide reduction, warning that changing fee policy during its 2024–2026 service development plan could disrupt service provision and limit access for people with disabilities.
On December 23 last year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government submitted a request to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Children and Families Agency regarding the June 2026 interim revision of disability welfare service fees, calling on them not to implement a nationwide reduction in basic compensation for newly established providers of certain services.
Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka was accused Thursday of abusive remarks and inappropriate behavior toward city officials and assembly members. The mayor allegedly made derogatory remarks about the city assembly speaker, the deputy mayor and others, such as “fat,” “die” and “human scum.” These allegations were reported in the online edition of the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine Sunday.
On January 13th, the Yokohama District Court held the sentencing hearing for a 31-year-old male defendant, a resident of Yamato City, charged with violating the Cannabis Control Law and other offenses for cultivating cannabis plants at the support facility for children with disabilities in Fujisawa City where he was employed.
A pair of Japanese veterans are aiming to make history at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games in March by ending their country’s Paralympic curling medal drought with victory in the inaugural mixed doubles wheelchair competition.Aki Ogawa, 50, and Yoji Nakajima, 61, have been part of Japan’s curling scene since the sport went through a boom in the country in 2003.
On the 13th, the Yokohama District Court held the sentencing hearing for a 31-year-old male defendant, a resident of Yamato City, charged with violating the Cannabis Control Law and other offenses for cultivating cannabis plants at the support facility for children with disabilities in Fujisawa City where he was employed.
Barrier Free Japan went to see ‘Black Box Diaries’ directed by Shiori Ito on January 13th, which had its theatrical release in cinemas in Japan a few months ago. I appreciate that it’s been divisive in some communities over source protection issues and maybe because it’s an emotional thing to watch, but I recommend it & consider it necessary to watch. I’ve seen in it different forms a couple of times as it started life out as a BBC ‘Storyville’ documentary.
A new program offering comprehensive legal assistance for victims in serious crimes, including murder and sexual offenses, and bereaved families started in Japan. Eligible participants include victims and bereaved families with current assets of 3 million yen or less, such as deposits and savings.
Japan’s public-sector procurement of goods and services from facilities employing people with disabilities reached a record high in fiscal 2024, the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry said, reflecting growing use of the priority procurement system aimed at promoting the economic independence of people with disabilities.
No news on ‘Coming of Age Day!’ ‘Sign Language Link’ is provided by the Japan Foundation Telephone Relay Service, a general incorporated foundation based in Tokyo. When police officers leave a kōban or a residential police post, they put up a notice indicating their absence. By scanning the QR code on this notice with a smartphone or other device, users are connected to a video call, initiating a three-way conversation between the user, a sign language interpreter, and an officer at the police station.
Sign Language Link is provided by the Japan Foundation Telephone Relay Service, a general incorporated foundation based in Tokyo. When police officers leave a kōban or a residential police post, they put up a notice indicating their absence. By scanning the QR code on this notice with a smartphone or other device, users are connected to a video call, initiating a three-way conversation between the user, a sign language interpreter, and an officer at the police station.
According to the JMA, a low pressure system with a front in the Sea of Japan is rapidly developing, passing near Hokkaido and moving toward the Sea of Okhotsk. The front will pass from western Japan to northern Japan. A strong winter pressure pattern with high pressure in the west and low pressure in the east is expected, bringing strong cold air masses into the upper atmosphere. Atmospheric conditions will become extremely unstable. Maximum wind speeds (maximum instantaneous wind speeds) expected on the 11th are 25 meters (35 meters) in Hokkaido and 20 meters (30 meters) in Tohoku.
A Japanese district court on Friday ordered the government to pay 1.1 million yen in damages to the mother of a Ground Self-Defense Force member who committed suicide in 2012. They claimed that Kawashima, who was stationed at the GSDF’s Camp Shiraoi in the Hokkaido town of Shiraoi, took his life as appropriate measures were not taken against bullying mainly by one older officer.
A man was found dead with massive bleeding at an apartment in Tokyo’s Ota Ward on Thursday morning. The Metropolitan Police Department found stab wounds to the neck, abdomen, thighs and other parts of the body of the victim, who is believed to be the apartment’s resident in his 40s. Police also discovered several bloody footprints at the scene.
It was learned on January 6th that the medical corporation foundation “Aoyama-kai” has decided to end two disability consultation support services under contract with the city at the end of March and has notified the city. The relationship of trust with the city was damaged by Mayor Kaichi Deguchi’s social media posts during last year’s mayoral election and the subsequent response, and the foundation has decided that continuing the services any longer is difficult.
It was learned on the 6th that the medical corporation foundation “Aoyama-kai” has decided to end two disability consultation support services under contract with the city at the end of March and has notified the city. The relationship of trust with the city was damaged by Mayor Kaichi Deguchi’s social media posts during last year’s mayoral election and the subsequent response, and the foundation has decided that continuing the services any longer is difficult. The city is considering countermeasures for April and beyond to avoid impacting users.
In connection with the national disability pension system, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced on the 6th that it has started a fact-finding investigation, including checking remaining records, following revelations that the Japan Pension Service had discarded some physicians’ assessment results used to determine eligibility for benefit payments.
A Shindo 5, Magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred at 10:18AM on Tuesday 6th January 2026, the epicentre was Shimane prefecture and registered in most of western Japan, including here in Kobe. And yes, could ‘religious folk’ please stop approaching and grabbing Barrier Free Japan’s arm?
The use of loss prevention tags by stalkers quickly spread in Japan last year, the National Police Agency has reported. According to the NPA, police across the country gave advice to victims of stalking using those electronic tags in 592 cases between January and November 2025, up 1.6-fold from the whole of the previous year. Their misuse for stalking increased from three cases in 2021 to 113 cases in 2022, 196 cases in 2023 and 370 cases in 2024, amid small, inexpensive products becoming widely available. Many victims have discovered the tags, which are supposed to be attached to wallets and keys by the owners, affixed to their cars without their knowledge or hidden in their belongings, the NPA said.
People with disabilities in Hyogo Prefecture will hold an emergency rally in Kobe on January 24th to protest violence at residential care facilities and to call for the early realization of deinstitutionalization. The gathering was prompted by reports that a resident with intellectual and physical disabilities died after being assaulted by staff at a facility in Sanda City. Organized by the Independent Living Center ‘Ring Ring’ and co-hosted by ‘Remember 7.26 Kobe Action’, the event will feature speakers from ‘Hyogo People First’ and will focus on disability rights and the need for community-based living.
Speaking at an award ceremony recognizing contributions to the promotion of barrier-free and universal design initiatives on December 24th 2025, Prime Minister Takaichi said: “The society we aim for is an “inclusive society” in which all people, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, respect each other’s human rights and dignity, support each other, and are able to enjoy vibrant lives.”
The Unification Church backed 290 lawmakers of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the 2021 House of Representatives election, according to South Korean media reports citing internal documents of the religious group. The documents also reportedly show that, after Abe was shot dead while delivering a campaign speech in 2022, the Unification Church deleted records on Tetsuya Yamagami, who is on trial for the murder.
Speaking at an award ceremony recognizing contributions to the promotion of barrier-free and universal design initiatives, Takaichi said: “The society we aim for is an “inclusive society” in which all people, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, respect each other’s human rights and dignity, support each other, and are able to enjoy vibrant lives.”
The number of deaths from indirect causes, such as deterioration of physical condition during evacuation, rose by 194 over the past year to 470, including people who died in Niigata and Toyama prefectures, which were also severely affected by the earthquake.
Akemashite Omedetou, Happy New Year from Japan! Nagasaki Prefecture reported a record 3,961 people with disabilities employed at private companies as of June 1, 2025, up 125 from the previous year, according to figures released by the Nagasaki Labour Bureau on Dec. 19, so we begin 2026 with good news about disability in Japan.
People with disabilities in Hyogo Prefecture will hold an emergency rally in Kobe on January 24th to protest violence at residential care facilities and to call for the early realization of deinstitutionalization. The gathering was prompted by reports that a resident with intellectual and physical disabilities died after being assaulted by staff at a facility in Sanda City. Organized by the Independent Living Center ‘Ring Ring’ and co-hosted by ‘Remember 7.26 Kobe Action’, the event will feature speakers from ‘Hyogo People First’ and will focus on disability rights and the need for community-based living.
A Japanese member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has criticized the United Nations for failing to provide adequate sign language interpretation, saying it is not complying with its own disability rights convention. Hiroshi Tamon, a deaf lawyer who began a four-year term on the committee in January 2025, says interpretation is provided only for official meetings, forcing him to pay most costs himself for other essential activities. Japan’s Foreign Ministry has raised the issue with the UN, calling it a “grave issue.”
It was revealed on December 28th through interviews with stakeholders that the Japan Pension Service, which handles the administration of national disability pensions, has been secretly discarding evaluation records and requesting new rulings from different doctors whenever staff members deemed the original doctor’s decision on benefit eligibility to be “problematic.” The Pension Service admitted to this practice during interviews, stating they are “currently investigating the facts, including the number of cases involved.”
Of the 3,142 facilities surveyed from August to October, 84.2 percent said they are facing staff shortages ranging from severe to slight, with many citing increased burdens on workers and declining service quality as a result, Kyosaren said.
Japanese Princess Kako, the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, turned 31 on Monday 29th December. As an adult member of the Imperial Family, Princess Kako has performed various official duties at home and abroad this year, while working twice a week since April 2024 at the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, which she joined as a part-time employee in 2021. As this year marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, she has an even stronger wish for peace after studying stories of the war again and feeling anew the importance of thinking about the suffering caused by conflicts around the world, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
Cases of abuse against people with disabilities in Japan reached a record high of 3,770 in fiscal 2024, the welfare ministry said Tuesday 23rd December, citing an increase in consultations and reports to local governments. The total, confirmed by prefectural and municipal authorities, rose by 293 from the previous year, the ministry said.
It was revealed on the 28th through interviews with stakeholders that the Japan Pension Service, which handles the administration of national disability pensions, has been secretly discarding evaluation records and requesting new rulings from different doctors whenever staff members deemed the original doctor’s decision on benefit eligibility to be “problematic.” The Pension Service admitted to this practice during interviews, stating they are “currently investigating the facts, including the number of cases involved.”
Saying the practice “left neglected without due consideration” and a case of “following precedent,” the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology expressed remorse for long excluding graduates of special needs schools from the School Basic Survey, saying the practice dates back at least to the 1970s, though a review based on interviews with 1980s-era officials failed to clarify how the method was adopted. Education Minister Yohei Matsumoto apologized publicly, bowing before cameras, as the ministry moved to swiftly revise the survey within a month of the issue surfacing amid anger from those affected.
Barrier Free Japan