Latest Posts

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 5, 2026 Number of comments0
Disasters Infectious Diseases Influenza Japan Podcast Typhoon

On Typhoons and Influenza [Podcast Episode]

The average number of influenza patients per monitored medical institution has exceeded 1.0 in all 47 Japanese prefectures, signaling a nationwide flu outbreak, a health ministry announcement showed Friday. The ministry said that the number of flu patients at some 3,000 regularly monitored institutions across the country came to 7.17 on average in the week through Sunday. While the figure was slightly lower than 8.48 the previous week, a ministry official said, “The decline may be temporary, given trends in previous years.” A large and powerful typhoon, now over the sea far south of Japan, is expected to move north while developing and come closest to the Pacific islands of Ogasawara early next week.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 5, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Earthquake Elderly Health Infectious Diseases Influenza Japan Kumamoto

Flu Spreads in Quake-Hit Kumamoto as Japan Sees Early Outbreak

As Japan saw the second-earliest start of a nationwide influenza outbreak, the flu is also spreading in Kumamoto Prefecture, which was hit by a powerful earthquake in July. With more than 1,300 people still staying at evacuation centers two months after the July 28 temblor that registered the maximum 7 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, an expert has stressed the importance of getting vaccinated early.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 4, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Care Disability Japan

Tsu District Court Orders Compensation After Name of Disability Facility Whistleblower Leaked

According to the ruling and other sources, the man reported to Taiki Town where a resident at the facility lives; in February 2024 that he had witnessed fellow care workers verbally abusing residents and striking them on the back. When a town official contacted the facility, they disclosed that the man was the whistleblower.  

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 4, 2026 1
Japan Podcast Typhoon

Typhoon Choi-wan approaching Japan’s Ogasawara Islands [Podcast Episode]

A large and powerful typhoon, now over the sea far south of Japan, is expected to move north while developing and come closest to the Pacific islands of Ogasawara early next week. People are advised to be on the alert for high waves from Sunday onward. The Japan Meteorological Agency says that as of 6 a.m. on Saturday, Typhoon Choi-wan was moving north-northeast near the Mariana Islands at a speed of 15 kilometres per hour.
The typhoon had a central atmospheric pressure of 970 hectopascals. It was packing winds of up to 126 kilometres per hour near its centre, with gusts peaking at 180 kilometres per hour.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 3, 2026 1
Health Infectious Diseases Influenza Japan

Japan Hit by Nationwide Flu Outbreak

The average number of influenza patients per monitored medical institution has exceeded 1.0 in all 47 Japanese prefectures, signaling a nationwide flu outbreak, a health ministry announcement showed Friday. The ministry said that the number of flu patients at some 3,000 regularly monitored institutions across the country came to 7.17 on average in the week through Sunday.
While the figure was slightly lower than 8.48 the previous week, a ministry official said, “The decline may be temporary, given trends in previous years.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 2, 2026 Number of comments0
Japan Podcast Sagamihara

Sagamihara Stabbings retrial bid rejected [Podcast Episode]

Uematsu had also sought a retrial in 2022, but the petition was rejected, with the rejection becoming final at the Supreme Court in October 2025. Regarding his second petition, the Tokyo High Court ruled in August 2026 that the grounds for the petition were “substantially the same” as those of his first petition, and upheld a Yokohama District Court decision rejecting it.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 1, 2026 1
Disability Japan Sagamihara

Sagamihara Stabbings retrial bid rejected; Supreme Court dismisses second special appeal

The Supreme Court’s Third Petty Bench, presided over by Justice Kimihiro Ishikane, has ruled against a second retrial petition filed by former employee Satoshi Uematsu, 36, who was sentenced to death for the 2016 killings and wounding of 45 people at the Tsukui Yamayuri-en facility for people with intellectual disabilities in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. The decision, dated Sept. 29, dismissed the death-row inmate’s special appeal.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 1, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Discrimination Housing Japan Podcast

People with Disabilities in Fukuoka Face Rental Housing Woes [Podcast Episode]

A survey by the Fukuoka City-based group Association to Eliminate Discrimination against People with Disabilities in Fukuoka City found that one in 10 respondents with disabilities or their family members had been refused when looking for private rental housing.

Some respondents said they had been turned away because of their disability. Experts say such cases could constitute “unjust discriminatory treatment,” which is prohibited under Japan’s Act for Eliminating Discrimination against People with Disabilities. The survey was conducted from December last year through March this year through the group’s 20 member organizations and other channels.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 30, 2026 1
Barrier Free Disability Discrimination Housing Japan

Survey finds one in ten people with disabilities denied private rental housing in Fukuoka

Some respondents said they had been turned away because of their disability. Experts say such cases could constitute “unjust discriminatory treatment,” which is prohibited under Japan’s Act for Eliminating Discrimination against People with Disabilities. The survey was conducted from December last year through March this year through the group’s 20 member organizations and other channels.

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

Flu “alert” level approaches in Japan as cases rise 1.5-fold from previous week

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Monday 28th September that the number of influenza cases reported by around 3,000 designated medical institutions nationwide between Sept. 14 and 20 averaged 8.48 per institution. The figure was 1.53 times higher than the previous week, continuing an upward trend and approaching the “alert” level of 10 cases per institution.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 27, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Welfare

Nagano Social Welfare Corporation Fires Staff Member for Embezzling Over 6.7 Million Yen from Resident Deposits

According to the corporation, the male employee in his 50s, who worked at a support facility in the prefecture, embezzled a total of over 6.7 million yen from the deposited funds of 12 residents over roughly nine years, from February 2017 to March of this year. He operated by submitting forged receipts to make it appear as though he was making authorized purchases on behalf of the residents.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 26, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Health Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co.

Japanese, U.K. Funds Propose Taking ‘beni koji’ producer Kobayashi Pharma Private

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. is considering going private, with a consortium of Japanese and British investment funds having proposed acquiring the company and overhauling its management, strengthening its quality-control operations, since health problems linked to its supplements containing “beni koji” red yeast rice came to light in 2024.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 26, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Disasters Deaf Typhoon Hearing Impaired Typhoon Dujuan

Manufacturer to offer free hearing aid replacements to typhoon Dujuan victims

Rion Co., a Japanese manufacturer of hearing aids and medical equipment, said Thursday it will provide free replacement hearing aids or repairs to people whose Rion devices were lost or damaged in Typhoon No. 25. The company said the assistance will be available regardless of when the hearing aids were purchased for people affected by the typhoon in areas covered by the Disaster Relief Act.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 25, 2026 Number of comments0
developmental disabilities Disability Education Japan

Schoolchildren in Japan With Developmental Disabilities Three Times More Likely to Miss School

Among 9,641 students who were identified as having, or suspected of having, a developmental disability and who met one of the following criteria—(1) were enrolled in a special-needs class; (2) were enrolled in a regular class and used tsukyu resource-room instruction when necessary; or (3) were enrolled in a regular class and had requested or received consultations about support—1,278 were not attending school. Across the overall sample, 4,788 of 129,014 students were not attending school.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 24, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Disasters Japan Typhoon Typhoon Dujuan

3 More Confirmed Dead in Japan after Typhoon Dujuan

Three more people had been newly confirmed dead in the eastern Japan prefectures of Chiba and Kanagawa by Wednesday afternoon after heavy rain from Typhoon Dujuan, the 25th typhoon of the year, caused flooding and landslides.  The death toll from the typhoon had thus risen to 10 as of 6:30 p.m., while four other people were missing. Members of the Self-Defense Forces, the prefectural police and local fire authorities continued their search operations.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 23, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Disasters Japan Typhoon

Death toll from typhoon rises to 9, 4 still missing

The death toll from Typhoon Dujuan that hit eastern Japan earlier this week rose to nine Wednesday with the discovery of a woman confirmed dead in Kanagawa Prefecture and a man from a submerged vehicle in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, local authorities said. The search continues for four people who are still missing after the storm brought heavy rain and flooding to a wide area of the prefecture.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 22, 2026 Number of comments0
Care Dementia Disability Independent Living Intellectual disabilities Japan Welfare

Waiting List for Independent Living Support in Japan Reaches 1.4 Times Previous Year’s Level

was learned on September 19 that the number of people waiting to use the “Daily Living Independence Support Program,” provided by social welfare councils across Japan for people with dementia, intellectual disabilities and other conditions, totaled 3,931 in fiscal 2025. This was about 1.4 times the 2,868 recorded in fiscal 2024. The main reason for the sharp increase is a shortage of social welfare council staff in the face of growing demand for the service. The government plans to expand the program to elderly people who have no relatives they can rely on, making it an urgent priority to strengthen the system.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 21, 2026 Number of comments0
Children Disability Japan Welfare

Daily Food Spending below 500 Yen among Needy People in Japan

Needy households in Japan live on an average food expenditure of less than 500 yen per person a day amid lingering inflation, according to a survey by Save the Children Japan, a nongovernmental organization. The survey, conducted in June, covered 8,736 parents nationwide who applied for food assistance from the organization. All of them provided valid responses online or by telephone.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 21, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Japan Podcast Sagamihara

Staff member at ‘Sagamihara Stabbings’ facility slaps intellectually disabled resident [Podcast Episode]

According to the prefecture, the abuse occurred on the afternoon of Aug. 21. The resident had accidentally soiled himself and taken a temporary shower before completing his regular bath. He subsequently returned to the changing room twice more and attempted to remove his clothes. The staff member slapped him while trying to stop him.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 21, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Elderly Japan Wheelchair

Elderly Warned of Accidents Involving Nursing Beds, Wheelchairs

Ahead of Respect for the Aged Day in Japan on Monday, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation warned of accidents involving nursing beds or wheelchairs and urged elderly people to review proper usage with their families and care workers. According to NITE, there were 43 nursing bed accidents affecting elderly people between 2016 and 2025, including 23 cases in which users’ bodies were caught in handrail and other gaps.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 20, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan

Kawasaki Disabled Man Hired as “Hospital Employee”Actually Worked on Farm; Develops Lung Disease, Receives Worker’s Compensation

A 47-year-old man with a mental disability who worked at a farm in Kawasaki operated by a company involved in the so-called “disability employment business” has been recognized as suffering a work-related illness after developing a lung condition that he says was caused by his duties, it has been learned. The man was hired as an employee of a hospital in Kawasaki, but did not work at the hospital and instead performed agricultural work at the farm. It is unusual for a disabled worker employed through a disability employment business to have been recognized as suffering a work-related illness. The case highlights concerns over safety management and other issues at workplaces operated by such companies.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 19, 2026 Number of comments0
Deaf Deaflympics Disability Japan

2025 Tokyo Deaflympics Helped Raise Awareness, but Issues Remain

While the Tokyo Deaflympics in 2025 have helped boost public awareness of the sporting event, there remain issues that need to be tackled almost a year on. According to the survey, 24.3 pct of respondents aged 20 and over said that they knew of the Tokyo Deaflympics, before the competition was held last November. The recognition rate rose to 55.4 pct in 2026.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 19, 2026 Number of comments0
Care Disability Elderly Japan Nursing Care

Japan Mulls Higher Nursing Care Premiums for High-Income Elderly

Japan’s welfare ministry on Friday began considering a plan to raise nursing care insurance premiums for high-income earners aged 65 or older from fiscal 2027. Under the latest proposal, the ministry plans to raise the highest rate, applied to people with annual incomes of 7.2 million yen or more. It also plans to divide lower-income brackets into smaller categories to curb sharp increases in premiums when people move into a higher rate bracket.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 17, 2026 Number of comments0
Children Crime Disability Japan Mental Health

Chiba Mother accused of drowning disabled daughter faces verdict, says she regrets killing

A 58-year-old mother accused of drowning her severely disabled 29-year-old daughter in a water-filled plastic storage container at their home in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, has expressed regret over the incident. During a Chiba District Court hearing, A described her daughter as “my life, my everything” and said she wished she could “turn back time.” She also apologized to her daughter, saying, “B-chan, I’m sorry. Every day, I apologize to B-chan and pray for her soul… With everyone’s help, I’m living… B-chan, I’m truly sorry.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 16, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Care Hokkaido Japan Podcast

Ex-care worker gets suspended sentence for assaulting residents at Hokkaido facility [Podcast Episode]

A former 31-year-old employee of a disability support facility in Kushiro, Hokkaido, was sentenced to one year and two months in prison, suspended for three years, after being convicted of assaulting residents at the facility. The court said Abe’s actions were “vile and malicious” and had undermined trust in care workers, but noted that he had expressed an intention to apologize and was showing remorse.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 15, 2026 1
Abuse Care Disability Japan Sagamihara

Staff member at ‘Sagamihara Stabbings’ facility slaps intellectually disabled resident

According to the prefecture, the abuse occurred on the afternoon of Aug. 21. The resident had accidentally soiled himself and taken a temporary shower before completing his regular bath. He subsequently returned to the changing room twice more and attempted to remove his clothes. The staff member slapped him while trying to stop him.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 14, 2026 1
Abuse Care Crime Disability Japan

Ex-care worker gets suspended sentence for assaulting residents at Hokkaido facility

A former 31-year-old employee of a disability support facility in Kushiro, Hokkaido, was sentenced to one year and two months in prison, suspended for three years, after being convicted of assaulting residents at the facility. The court said Abe’s actions were “vile and malicious” and had undermined trust in care workers, but noted that he had expressed an intention to apologize and was showing remorse.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 13, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Para Sports Sports

Japan’s Kamiji Wins U.S. Open Women’s Wheelchair Tennis Title

Japan’s Yui Kamiji won the U.S. Open women’s wheelchair tennis singles title on Saturday, securing her second straight U.S. Open title and marking her 13th Grand Slam singles title. In Saturday’s wheelchair women’s singles final at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, top seed Kamiji beat second seed Diede de Groot of the Netherlands 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 to claim the title.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 13, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Welfare

Yamaguchi Prefecture Revokes Designation of Employment Support Facility for People with Disabilities Over Fraudulent Benefit Claims

A non-profit organization (NPO) based in Yamaguchi City has fraudulently received at least approximately 19.43 million yen in benefit payments from four municipalities, including Yamaguchi City, without employing a “service management supervisor” as required by the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act. The disciplinary action was decided on the 10th and takes effect on September 29th. The sanctioned entity is the NPO “felice,” which operated the employment support facility “Ayu no Sato” in the Yoshiki-Sahata district of Yamaguchi City.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 11, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Disability Japan Mental Health

Child Abuse Deaths in Japan Rise to 77 in FY 2024

The number of children who died from abuse in Japan in fiscal 2024 rose by 12 from the previous year to 77, an expert panel of the Children and Families Agency said Thursday. Excluding family suicide cases, the figure stood at 50, including 34 who died before reaching 1 year old. The number of children who died within 24 hours after birth came to 17.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 10, 2026 Number of comments0
Care Disability Elderly Japan Nursing Care Welfare

Japan Mulls Easing Nursing-Care Premiums for Missing Elderly People

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has, for the first time, indicated that nursing-care insurance premiums can be fully exempted when elderly people, including those with dementia, go missing and their families continue to be responsible for paying the premiums. The ministry has notified local governments across Japan of this policy.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 9, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Podcast Sex

A Care Worker’s Mission to Address Sexuality and Disability in Japan [Podcast Episode]

Hana, a woman in her 30s who provides home-visit care to people with disabilities (@kgw206012793791), has another side to her work. She is also the owner of ‘Love Suketto’, a dispatch-style adult service exclusively for people with disabilities. After witnessing the deeply impersonal way sexual needs were addressed for some people with severe disabilities, care worker Hana became determined to challenge the stigma surrounding disability and sexuality. In 2021, after gaining firsthand experience in Japan’s adult-services industry, she launched a mobile service specifically for people with disabilities. Her story offers a rare look at the practical, emotional and social barriers faced by disabled people seeking intimacy, while also raising difficult questions about dignity, choice, consent and access to sexual services.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 8, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Crime Disability Japan

Wheelchair-Using Victim after Attempted Murder Demands Statute of Limitations Removal

A victim of attempted murder in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, in 2002 and his wife are advocating for the removal of the statute of limitations on such crimes. The country abolished the statute of limitations for heinous crimes such as murder through law amendments in 2010. Still, the revisions do not cover attempted murder. “Would it have been better if I had died?” said Yoshitaka Yasuda, 61, who was left severely disabled in the 2002 case.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 7, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Infectious Diseases Influenza Japan Podcast

A podcast of early flu seasons and weak typhoons [Podcast Episode]

Japan has entered the influenza season, the health ministry said on Friday 28th August, marking the second earliest start since 1999, when the infectious disease control law went into force. In the week to Sunday, the number of flu patients reported by some 3,000 designated medical institutions across the country stood at 1.11 per institution. A reading of 1 or higher suggests that flu season has begun. The earliest start of flu season was recorded in 2009, about a week earlier than the ongoing season, excluding 2023, when the outbreak continued yearlong.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 6, 2026 1
Disability Japan Sex

A Care Worker’s Mission to Address Sexuality and Disability in Japan

After witnessing the deeply impersonal way sexual needs were addressed for some people with severe disabilities, care worker Hana became determined to challenge the stigma surrounding disability and sexuality. In 2021, after gaining firsthand experience in Japan’s adult-services industry, she launched a mobile service specifically for people with disabilities. Her story offers a rare look at the practical, emotional and social barriers faced by disabled people seeking intimacy, while also raising difficult questions about dignity, choice, consent and access to sexual services.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 5, 2026 Number of comments0
Crime Disability Elderly Japan

Elderly Taxi Driver Found Guilty over Fatal Hit-and-Run in Tokyo

“It was irresponsible to leave and run away when he could have predicted the risk of collision with the following car,” Judge Yuko Ito of Tokyo District Court said. “The degree of accusation is high considering that he was a professional driver.” Ito added that the accused fault was not serious because he had turned the steering wheel after seeing the victim about 30 meters before the collision.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 4, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Disasters Earthquake Elderly Japan Podcast

Support Center Launched to Help People with Disabilities Affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake Unable to Speak Up [Podcast Episode]

In the aftermath of the Kumamoto Earthquake, a new support center is working to reach people with disabilities who have been left without assistance and are unable to speak up for themselves. With many still isolated in their homes and surrounded by the destruction, local and national support organizations are joining forces to identify those in need and deliver help where government support has yet to reach.