“He began to talk about the killing method about two months before the incident. I had been involved in the conversation whilst I thought it was a delusion, but the content was gradually becoming more realistic I was scared…After that, I was strongly invited by the defendant to cooperate but declined. “
Lawyers read the testimony given by friends of the defandant who stipulate that he “started saying ‘kill the disabled’ six months before the incident.”
Takashi Ono said that he was sitting in a seat where he could see Uematsu, and said: “They read my son’s real name as Kazuya Ono. But it was a pity that there was no reaction. ”
The defendant’s former partner said that the defendant referred to the residents of the Tsukui Lily Garden care facility as “cute” two years before the incident, but that his way of describing the residents became more severe about seven months before the incident, that he began to speak of people with disabilities as “unproductive.”
On the 16th, the fourth day of hearings was held at the Yokohama District Court. Prosecutors read the statements of the bereaved families of all 19 victims in the court.
The ministry plans to make public transportation easily accessible to those with disabilities and the elderly by having the operators of taxis, buses and trains master how to use barrier-free equipment, such as slope boards for wheelchair users. A bill to revise a law on promoting the smooth transportation of elderly and disabled people will be submitted at the ordinary session of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, to be convened Monday.
The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) annouced on Wednesday 15th January that applications for participation in the second lottery for sales of Paralympic Games tickets will be accepted from residents of Japan during the period of 15 – 29 January 2020.
Written with extracts translated from TV Asahi Januarty 14th 2020 Yasuhiko Funago, A member of the House of Councilors, andContinue Reading
“I couldn’t be convinced by a verbal apology alone, I thought it was the best way to do it. It was an action I thought about and was confused. I had been thinking about doing this about two years ago.”
Monday 13th January was a national holiday in Japan, it was ‘Coming of Age Day’, so with some other public services, the courts did not sit in Japan. Barrier Free Japan felt this was a good time to recount the first few days in ‘Sagamihara Massacre’ trial, and offer a kind of ‘timeline’ of the trial thus far.
Participants walk through a temple wearing eye masks for a simulated experience of being blind, including having to make better use of the senses of hearing and smell.
An account of an injured victim was heard, Kazuya Ono (46), who is the only victim to be referred to by his real name in ttrial, was referred to as Mr. Ono. Kazuya Ono (46). He was severely injured by a knife, which led to a police report being filed immediately after the incident.
In the early morning of January 11, a 53-year-old visually impaired man fell off his platform at JR Nippori Station in Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, and was killed by a train.
A statement was taken by from an employee who was detained by the defendant. The employee testified that the defendant would ask if a potential victim could talk when choosing whether to attack them.
A man on trial over a fatal knife rampage at a care home for the mentally disabled near Tokyo in 2016 reappeared in court on Friday, two days after he was removed from the courtroom for trying to bite off his finger.
The point at issue is the presence or absence of criminal liability at the time of the case. The defense argued, “He was mentally ill or mentally depressed due to cannabis.” The prosecutor’s view is that he was fully accountable as he had “a unique way of thinking, not a pathological delusion within normal psychology.”
Current rules require only entrances, hallways and shared bathing areas at lodging facilities to be barrier-free. The new rules will also cover areas between room entrances and beds, and entrances to restrooms, bathing rooms and washrooms, requiring hotel operators to provide sufficient space for wheelchairs to pass through.
As many as 1,944 people entered the lottery for the 26 gallery seats available at Yokohama District Court to observers for the trial of Satoshi Uematsu, 29, accused in the attack in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.
A man accused of killing 19 residents and injuring dozens more in a knife rampage at a care home for mentally disabled people near Tokyo in 2016 pleaded not guilty Wednesday in court, insisting he was mentally incompetent.
“Miho lived so hard. I want to leave that testimony. I want you to remember Miho’s name.”
Satoshi Uematsu, 29, admitted to the attack during the first court hearing at the Yokohama District Court, but his defense team argued he should not be held responsible as he was either mentally incompetent or had a diminished capacity.
Since many of the victim’s family chose not to disclose their names – as is their right to do so – at the trial the victims will be anonymous and referred to as ‘A’, ‘B’ and so on, with one notable exception: Kazuya Ono, aged 46, who was stabbed in the stomach will apparently be mentioned by name.
Satoshi Uematsu, 29, said that he will admit the charges at the trial. “It’s depressing,” he said. “It’s like going there to get insulted.”
Uematsu wanted to tell the Japanese Prime Minister about his plan to “kill many disabled people”. His name and address were written down, as is address of the Tsukui Yamayuri Garden, where he worked.
A photograph from a security camera of a person believed to be defendant in the ‘Sagamihara massacre’ just before the incident at the Sagamihara care home on July 26th 2016. The incident occurred early 2am.
The first Disability News Japan Podcast of 2020!
A man accused of killing 19 residents and injuring dozens more at a care home for people with mental disabilities in Kanagawa Prefecture in 2016 said on Monday 23rd December that he will admit to charges of murder and attempted murder at his trial, slated to begin on January 8th. It was previously reported by Kyodo News that the he would plead not guilty.
This year’s Tokyo Paralympics will set a participation record with athletes from around 170 national organizing bodies competing, surpassing the record 164 bodies that took part in the 2012 London games, a source with knowledge of the matter said Thursday.
While the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are touted as a chance to create a more inclusive society, a Kyodo News survey showed 66 percent of respondents did not see any improvement in accessibility or understanding of disabilities since 2013, when Tokyo was awarded hosting rights. In comparison, 34 percent said they had noticed progress.
Two severely people with disabilities in their 20s who need medical care for 24 hours have left their parents for the first time and have begun living together in a private house in Fukuoka City.
Around 60 percent of local government buildings across Japan were not equipped with emergency power supplies lasting 72 hours, a crucial time frame in saving human lives during times of disaster, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Thursday.
The number of disabled people who were abused rose to more than 3,300 people nationwide last year, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare concluded that while workplace abuse decreased, it increased at homes and welfare facilities.
The Japan Sports Agency pointed out that the latest results reflected a drop in time spent on exercise, excluding physical education at schools, growth in time for smartphones and rising obesity rates.
The survey found that the number of people abused by nursing facility staff stood at 927. Of them, 688, or 74.2 pct, were women. Of the total victims, over 50 pct were physically abused.
A former employee, a 75-year-old woman who had been working at the facility for about 40 years, said, “No matter what the outcome of the trial, the victims will not return. I want the defendants to feel a little sorry.”
There are more than 460,000 persons with disabilities working in private companies across the Japan where employment of persons with disabilities is required, and this is the highest ever, while approximately 30% of companies do not employ any persons with disabilities, a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has shown.
On December 24th, a hearing impaired couple from Fukuoka Prefecture filed a lawsuit at Fukuoka District Court on the grounds that they were forced to undergo infertility surgery under the old Eugenic Protection Act, an act which violated basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution. They are seeking damages of 10 million yen.
It was previously reported by Kyodo News that the he would plead not guilty, arguing he was not mentally competent to bear responsibility for his acts due to the effects of marijuana.
According to a petition claiming a violation of human rights brought to the Kyoto Bar Association in early December, even though the Kyoto police told news outlets that the family members had refused to release the names, news organizations did so anyway. Some argue the release of victims’ names is vital in reporting major criminal cases or accidents accurately and provides valuable lessons for society.
Under the current system, people aged 75 or above, excluding those with incomes comparable to those of preretirement workers, pay 10 pct of medical expenses out of pocket. The government plans to boost the share to 20 pct for those with incomes above a certain level.
The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the barriers wheelchair users can face on Japan’s shinkansen bullet train system.
The number of abuse cases against people with disabilities in Japan hit a record 2,745 in fiscal 2018, up 127 from the previous year, a welfare ministry survey showed Friday.
A panel of experts called on Japan’s National Police Agency on Thursday to introduce a system under which elderly drivers at high risk of causing accidents need to pass a driving skills test in order to renew their licenses.
The product is targeted at people living alone who are interested in “shukatsu” end-of-life planning. Customers need to deposit at least 3 million yen, from which funeral and other expenses will be paid.
The ruling was in line with the request of prosecutors, who did not seek the death penalty in consideration of Kojima’s personality disorder. The court concluded that his disorder might have influenced developing his motive as he tends to take things paranoiacally.
‘Tis the season to be jolly? Well…maybe not so much if you’re single during Christmas in Japan.
With less than eight months to go until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, groups and individuals are trying to step up accessibility in the capital.
Noting that Kumazawa was almost unharmed, while Eiichiro had more than 36 wounds on his body, the prosecutors said that the defendant “caught off Eiichiro’s guard and one-sidedly attacked him with strong murderous intent.”
The judge acknowledged Kumazawa had previously met his son’s doctor and delivered medication for his son’s development disorder and made efforts to build a stable father-and-son relationship.
Members of the House from Reiwa Shinsengumi, who have serious disabilities, asked for a review of the system so that it would be subject to public assistance during work, but the review of the disability welfare service system itself was postponed.
Public prosecutors sought a prison term of eight years on Friday for a former Japanese vice agriculture minister for killing his 44-year-old son at his home in Tokyo in June, pointing to his “one-sided” attack with a “strong murderous intent.”
