Japan’s Matheson to Run for IPC Board Member
Japanese Paralympic medalist Miki Matheson is among the 25 candidates for members at large of the International Paralympic Committee’s Governing Board, the IPC said Monday.
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7 year old autistic boy, Missing in Tokyo, Meguro-ku
7 year old autistic boy, missing in Tokyo, Meguro-ku. Last seen at 10AM September 20th wearing a Peanuts shirt, beige shorts, and red crocs. Blue bicycle. Name is Rui, height is 135cm.
Japan’s Elderly Population Hits Record High
Elderly men totaled 15.83 million, or 26 pct of the total male population. There were 20.57 million elderly women, or 32 pct of the female population.
The ministry released the data ahead of Respect for the Aged Day on Monday, a national holiday.
(Updated) Central Japan man, Kikuo Fujita, retroactively awarded $140k in disability pension in high court appeal
“Kikuo Fujita (78) of Hodatsushimizu Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, who has a physical disability, said that it was illegal to refuse to apply for a disability pension because he did not have a medical certificate. The appeal decision was made at the Kanazawa branch of the Nagoya High Court on the 15th. Judge Shunji Hasui decided that the government’s response was “illegal.”
Former Canadian Paralympian Calls on Japan to Be More Inclusive
The former Paralympic swimmer said that the legacy of the Tokyo Paralympics should be Japan becoming more aware of people with disabilities and barriers they face and realizing a more inclusive society.
Japan to Mull Antibody Cocktail Treatment at Home
Japan’s health ministry will swiftly consider allowing patients with the novel coronavirus to receive antibody cocktail treatment at home, health minister Norihisa Tamura said Wednesday.
Central Japan man retroactively awarded $140k in disability pension in high court appeal
The plaintiff had been seeking payment from the national government for 37 years of Disability Basic Pension, coming in to a total of about 17.63 million yen (around $161,000). In its ruling, the high court ordered that some 15.5 million yen (about $141,000) be paid to the man.
Japanese photographer seeks to show joy disabled children can bring families
Freelance photographer Maiko Kuzutani has been drawn to taking photos of disabled children with their loving parents for years — ever since the time in college when she was shocked to learn how many mothers in Japan choose to abort children with disabilities such as Down syndrome.
Para-athlete gymnasium used for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics to end operations
The Nippon Foundation Para-Arena, a dedicated gymnasium that opened in 2018 as a facility to strengthen athletes with disabilities in preparation for Tokyo hosting the Paralympics, is expected to end operations by the end of fiscal year 2021.
Japan’s FamilyMart to Open 1,000 Stores with Unmanned Payment System
Major Japanese convenience store operator FamilyMart Co. plans to launch about 1,000 outlets with an unmanned checkout counter by the end of fiscal 2024, it has been learned.
Are Japan’s taxis really becoming wheelchair-friendly? One model’s experience suggests not
Despite the nationwide introduction of over 20,000 universal design taxis and the government’s goal of promoting an inclusive society in the run up to the Paralympics, it appears Japan still isn’t in a place where wheelchair users can feel comfortable using the services.
Coronavirus cluster confirmed at Nagasaki disability welfare office, 21 infected
A total of 21 people were newly confirmed, including 10 in Sasebo, 4 in Isahaya, 3 in Nagasaki and 3 in Hirado, and 1 in Saza. The total number of infected people in Nagasaki Prefecture is now 5716.
Japan’s Health Ministry: Vaccines prevented 8,000 elderly deaths
Progress in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign may have prevented more than 8,000 deaths of people 65 or older and spared more than 100,000 elderly people from novel coronavirus infection in July and August, according to an estimate compiled by Japan’s Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry.
Strain on medical and care systems leads Japan to extend state of emergency
While new COVID-19 cases are on the decline in the 19 prefectures, medical systems are still burdened there, government officials said.
Tokyo Games Organizing Committee President says Games not: “a 100% success, but I think we’ve cleared a certain bar”
This summer’s Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games satisfied certain standards despite the coronavirus pandemic, Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo Games organizing committee, indicated Monday.
17 new coronavirus infections found in Gunma Prefecture at facility for the disabled in Takasaki City
Takasaki City announced on September 7 that 17 people, including residents and staff at a facility for the people with disabilities, were confirmed as infected with the coronavirus.
Tokyo 2020 Athletes village closes after 323 coronavirus infections during Paralympics
A total of 323 coronavirus infections were recorded during the Tokyo Paralympics, the games’ organizing committee announced Wednesday, the same day the athletes’ village officially closed.
NHK lauded for deaf interpreter use in Tokyo Games ceremony broadcasts
Broadcast via NHK’s educational channel, the deaf interpreters, for whom sign language is their first language, were able to convey more detailed and nuanced coverage of the Olympic closing ceremony and Paralympic opening ceremony by communicating information provided to them by signers who can hear.
Former Aichi facility worker sentenced to three years for assaulting people with intellectual disabilities
Defendant Mizuno apologized in the final statement, crying, “I never hated the residents and I don’t know why I did that.”
In preparation for the ultimately spectator-less Paralympics, Japan’s hotels made efforts toward more accessible facilities
Hotel Kazusaya in Nihombashi, Tokyo, reopened in summer last year following a major refurbishment carried out in sync with the original schedule of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The doorways of its guest rooms have been resized to 85 centimeters wide. At the stage of planning, the doorway width was set at 75 centimeters. But in 2019, the Tokyo metropolitan government amended its relevant ordinance for hotels. Under the new standard, the doorways of rooms in newly built hotels or newly added facilities must be “a minimum of 80 centimeters in breadth,” so that wheelchairs can get through the doorway easily.
Hurdles remain for young Japanese people with disabilities who want to play sport as percentage participating falls
The share of Japanese people with disabilities aged 7 to 19 who routinely engage in sports fell to 27.9 pct in 2020 from 30.7 pct in 2013.
Lack of time on Japanese TV spoils Tokyo Paralympics big opportunity
The more popular sports like athletics and swimming were broadcast live, starting with the qualification rounds, during the Aug. 24-Sept. 5 games, but niche sports without Japanese medal contenders like powerlifting and taekwondo were absent.
Tokyo Paralympic athletes praise experience but public mixed
“It’s been different. It’s not been the same games that we were used to,” said British wheelchair tennis player Jordanne Whiley, who was competing in her fourth Paralympics.
COVID-19 Mortality 5.6 Times Greater for People with Illnesses, Survey by Japan’s Health Ministry Shows
The mortality rate for COVID-19 among people with pre-existing health conditions such as chronic kidney disease is about 5.6 times greater than that of people without such illnesses, a survey by Japan’s health ministry showed Saturday.
Japan PM Suga impressed by Paralympians “overcoming difficulties”
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday he has been impressed by the performances of athletes “overcoming difficulties” and competing at the Tokyo Paralympics, voicing hope to continue promoting the spirit of “barrier free.”
‘Barrier Free Japan’ mentioned on ‘BBC News Japan’ from【東京パラ】 日本の障害者の実情、住民3人に聞く
神戸市で暮らし、脳性まひのあるイギリス人学者マイケル・ギラン・ペキットさんは、「当初、事件は日本に大きな影響を及ぼした。メディアはかなりの間、障害者への接し方や介護制度について疑問を呈していた。しかし時間がたつと、人々の関心は移っていく」と話す。
Afghanistan’s Zakia Khudadadi takes part in first Paralympic Games Taekwondo Competition
Afghan athlete Zakia Khudadadi got her chance to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics on Thursday. The Tokyo 2020 Games is the first time taekwondo has been a Paralympic event.
Paralympic Athlete Hospitalized After Contracting COVID, first Tokyo 2020 Games Athlete to be Hospitalized for COVID
A foreign Paralympian has been hospitalized after contracting COVID-19, the first such case among athletes either at the Tokyo Olympics or Paralympics, the games organizing committee said Thursday.
Disability News Japan Episode 79: Toyota’s Driverless Bus Restarts in Paralympic Village After Injury and Aghanistan’s Paralympians Compete
Disability News Japan Episode 79: Toyota’s Driverless Bus Restarts in Paralympic Village After Injury and Aghanistan Paralympian Competes
After challenge by man with cerebral palsy, Osaka High Court rules Public Offices Election Act limiting number of assistants to “those who work at polling stations” constitutional
Yasuhiro Nakata, a man who was born with cerebral palsy claimed that the Public Election Law’s provision limiting the number of assistants to “those who work at polling stations” violates the Constitution because it does not protect the secrecy of the vote. The court rejected the man’s appeal.
Evacuated Afghan athlete Hossain Rasouli makes debut at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
Hossain Rasouli became the first athlete representing Afghanistan to take part in the Tokyo Paralympics, a feat that looked impossible when it appeared the country’s team would be unable to travel safely to Japan to be part of the world’s largest sporting event for people with disabilities, which started a week ago.
Toyota self-driving buses in Paralympic village to restart on August 31, Toyota CEO apologizes for “overconfidence” in technology
The driverless bus service was suspended after one of Toyota’s e-Palette autonomous electric buses hit a Paralympian, Japanese judoka Aramitsu Kitazono, who was trying to cross an intersection in the village, around 2 p.m. on Thursday.
Japan Seizes Paralympic Opportunity to Go Barrier-Free
More and more public transportation systems and accommodation facilities in Japan have introduced barrier-free infrastructure since it was decided eight years ago that the 2020 Paralympics would be held in Tokyo. n some cases, however, moves to prepare environments allowing barrier-free access have been hindered by the spread of the novel coronavirus.
‘NHK Barrier Free’ Celebrity Yukinori Tamaki says of Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony: ‘WE HAVE WINGS’ segment: “I felt that it would have been fine if it didn’t fly”
The Tokyo Paralympics opened on the 24th. The theme of the opening ceremony was ‘WE HAVE WINGS,’ and it represented the process of a “small airplane with one wing,” performed by a girl in a wheelchair, taking off into the sky. Yukinori Tamaki, 53, a social worker who has cerebral palsy and appears on NHK E-TV’s ‘Baribara’ a TV show about disability issues in Japan, praised the production, but said, “There is a way of life for those who cannot fly. ” What are the thoughts of Mr. Tamaki, who has continued to convey the message of a diverse society through laughter in a program that targets “all minorities who have difficulty in living?
Two teachers involved with Paralympic Games spectator scheme test positive for COVID
On August 29 the Chiba City Board of Education revealed that six faculty members in the city were found to be infected with the new coronavirus, and two of them were leading students in the Tokyo Paralympic Games watching cooperation program.
Athletes evacuated from Afghanistan Prepare for Tokyo Paralympics
They have started living in the athletes’ village and preparing for their competitions, the IPC said in a statement late Saturday…
“Zakia and Hossain are now in Tokyo to fulfill their dreams, sending out a strong message of hope to many others around the world,” IPC President Andrew Parsons said in the statement after meeting with them at the village…”The meeting was extremely emotional. There were lots of tears from everyone in the room. It really was a remarkable meeting,” IPC spokesman Craig Spence told a press briefing on Sunday.
Tokyo Skytree shimmers with the Paralympics ‘Three Agitos’
The special illumination runs through the final day of action at the Paralympics on Sept. 5, with the landmark tower lit up from around 6:30 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Afghan Paralympians Arrive in Tokyo, Ready to Compete
The two athletes will compete in taekwondo and athletics. The Afghanistan Paralympic Team, represented by Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli, arrived in the Japanese capital on Saturday (28 August) ready to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Paralympian Hit by Self-Driving Bus in Athletes Village
Aramitsu Kitazono, 30, a visually impaired Japanese Paralympic athlete has been hit by a self-driving bus in the athletes village in Tokyo, sustaining injuries that take two weeks to recover.
Tokyo Paralympic tennis matches start after 6-hour heat delay
Tokyo Paralympic wheelchair tennis matches on outdoor courts started on Friday after more than a six-hour delay due to intense heat in the Japanese capital.
In line with a special policy aimed at protecting players, organizers decided to suspend matches scheduled for all nine outdoor courts at Ariake Tennis Park as the temperature reached 33 C, a figure above what is considered safe on the heat stress index scale, at 11 a.m.
Disability News Japan Podcast Episode 78: ‘Overseas’ Person involved with Tokyo Paralympics with COVID hospitalized & Afghan Paralympians evacuated and safe, IPC says
Person involved with the Tokyo Paralympics hospitalized with COVID-19 and Afghan Paralympians evacuated are safe, IPC says
Swimmer Suzuki Wins Japan’s 1st Gold at Tokyo Paralympics, 1st Gold since London 2012
Takayuki Suzuki won a gold medal in the men’s 100-meter freestyle S4, a class for swimmers with physical impairments, in the Tokyo Paralympics on Thursday, giving Japan its first gold at the ongoing Tokyo Games.
Suzuki is also the first Japanese Paralympian to bag gold since the 2012 London Games.
Tokyo Paralympics confirm 1st COVID-19 hospitalization
A person from overseas linked with the Paralympics, but not an athlete, has been hospitalized after testing positive on Monday for the coronavirus. The patient is not displaying severe symptoms, committee spokesman Masanori Takaya said.
Afghan Paralympians evacuated and safe, IPC says
Afghanistan’s two Paralympic athletes have been safely evacuated from the country, the International Paralympic Committee said Wednesday, declining to specify their destination. The two taekwondo athletes, Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli, were originally due to represent their country at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Children Start Watching Tokyo Paralympics at Venues
Japan started a special program Wednesday to allow schoolchildren to view Tokyo Paralympic events at venues as an exception to the policy of holding the Games without spectators.
14-yr-old Paralympic swimmer Miyuki Yamada wins Japan’s 1st medal in Tokyo, youngest Japanese Paralympian to reach podium
TOKYO – Miyuki Yamada won the host nation’s first medal of the Tokyo Paralympics on Wednesday, in the process becoming the youngest Japanese to reach the podium in the history of the games at just 14 years of age.
Disability News Japan Episode 76: Afghanistan National Flag displayed at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony
The Tokyo Paralympics’ opening ceremony included the flag of Afghanistan as a “sign of solidarity” since athletes from the country will not be able to compete against their wishes, a top official said Monday.
Japanese lawmakers with disabilities call for “immediate cancellation of the Tokyo Paralympics and strengthening of the medical system.”
However, there were some people with disabilities that were not happy about the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games being held. Yasuhiko Funago, who has ALS & Emiko Kimura who has cerebral palsy of the Reiwa Shinsengumi. Both are members of the House of Councillors, the Lower House in the Japanese Diet or Parliament.
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games opening ceremony to include Afghanistan flag
d a press conference that “it’s important to highlight” that having the flag at the ceremony on Tuesday night will also be a message of “peace” to the rest of the world, given that Afghan athletes are unable to compete after the Taliban seized control of the country.
“I had to be picked up and carried…To be honest, I didn’t like it”: A 1964 Tokyo Paralympian reflects on the Games
The 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games offered Japanese people with disabilities a glimpse of an inclusive world, with one athlete saying that the event “opened a window in life.”
