The statutory employment quota (hōtei koyōritsu) requiring companies to employ a minimum proportion of people with disabilities will be raised from 2.5% to 2.7% on July 1. The aim is to further promote employment of people with disabilities. However, fewer than half of companies currently meet even the existing quota, highlighting ongoing challenges in creating suitable workplace environments.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has compiled manuals on group guidance, operational inspections, and audits conducted by prefectural governments and other authorities for disability welfare service providers, and distributed them to local governments on the 8th. Until now, the ministry had only outlined its approach through training sessions. The new manuals are intended to strengthen guidance and audits, primarily in response to a growing number of disciplinary cases involving fraudulent practices as the number of facilities operated by for-profit corporations continues to rise.
A 57-year-old company employee has been arrested on suspicion of defrauding the parents of a child suspected of having a developmental disorder out of approximately ¥19 million (about US$130,000) by recommending the child study abroad. Police believe the suspect may have used the same scheme to defraud multiple victims of more than ¥50 million in total and are continuing their investigation.
A new welfare service designed to help disabled people find jobs suited to their abilities is spreading across Japan, but concerns remain that providers may steer users toward affiliated workplaces rather than make impartial recommendations. While supporters say the program can help people find more suitable career paths, critics warn that operators involved in assessing users may have a financial incentive to direct them to their own facilities.
Japanese biotechnology startup PorMedTec Co. said Monday that it will conduct Japan’s first clinical trials of pig-to-human kidney transplantation at two hospitals in the country as early as 2028. The two hospitals are Hokkaido University Hospital in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and Shonan Kamakura General Hospital in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. The transplantation of animal organs into humans, known as xenotransplantation, is expected to help address the chronic shortage of donor organs.
According to the prefectural government, a male nurse in his 40s working at the Prefectural Child Development Medical Center grabbed the wrist of an elementary school boy, who was hospitalized at the facility and lying on his back in a hallway, and dragged him approximately 10 meters in January this year.
A 57-year-old company employee has been arrested on suspicion of defrauding the parents of a child suspected of having a developmental disorder out of approximately ¥19 million (about US$130,000) by recommending the child study abroad. Police believe the suspect may have used the same scheme to defraud multiple victims of more than ¥50 million in total and are continuing their investigation.
According to the prefectural government, a male nurse in his 40s working at the Prefectural Child Development Medical Center grabbed the wrist of an elementary school boy, who was hospitalized at the facility and lying on his back in a hallway, and dragged him approximately 10 meters in January this year.
A ceremony was held in Tokyo on Monday 22nd to restore the honor of leprosy patients in Japan, who had suffered severe discrimination based on the government’s past forced isolation policy.”We former patients and their families still live silently, hiding ourselves from prejudice and discrimination that are still swirling,” said Isao Tateyama, head of a group of plaintiffs in damages lawsuit against the government.
On the morning of June 24th, Princess Kiko of Akishino and her second daughter, Princess Kako of Akishino, viewed an exhibition featuring works by artists with disabilities from around the world. The exhibition displays 62 selected works chosen from submissions by more than 1,300 artists from around the world. The two princesses viewed, among other pieces, a work by a Japanese artist who used ironing beads (fused beads) to depict memorable dishes from their life.
At a meeting of the Labour Policy Council on the 22nd, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare indicated that it plans to allow workers with mental disabilities to continue being counted toward a company’s disability employment quota for about one year even if their Mental Disability Health and Welfare Handbook (certificate) is not renewed. The measure is intended to prevent situations in which companies suddenly become unable to meet the legally mandated employment rate because an employee forgot to complete the renewal procedure or chose not to renew the certificate due to an improvement in their condition. On the other hand, disability advocates have raised concerns that the measure could reduce new employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
According to the city and other sources, the man requires assistance with walking and also has a visual impairment. He visited the polling station together with his mother. Because it took him some time to complete his ballot, his mother spoke to him while standing nearby. However, polling station staff judged her actions to constitute “voting interference,” which is prohibited under the Public Offices Election Act.
Japan’s Supreme Court has upheld lower court rulings ordering the dissolution of the controversial religious group known as the Unification Church, rejecting a special appeal filed by the organization. In the ruling dated Monday, the court’s Third Petty Bench, presided over by Justice Eriko Watanabe, said the dissolution order “does not violate the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and association.” The four justices unanimously supported the decision.
A ceremony was held in Tokyo on Monday to restore the honor of leprosy patients in Japan, who had suffered severe discrimination based on the government’s past forced isolation policy.”We former patients and their families still live silently, hiding ourselves from prejudice and discrimination that are still swirling,” said Isao Tateyama, head of a group of plaintiffs in damages lawsuit against the government.
“How am I supposed to make a living from now on? More than anger toward the company, what I feel is anxiety.” With these words, a 40-year-old Osaka man who had been using one of Kizuna HD’s facilities lowered his shoulders in discouragement.
After prosecutors indicted Chigono in June last year on charges of negligent driving resulting in death, Sayaka Togitani’s husband Yudai Togitani, 34, and her father Atsushi Mizukawa, 62, asked prosecutors in September to recognize Hinami as a victim and also charge the suspect with negligent driving resulting in injury of the daughter.
The exhibition is organized by “HERALBONY,” a company based in Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan. The lifestyle brand uses works of art created by people with disabilities to make clothing and accessories. The exhibition is being held in Tokyo’s Marunouchi district and runs until June 27.
According to the city and other sources, the man requires assistance with walking and also has a visual impairment. He visited the polling station together with his mother. Because it took him some time to complete his ballot, his mother spoke to him while standing nearby. However, polling station staff judged her actions to constitute “voting interference,” which is prohibited under the Public Offices Election Act.
After prosecutors indicted Chigono in June last year on charges of negligent driving resulting in death, Sayaka Togitani’s husband Yudai Togitani, 34, and her father Atsushi Mizukawa, 62, asked prosecutors in September to recognize Hinami as a victim and also charge the suspect with negligent driving resulting in injury of the daughter.
The girl, who was 16 at the time and worked at a disability welfare facility in Hyogo Prefecture, had been arrested on suspicion of assault after restraining a service user who became violent. She was detained for 18 days. Although prosecutors ultimately decided not to indict her, she continued to suffer from eating disorders and other physical and psychological health problems, and died five months after her release.
Goto is suspected of sexually assaulting a girl who attended the facility (then aged 9) in February of the year before last at a restroom in a shopping mall in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, knowing that she was under the age of 13. He is also suspected of filming the assault. Goto had previously been arrested and indicted for allegedly committing indecent acts against a five-year-old girl who also attended the same disability support facility and filming those acts. This latest case marks his fourth arrest.
The Japan Federation of Bar Associations said via a press release on June 16th that Tachikawa City’s failure to provide written reasons when partially denying disability welfare services to a woman violated Article 8 of the Administrative Procedure Act and risked infringing her right to fair administrative procedures derived from the principles embodied in Article 31 of the Constitution.
Goto is suspected of sexually assaulting a girl who attended the facility (then aged 9) in February of the year before last at a restroom in a shopping mall in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, knowing that she was under the age of 13. He is also suspected of filming the assault. Goto had previously been arrested and indicted for allegedly committing indecent acts against a five-year-old girl who also attended the same disability support facility and filming those acts. This latest case marks his fourth arrest.
On the 12th, the city of Yao, Osaka Prefecture, announced that it had imposed a six-month suspension as a disciplinary measure on a 60-year-old assistant section chief in the Environmental Department for attempting to ride the railway without paying the proper fare and for forging a physical disability certificate. The employee reportedly submitted his resignation on the same day, which was accepted.
On the 12th, the city of Yao, Osaka Prefecture, announced that it had imposed a six-month suspension as a disciplinary measure on a 60-year-old assistant section chief in the Environmental Department for attempting to ride the railway without paying the proper fare and for forging a physical disability certificate. The employee reportedly submitted his resignation on the same day, which was accepted.
According to the Kumamoto Ombudsman, the recipient was bedridden and unable to visit a medical institution for an examination, yet the city suspended the allowance on the grounds that the required medical certificate had not been submitted. The Ombudsman pointed out that the recipient’s relatives had consulted the city about alternative means of completing the procedure, but the city had not accepted those requests.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has announced its intention to introduce new qualification requirements for managers of disability group homes and to make training mandatory for staff members. The proposal was presented on the 5th at a meeting of the Social Security Council’s Subcommittee on Persons with Disabilities (chaired by Professor Kohei Komamura of Keio University). The move aims to improve the quality of services in response to a growing number of cases in recent years involving inappropriate practices by operators that prioritize profit over proper care.
According to the city’s Welfare Division for the Disabled Living at Home, the city’s Daily Life Equipment Benefit Project—which supports individuals with disabilities—currently provides a monthly subsidy of 12,000 yen for disposable diapers. This benefit is restricted to specific groups, such as individuals unable to use a stoma (artificial anus/bladder) or those with severe physical disabilities resulting from cerebral palsy developed before roughly 3 years of age. Conversely, individuals with severe intellectual disabilities, or those who acquired severe physical disabilities later in life due to traffic accidents or other causes, are currently excluded from the subsidy.
The man is suspected of killing the girl, including by choking her, at a vacant site in Sagamihara around 9:50 p.m. Wednesday, according to the police.
East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, said on Tuesday 9th June that it will discontinue magnetic short-distance tickets sold at all stations on its conventional lines and replace them with QR code tickets in spring 2027. While the current tickets are inserted into fare gates, the new tickets will require passengers to read QR codes on them at readers at the gates.
According to the Kumamoto Ombudsman, the recipient was bedridden and unable to visit a medical institution for an examination, yet the city suspended the allowance on the grounds that the required medical certificate had not been submitted. The Ombudsman pointed out that the recipient’s relatives had consulted the city about alternative means of completing the procedure, but the city had not accepted those requests.
East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, said on Tuesday 9th June that it will discontinue magnetic short-distance tickets sold at all stations on its conventional lines and replace them with QR code tickets in spring 2027. While the current tickets are inserted into fare gates, the new tickets will require passengers to read QR codes on them at readers at the gates.
Fraudulent claims for public disability welfare payments by operators providing services to support the daily lives and employment of people with disabilities totalled approximately ¥8 billion nationwide over the five years from fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2024, it was revealed on the 6th. The figure was obtained by Kyodo News through an information disclosure request for data held by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. During the same five-year period, 936 cases of administrative sanctions were imposed in connection with fraudulent claims and related misconduct.
The opening ceremony for the 9th Special Olympics Japan Summer National Games, which brings together athletes with intellectual disabilities, was held on the 5th at Toyota Arena Tokyo in Koto Ward, Tokyo. About 1,200 athletes from all 47 prefectures are taking part, supported by a cumulative total of approximately 3,300 volunteers. The sporting event, which aims to embody an inclusive society where people live together regardless of disability, officially got underway.
Fraudulent claims for public disability welfare payments by operators providing services to support the daily lives and employment of people with disabilities totaled approximately ¥8 billion nationwide over the five years from fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2024, it was revealed on the 6th. The figure was obtained by Kyodo News through an information disclosure request for data held by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. During the same five-year period, 936 cases of administrative sanctions were imposed in connection with fraudulent claims and related misconduct.
The opening ceremony for the 9th Special Olympics Japan Summer National Games, which brings together athletes with intellectual disabilities, was held on the 5th at Toyota Arena Tokyo in Koto Ward, Tokyo. About 1,200 athletes from all 47 prefectures are taking part, supported by a cumulative total of approximately 3,300 volunteers. The sporting event, which aims to embody an inclusive society where people live together regardless of disability, officially got underway.
The weeklong quest to find James “Weston” Higginbotham has yielded no signs of the 20-year-old, CNN has reported. Now, with the permission of Japanese police, the student’s family has made a public plea for any experienced hikers to aid in the search through treacherous terrain. That search will begin Saturday.
A Japanese court has sentenced a former elementary school teacher to three years and six months in prison for possessing naked images of girls created by generative artificial intelligence, among other acts, in violation of the law against child prostitution and pornography.
The girl was a user of the after-school/day support facility for children with disabilities where the suspect was employed, and he had been transporting her by car. Goto had already been arrested twice before and indicted on charges including non-consensual obscene acts for allegedly committing similar acts against two other young girls who attended the same facility.
Confusion and concern are spreading among families of children with developmental disabilities and medical professionals over the revision to Japan’s medical fee schedule that took effect on June 1.
Tropical Storm ‘Jangmi’, known in Japan as typhoon No. 6, is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds across a swath of the country from Tuesday to Wednesday. The storm is forecast to come closest to Okinawa on Monday night and to the Amami region by Tuesday morning, before moving northeast and approaching the Kyushu, Shikoku, Kinki, Tokai and Kanto-Koshin regions through Wednesday, according to the Meteorological Agency.
Two male employees accused of assaulting residents at a disability support facility in Kushiro, Hokkaido were arrested, it has emerged that several other staff members have also been voluntarily questioned by police.
A provider of after-school day services for children with disabilities designated by Kawasaki City has failed to repay more than ¥548 million in fraudulently obtained funds and related charges, and the city has announced its intention to file a criminal complaint. Mutsumi Tanno, director of Kawasaki City’s Disability Health and Welfare Department, said:
“The misconduct is extremely malicious. We regard this as a very serious incident. We intend to take the appropriate measures.”
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, as of 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jangmi was moving northwest over the waters east of the Philippines at a speed of 15 kph. The central pressure is 992 hectopascals, and the maximum wind speed near the centre is 23 meters per second.
Two male employees accused of assaulting residents at a disability support facility in Kushiro, Hokkaido were arrested, it has emerged that several other staff members have also been voluntarily questioned by police.
The Japanese health ministry is set to begin providing about 470 million yen in aid this fiscal year to medical institutions that conduct a large number of organ transplants from brain-dead patients.
Typhoon Jangmi, also known as Typhoon No. 6, will reach the south of Okinawa Prefecture by 9 a.m. on Monday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. It is expected to reach the waters off Shikoku by 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
The city of Yao in Osaka Prefecture said on May 27 it revoked, effective the same day, the business designation of the Type A continuous employment support provider “Taylor’s Guild” in the city for fraudulently receiving about ¥440 million in additional subsidies and other payments intended for disability employment support services. The fraudulent claims were made across 28 municipalities in Osaka and Nara prefectures, including Yao. The total amount sought for repayment, including penalties imposed for the violations, is expected to reach about ¥614 million.
An internal document acknowledged the risk that reviews could be repeated until staff were satisfied, suggesting potential arbitrariness, but the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare concluded it could not confirm such behaviour and attributed most cases to errors or scheduling constraints under a strict three-month processing deadline. However, some staff remain skeptical of the ministry’s findings, arguing that internal investigations cannot uncover the truth and that reassessments were sometimes influenced by expectations about how particular doctors would rule, raising concerns about transparency and fairness in the system.
Barrier Free Japan