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by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 23, 2026 Number of comments0
Blind Disability Entertainment Japan

USJ Introduces Japan’s First Theme Park “Navigation Device” to Guide Visually Impaired Guests via Vibrations

Universal Studios Japan has become the first theme park in the country to begin renting out navigation devices that guide visually impaired guests through vibrations. The device, which attaches to the shoe and was introduced on the 22nd, allows users to set their destination via a dedicated app. It then alerts them of the correct direction and when to turn using vibrations. Because the guidance does not rely on audio, users can navigate the park while fully enjoying its atmosphere.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 22, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Welfare

Japan’s Ministry of Finance calls for spending curbs on welfare services for people with disabilities [Podcast Episode]

At the Fiscal System Subcommittee of the Fiscal System Council held on April 28, discussions were also held on the field of disability welfare. The Ministry of Finance stated that the total cost of disability welfare services, combining public expenditures and user co-payments, had reached 4.2 trillion yen as of fiscal year 2024, roughly doubling over the past decade, and expressed the view that it is necessary to curb further cost increases.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 20, 2026 1
Disability Japan Welfare

As costs double over 10 years, Japan’s Ministry of Finance calls for spending curbs on welfare services for disabled

At the Fiscal System Subcommittee of the Fiscal System Council held on April 28, discussions were also held on the field of disability welfare. The Ministry of Finance stated that the total cost of disability welfare services, combining public expenditures and user co-payments, had reached 4.2 trillion yen as of fiscal year 2024, roughly doubling over the past decade, and expressed the view that it is necessary to curb further cost increases.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 20, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Podcast Welfare

Ibaraki Prefecture Announces Revocation of Welfare Facility’s License Over 7 Million Yen Fraudulent Benefit Claims [Podcast Episode]

The fraudulent claims amounted to approximately 7 million yen in total, disbursed across 17 municipalities in four prefectures: Ibaraki, Chiba, Saitama, and Tokyo. The respective local governments will demand the return of approximately 9.8 million yen, which includes surcharge penalties. This marks the fifth time since July 2025 that Ibaraki prefecture has revoked a facility’s designation due to fraudulent benefit claims and document forgery.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 18, 2026 1
Disability Employment Japan Welfare

Ibaraki Prefecture Announces Revocation of Welfare Facility’s License Over 7 Million Yen Fraudulent Benefit Claims

The fraudulent claims amounted to approximately 7 million yen in total, disbursed across 17 municipalities in four prefectures: Ibaraki, Chiba, Saitama, and Tokyo. The respective local governments will demand the return of approximately 9.8 million yen, which includes surcharge penalties. This marks the fifth time since July 2025 that Ibaraki prefecture has revoked a facility’s designation due to fraudulent benefit claims and document forgery.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 18, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan SNS Social Media

Japanese Disability Advocate Hirotada Ototake Questions Ranking Disabilities by Hierarchy in Social Media [Podcast Episode]

Hirotada Ototake, who was born with a congenital condition resulting in the absence of limbs (“tetra-amelia”), quoted a post by a user who argued that support for people with mental disabilities should be prioritized over that for those with physical disabilities. He commented, “These kinds of ‘misery comparisons’ or ‘pulling each other down’ are not only meaningless, but actually counterproductive.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 17, 2026 1
Disability Health Japan Medical

Kissei Pharmaceutical advises “refrain from use” after 20 deaths after using vasculitis drug

Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that for its vasculitis treatment drug “Tavneos” (generic name: avacopan), 20 deaths have been reported in Japan among patients who took the medication. This figure includes cases where a causal relationship is unclear. On the 15th, the company called on healthcare professionals to refrain from administering the drug to new patients.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 16, 2026 1
Barrier Free Disability Japan SNS Social Media

Japanese Disability Advocate Hirotada Ototake Questions Ranking Disabilities by Hierarchy in Social Media

Ototake, who was born with a congenital condition resulting in the absence of limbs (“tetra-amelia”), quoted a post by a user who argued that support for people with mental disabilities should be prioritized over that for those with physical disabilities. He commented, “These kinds of ‘misery comparisons’ or ‘pulling each other down’ are not only meaningless, but actually counterproductive.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 15, 2026 Number of comments0
Care Children Crime Disability Japan Welfare

Saitama disability child day-care support service representative arrested over suspected fraud

According to police, from June 2020 to April two years ago, the suspect allegedly falsified attendance records on 45 occasions for two child users at a facility he operated in Higashimatsuyama City, and is suspected of defrauding the city of about 8.81 million yen, including disability child day-care benefits.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 14, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Disability Japan

Tokyo Mother Admits to Remodelling Closet to Confine Disabled Teenage Daughter

In a case where two parents and an older brother were arrested on suspicion of unlawful confinement resulting in injury for restraining a disabled girl in a closet, it has been revealed through interviews with investigators that the mother admitted to remodeling the closet to create a confinement space around September of last year. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) believes that the confinement became a routine occurrence from that point onward.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 12, 2026 1
Abuse Crime developmental disabilities Disability Japan Sexual Assault

Former Instructor Arrested For Indecent Acts Against Woman with Developmental Disability: “I did it to satisfy my sexual desires”

A former instructor at a support organization has been arrested on suspicion of committing indecent acts against a woman with a developmental disability during a class. He partially denies the allegations, but reportedly said, “I did it to satisfy my sexual desires.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 11, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Podcast Welfare

Okinawa Company Denies Hiring People with Disabilities and Prohibiting Contact with Employer [Podcast Episode]

Employees with disabilities were referred to as “talents,” and “connections between talents via chat tools, social media, etc., are prohibited,” forbidding contact with other employees with disabilities, such as colleagues. The reason given for this was that it would “lead to trouble.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 8, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Health Infectious Diseases Japan Medical

Risk of Hantavirus Spread in Japan Low: Health Ministry

The risk of hantavirus spreading in Japan through person-to-person transmission is low, even if infected passengers from a cruise ship linked to a recent outbreak enter the country, the health ministry said Wednesday. The ministry called on the public to remain calm, after three people died in a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. A Japanese national is among passengers on the ship.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 8, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Discrimination Employment Japan Welfare

Disabled workers in Japan left “with no work assigned and abandoned”, companies outsource employment management to contractors

It has been learned that there have been repeated cases in which disabled people directly employed by companies through intermediaries operating disability employment businesses were given virtually no actual work while working remotely, and were effectively left abandoned, doing little more than exchanging simple chat messages with the intermediary company. The cases reveal a structure in which companies seeking to meet the legally mandated employment quota for disabled workers (currently 2.5% of employees) hired disabled people only in form while paying salaries, then completely outsourced employment management to outside contractors.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 8, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Podcast Welfare

Japan’s Labour Ministry Suspects Abuse of Remote Work Systems for People with Disabilities as Use Triples [Podcast Episode]

According to Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry data released on the 4th, the number of vocational training centres for the disabled where “more than half of users work from home” has surged 3.2 times over the four-year period ending in 2025. Because remote support reduces overhead costs, such as personnel expenses for on-site staff, the Ministry suspects that some profit-driven operators are abusing the system. Consequently, the Ministry issued a notice to local governments nationwide this April, calling for stricter oversight.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 7, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Welfare

Japan’s Welfare Ministry Begins Discussions on 2027 Disability Compensation Revision; Focus on Addressing Rising Costs

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “Review Team on Revisions to Remuneration for Disability Welfare Services” met on April 28, marking the start of discussions toward the fiscal 2027 revision. In opening remarks, Masayuki Kamiya, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare and head of the team, stated: “While the budget for disability welfare services has increased more than fourfold since the enforcement of the Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act, there are cases of service providers calculating add-on payments that do not align with the intent of the system, raising concerns about a decline in service quality. We aim to advance disability welfare policies steadily through discussions that incorporate the expertise of the team’s advisors and opinions from the field.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 6, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Podcast Welfare

Osaka City files criminal complaint against Kizuna Holdings over 15 billion Yen in fraudulent disability employment support funds [Podcast Episode]

The city of Osaka has filed a criminal complaint against the operating company of Kizuna Holdings (HD), which had been subject to administrative sanctions for fraudulently receiving approximately 15 billion Yen in disability employment support benefits. As of May 1st 2026, Osaka city has also revoked the designation of the company’s facilities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 5, 2026 1
Disability Employment Japan Welfare

Japan Labour Ministry Suspects Abuse of Remote Work Systems for People with Disabilities as Use Triples

According to Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry data released on the 4th, the number of vocational training centers for the disabled where “more than half of users work from home” has surged 3.2 times over the four-year period ending in 2025. Because remote support reduces overhead costs, such as personnel expenses for on-site staff, the Ministry suspects that some profit-driven operators are abusing the system. Consequently, the Ministry issued a notice to local governments nationwide this April, calling for stricter oversight.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 4, 2026 Number of comments0
Coronavirus COVID-19 Disability Elderly Golden Week Japan

Elderly People in Japan Still Cautioned against COVID during Golden Week

While COVID-19 infections have decreased significantly since Japan downgraded the disease to the same category as seasonal influenza almost three years ago, elderly people and others are still cautioned against the risk of contracting the virus during the country’s ongoing Gold Week holiday period. The Japan Institute for Health Security continues to monitor COVID-19 cases at about 3,000 medical institutions nationwide. In the week through April 19, the number of cases per institution was 0.68, less than half of 1.77 a year earlier. The figure was 3.64 two years before, when the survey covered about 5,000 medical institutions.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 3, 2026 Number of comments0
Crime Disability Employment Japan Welfare

Osaka city files criminal complaint against Kizuna Holdings over ¥15 billion in fraudulent disability employment support funds

The city of Osaka has filed a criminal complaint against the operating company of Kizuna Holdings (HD), which had been subject to administrative sanctions for fraudulently receiving approximately ¥15 billion in disability employment support benefits. As of the 1st, the city has also revoked the designation of the company’s facilities. Kizuna Holdings has filed a lawsuit against the city and plans to contest the matter in court.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 1, 2026 Number of comments0
10 Golden Week Blind Disability Japan Travel

Some Notes on Blindness in Japan During Golden Week [Podcast Episode]

Two recent developments in Japan have highlighted ongoing safety challenges faced by people with visual impairments in public spaces. At the Imabari branch of the Matsuyama District Court, a visually impaired woman has filed a lawsuit seeking about 1.7 million yen in damages from a dog owner, alleging she was injured after an unleashed dog approached her guide dog, causing her to fall; she warned that such incidents on public roads can be life-threatening and called for greater awareness of the dangers of interfering with guide dogs doing their work. Separately, East Japan Railway Co. opened a platform-based training session at Shinagawa Station in Tokyo to the media, where visually impaired participants practiced navigation with mobility instructors using actual train cars, underscoring efforts by transport operators to improve safety and prevent accidents.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 30, 2026 2
Disability Employment Japan Welfare

Kizuna Holdings Files Lawsuit Against Osaka City as Repayment Deadline for 11 Billion Yen in Repayment of Disability Employment Subsidies Passes

In the ongoing issue involving the fraudulent receipt of disability employment support bonuses by four “Type A” continuous employment support offices under the umbrella of the Osaka-based welfare company Kizuna Holdings (HD), it has been learned through interviews with both the company and the city that Kizuna HD has filed a lawsuit in the Osaka District Court. The suit seeks to rescind the city’s order to return approximately 11 billion yen.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 30, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Elderly Health Japan

Japan Govt Calls for Road Map to Medical Payment Hikes

Japan’s Finance Ministry on Tuesday called for a road map to raising out-of-pocket medical payments by patients aged 70 or older to reduce the health insurance premium burden on the working generation. The road map to consolidating their payment rates eventually to a uniform 30 pct should be created, the ministry said at a meeting of a subcommittee of the Fiscal System Council, which advises the finance minister.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 29, 2026 Number of comments0
Crime Disability Japan Podcast

The Showa Day Pod: Earthquake Advisories Lifted and ‘Disability Dating App’ Fraudster Suspects Re-Arrested [Podcast Episode]

Tokyo police have re-arrested two men, including the alleged leader of a group accused of exploiting a dating app aimed at people with disabilities, in what investigators describe as a systematic fraud scheme targeting vulnerable users. The suspects are accused of luring victims, such as a man in his 30s, to bars in Shibuya after meeting them on the app, then falsely claiming losses like canceled reservations to demand large “compensation” payments, in one case about ¥4.7 million.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 27, 2026 1
Crime Disability Japan Relationships

Tokyo Met Police Re-arrest Two over 85 Million Yen Fraud, Targeting the Disabled with Dating App

Tokyo police have re-arrested two men, including the alleged leader of a group accused of exploiting a dating app aimed at people with disabilities, in what investigators describe as a systematic fraud scheme targeting vulnerable users. The suspects are accused of luring victims – such as a man in his 30s – to bars in Shibuya after meeting them on the app, then falsely claiming losses like canceled reservations to demand large “compensation” payments, in one case about ¥4.7 million. Police believe the group deliberately focused on people with disabilities and may have defrauded dozens of victims out of roughly ¥85 million in total; the alleged ringleader denies the charges while another suspect has admitted involvement.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 27, 2026 1
Animals Blind Disability Japan

Visually impaired woman sues for 1.7M Yen after unleashed dog attacks guide dog, causing fall

A lawsuit is being heard at the Imabari branch of the Matsuyama District Court in which a visually impaired woman is seeking approximately 1.7 million yen in damages from a dog owner, alleging that she fell and was injured after an unleashed dog approached her guide dog.
In an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, the plaintiff stressed, “If you fall on a public road, there’s a risk of being hit by a car, could be life-threatening.” She added, “I want people to understand how dangerous it is to interfere with a guide dog while it is guiding.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 27, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Discrimination Japan Podcast Travel Unmanned Stations

Oita District Court Rejects Disabled People’s Claim over Unmanned Stations, Citing “Excessive Burden” on JR Kyushu [Podcast Episode]

A district court in southwestern Japan on Thursday 23rd April dismissed a damages claim by people with disabilities who said that the unmanned operations of stations by Kyushu Railway Co., or JR Kyushu, violated their freedom of movement. “It cannot be acknowledged that there was unfair and discriminatory treatment” on the grounds of disability in operating stations without staff, Oita District Court Presiding Judge Mina Tomita said, rejecting the claim for damages totaling 660,000 yen against JR Kyushu.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 25, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Discrimination Japan Travel Unmanned Stations

Oita Court Rejects Disabled People’s Freedom of Movement Claim, Cites ‘Excessive Burden’ on JR Kyushu

The Oita District Court dismissed a lawsuit by six people with disabilities who claimed that JR Kyushu’s use of unmanned stations infringed their freedom of movement, with Presiding Judge Mina Tomita ruling that “It cannot be acknowledged that there was unfair and discriminatory treatment” and concluding that while requiring advance notice for assistance “cause[s] a difference in the use of stations,” the policy was not illegal. She added that, given factors such as population decline, operating stations without staff “was unavoidable” and that maintaining staffing would impose an “excessive burden” on the company. In response, plaintiffs’ lawyer Yasuyuki Tokuda condemned the decision as an unjust ruling and said the legal team would continue to fight the case.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 24, 2026 2
Disability Discrimination Japan Travel Unmanned Stations

Oita Court Rejects Disabled People’s Claim over Unmanned Stations

A district court in southwestern Japan on Thursday dismissed a damages claim by people with disabilities who said that the unmanned operations of stations by Kyushu Railway Co., or JR Kyushu, violated their freedom of movement. “It cannot be acknowledged that there was unfair and discriminatory treatment” on the grounds of disability in operating stations without staff, Oita District Court Presiding Judge Mina Tomita said, rejecting the claim for damages totaling 660,000 yen against JR Kyushu.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 24, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Crime Disability Disasters Intellectual disabilities Japan Podcast

Male Radiologist Found Guilty of Molesting Fukuoka Female Student with Intellectual Disabilities During Medical Exam [Podcast Episode]

In a retrial at the Fukuoka District Court on the 20th, Presiding Judge Shinichi Suzushima sentenced a 44-year-old male radiological technologist to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years.The man had been charged with quasi-forcible indecency for touching the chest of a female student with intellectual disabilities during a 2018 medical check-up at a high school in Fukuoka Prefecture. Judge Suzushima upheld the credibility of the student’s testimony, describing the act as a “despicable crime that exploited his professional position.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 23, 2026 Number of comments0
Cults Disability Japan Unification Church

40 Billion Yen Secured in Liquidation of Unification Church in Japan

At least 40 billion yen in deposits and savings have been secured during the liquidation process of the Unification Church in Japan, it was learned on Wednesday 22nd April. Also on Wednesday, it was publicly announced that claims of losses from large donations to the Unification Church will be accepted for a year from May 20.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 22, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan

Japan’s Labour Ministry Begins Discussions on Future of “Disability Employment Business”

On the 20th, the Labor Policy Council of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare began discussions aimed at amending laws to promote the employment of people with disabilities. The focus of these talks includes the nature of “disability employment businesses”, which provide alternative workspaces for people with disabilities hired by companies, and expanding the scope of levies paid by companies that fail to meet their mandatory employment quotas. The goal is to submit the legal amendment to the Diet as early as 2027.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 21, 2026 1
Abuse Crime Disability Intellectual disabilities Japan Medical

Male Radiologist Found Guilty of Molesting Fukuoka Female Student with Intellectual Disabilities During Medical Exam

In a retrial at the Fukuoka District Court on the 20th, Presiding Judge Shinichi Suzushima sentenced a 44-year-old male radiological technologist to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years.The man had been charged with quasi-forcible indecency for touching the chest of a female student with intellectual disabilities during a 2018 medical check-up at a high school in Fukuoka Prefecture. Judge Suzushima upheld the credibility of the student’s testimony, describing the act as a “despicable crime that exploited his professional position.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 20, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Disasters Earthquake Japan Tsunami

7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northeastern Japan, Tsunami Warnings Issued [Podcast Episode]

A strong earthquake struck northeastern Japan on Monday, measuring up to upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, and triggering tsunami warnings. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the tremor occurred at around 4:52 p.m. off the Sanriku Pacific coastal area of northeastern Japan, with upper 5 seismic intensity observed in the town of Hashikami in Aomori Prefecture. The quake had an estimated magnitude of 7.7 and occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometres.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 20, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Podcast Welfare

“The users are the victims”: After ‘Kizuna Holdings’ Scandal, 1,280 Disabled Service Users to Lose Jobs [Podcast Episode]

“Kizuna Holdings hasn’t suffered any damage, but we are the ones struggling. They are the embodiment of insincerity…When I look for new work, I’m often asked, ‘Where did you work before?’ When I tell them it was a Kizuna Holdings facility, they say, ‘Oh, there. That means you were complicit in the crime. You’re an accomplice,’ and then tell me not to come back. But the one truly in the wrong is Kizuna Holdings, the users are the victims.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 19, 2026 Number of comments0
Children developmental disabilities Disability Japan

With Five-Month Waiting Lists for Initial Appointments, Nagasaki Introduces ‘Blue Doctor’ system for Children with Developmental Disabilities

In an effort to strengthen the medical system for children with developmental disabilities, the prefecture has certified pediatricians and other specialists who have completed specialized training as ‘Nagasaki Blue Doctors.’ There are currently three specialized medical institutions for developmental disabilities within the prefecture. In fiscal year 2024, the number of patients reached approximately 33,000, a 1.5-fold increase compared to ten years ago, and the waiting period for an initial consultation now stands at five months.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 19, 2026 Number of comments0
COVID-19 Disability Infectious Diseases Japan

Japan on Track to Log Highest Post-Pandemic Measles Cases

Japan is on pace to log its highest annual measles cases this year since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 236 patients confirmed by early April compared with the post-pandemic full-year high of 265 marked last year. About half of patients are in the 10-29 age group, and the Japan Pediatric Society is calling on people to get vaccinated.