Aichi Prefecture’s Disability Certificate “irregularities”: A Timeline

By Barrier Free Japan

February 12 2026

AICHI — Aichi Prefecture has reported a series of irregularities involving the handling of disability certificates, including incorrect data linkages tied to the national “My Number” identification system and more than 1,000 cases of improper administrative processing at a prefectural welfare centre.

The prefectural government said March 26, 2024, that 95 new cases were confirmed in which disability certificate information had been incorrectly linked to another person’s Individual Number. The errors were found during checks conducted under central government instructions to verify that My Number data and disability certificate records were properly connected.

The prefecture had earlier disclosed 23 cases of mislinking in December 2023 within its jurisdiction, excluding Nagoya and other ordinance-designated cities. A subsequent review of the Basic Resident Register system identified additional mistakes across 40 municipalities.

Of the newly confirmed cases, 63 involved children under age 15 whose certificates were mistakenly linked to their parents’ My Number written on application forms. Although the incorrect information was viewable on the online “Myna Portal,” the prefecture said there was no record of access and no information leaks were confirmed. Officials corrected the linkages and apologized, pledging stricter verification procedures, including multiple-staff checks, to prevent recurrence.

On February 10 2026, the prefecture announced that 1,034 cases of improper administrative handling were uncovered at the prefectural Mental Health and Welfare Center in fiscal 2023–2024.

According to the prefecture, a 27-year-old male employee seconded from the Toyokawa Public Health Center issued Mental Disability Health and Welfare Certificates without required approvals, falsified review results in documents, and altered disability classifications to more severe levels.

In prefectural interviews, the employee said administrative work had fallen behind and that he changed classifications to levels applicants would accept.

The breakdown included 253 cases related to mental disability certificates and 781 involving Self-Support Medical Care Recipient Certificates, which reduce out-of-pocket outpatient treatment costs. The prefecture said no applicants were disadvantaged by the improper processing.