A Japanese startup said Tuesday that it plans to file for conditional approval of pig-to-human kidney transplants in 2029. PorMedTec, the startup based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, plans to begin Japan’s first clinical trials of such transplants at Hokkaido University Hospital in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and Shonan Kamakura General Hospital in Kanagawa as early as 2028.
More than 800,000 students attending public elementary and junior high schools across Japan are estimated to have developmental disabilities, according to a government survey, with experts saying the increase reflects improved recognition rather than a sudden rise in prevalence.
The statutory employment rate for people with disabilities was raised to 2.7% from July, up from 2.5%.Fifty years have passed since such a mandatory rate was first set in 1976, and initiatives have now gone beyond merely meeting that figure to also exploring ways to maximize disabled people’s abilities and job satisfaction. Increasing the employment rate among small and medium-sized enterprises is a challenge as well. In companies with fewer than 100 employees, the employment rate for people with disabilities stands at only 1.94%, which is lower than the overall average.
According to the city, when physical restraints are used, facilities are required to obtain the consent of the resident’s family and document the reasons for and methods of the restraint. The city suspects these procedures were not followed. Officials conducted an on-site inspection of the facility on July 15 and are now considering possible administrative sanctions.
Japan will raise the caps on medical expenses borne by patients as part of changes in its high-cost medical care benefit system from August that are designed to curb ballooning national medical costs. The ceilings on monthly out-of-pocket medical expenses will be raised next month and in August 2027. The total margin of increases will reach 4 pct to 38 pct, varying depending on the annual income.
More than 800,000 students attending public elementary and junior high schools across Japan are estimated to have developmental disabilities, according to a government survey, with experts saying the increase reflects improved recognition rather than a sudden rise in prevalence.
At a press conference on Thursday, Tomonobu Hasegawa, director of Kashiwa Tanaka Hospital, said, “We deeply apologize” over the murder. “We will thoroughly educate all employees on ethics again,” he added. According to the hospital in the city of Kashiwa, an assistant nurse who worked the night shift with the suspect saw her several times entering and leaving the hospital room of Eiji Aita, 75, who later died.
Police have arrested a former nurse for allegedly killing a male inpatient of a hospital in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, in January by mixing excrement in his intravenous drip.
According to those familiar with the situation, in late June a staff member verbally abused a male resident who was using the toilet, shouting remarks such as, “Come on, get it out (the feces),” and “You piece of trash.” The toilet door was also left open, allowing other residents to see him while he was defecating.
According to the city, when physical restraints are used, facilities are required to obtain the consent of the resident’s family and document the reasons for and methods of the restraint. The city suspects these procedures were not followed. Officials conducted an on-site inspection of the facility on July 15 and are now considering possible administrative sanctions.
According to those familiar with the situation, in late June a staff member verbally abused a male resident who was using the toilet, shouting remarks such as, “Come on, get it out (the feces),” and “You piece of trash.” The toilet door was also left open, allowing other residents to see him while he was defecating.
Although the Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the former Eugenic Protection Law, which forced people with disabilities and others to undergo sterilization, was unconstitutional, support for people with disabilities who wish to have children and raise families remains inadequate. The symposium will explore what kinds of support are needed.
The Abilympics Fukuoka 2026, a competition in which people with disabilities demonstrate and compete in vocational skills they have developed through their work and daily employment, was held in Kasuga, Fukuoka Prefecture, on July 11. The Abilympics are organized to help working people with disabilities improve their skills while also promoting greater understanding of the employment of people with disabilities. Competitors who achieved outstanding results qualified to compete at the National Abilympics, which will be held in Aichi Prefecture this December.
Japan’s Yui Kamiji shut out Diede de Groot of the Netherlands 6-0, 6-0 in the women’s wheelchair singles final at Wimbledon on Saturday, earning her first Wimbledon title. This is Kamiji’s 12th Grand Slam singles title and makes her the first Japanese woman to achieve a career Grand Slam, which requires titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
The Abilympics Fukuoka 2026, a competition in which people with disabilities demonstrate and compete in vocational skills they have developed through their work and daily employment, was held in Kasuga, Fukuoka Prefecture, on July 11. The Abilympics are organized to help working people with disabilities improve their skills while also promoting greater understanding of the employment of people with disabilities. Competitors who achieved outstanding results qualified to compete at the National Abilympics, which will be held in Aichi Prefecture this December.
According to the complaint and a report by a third-party committee established by the city, the young woman, now a high school student, attended a municipal elementary school in Sakai. Between her third and fourth grades (2018–2019), she was bullied by classmates, who blacked out her name in a shared notebook and stuffed small stones and other objects into her shoes. She eventually stopped attending school and later transferred to another school.
A man residing at a disability support facility in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture, has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder another resident at 4:30AM on July 11th. The victim was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Last December, the company had its designation revoked by Kanazawa City for fraudulently receiving 30.41 million yen in benefit payments intended for employment support for people with disabilities. The city had demanded a payment of 42.58 million yen, which included additional penalties, but it was not paid by the January 5th deadline of this year and the city is currently considering filing criminal charges.
According to the complaint and a report by a third-party committee established by the city, the young woman, now a high school student, attended a municipal elementary school in Sakai. Between her third and fourth grades (2018–2019), she was bullied by classmates, who blacked out her name in a shared notebook and stuffed small stones and other objects into her shoes. She eventually stopped attending school and later transferred to another school.
In the case involving a teenage girl with an intellectual disability who was allegedly confined in a closet at her family’s home in Machida, in which her parents and two brothers – a total of four people – were arrested and indicted, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigation Division on July 6 arrested another teenage brother on suspicion of unlawful confinement, according to investigative sources. Police believe the girl had been subjected to abuse by every other member of her family.
Hiromichi Kikuchi, the de facto head of the nonprofit organization, 66, of Yokohama, was already serving an eight-month prison term after exhausting his appeals against a 2023 conviction for brokering organ transplants in Belarus without government permission.
A local court on Tuesday sentenced a former worker at an elderly care home in the city of Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture, east of Tokyo, to 20 years in prison for murdering a resident of the facility six years ago. Public prosecutors charged Megumi Akama, 40, with murdering two residents of the elderly home by injecting air into their intravenous drip tubes while she was working at the facility in 2020.
Following an incident where two former male staff members were arrested on suspicion of assault for physically abusing a resident at the “Tsurugaoka Gakuen” disability support facility in Kushiro City, the operating social welfare corporation, “Kushiro Aiiku Kyokai,” has drafted an improvement plan and submitted it to the Hokkaido prefectural government. In addition to reviewing security camera footage daily, the organization will establish a system that makes it easier to report and seek counselling regarding abuse.
The newly arrested teenage brother is suspected of repeatedly forcing the girl into a closet approximately 20 times between November 28, 2025, and January 28, 2026, locking it from the outside and confining her there.
Following an incident where two former male staff members were arrested on suspicion of assault for physically abusing a resident at the “Tsurugaoka Gakuen” disability support facility in Kushiro City, the operating social welfare corporation, “Kushiro Aiiku Kyokai,” has drafted an improvement plan and submitted it to the Hokkaido prefectural government. In addition to reviewing security camera footage daily, the organization will establish a system that makes it easier to report and seek counseling regarding abuse.
A tragic accident has raised questions after a 10-year-old boy attending a special needs school in Komatsu City went missing during class and was later found dead in a nearby waterfall. According to the school, the boy had a relatively mild disability and had no difficulty communicating. However, three years ago he had left the school building through the main entrance on his own. Since then, the school said it had strengthened supervision of students and ensured that doors remained locked.
The rate at which local governments conduct operational inspections (unei shidō) of disability welfare service providers to ensure they are being properly run remains low. Among the municipalities responsible for overseeing such providers, only just over 10% met the national target in fiscal 2024 for the proportion of facilities inspected. Some municipalities conducted no inspections at all, raising concerns that improper practices may be going undetected.
Princess Kako of Akishino, the second daughter of Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino, met with children with visual and other disabilities on Thursday 2nd July. The school is Japan’s only private special needs school for children with visual and other disabilities.
A tragic accident has raised questions after a 10-year-old boy attending a special needs school in Komatsu City went missing during class and was later found dead in a nearby waterfall. According to the school, the boy had a relatively mild disability and had no difficulty communicating. However, three years ago he had left the school building through the main entrance on his own. Since then, the school said it had strengthened supervision of students and ensured that doors remained locked.
Japan’s health ministry has ordered Kissei Pharmaceutical Co. to report on 20 deaths among users of Tavneos, a vasculitis drug marketed by the company in Japan, health minister Kenichiro Ueno said Friday.
The order was issued on June 19, giving the company, based in the central Japan city of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, until July 21 to submit a report. “We’ll continue to consider our response based on a report from the company and future developments in the United States, where the drug was developed,” Ueno said at a press conference.
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.
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.
Barrier Free Japan