Fired After Reporting Abuse, Care Worker Awarded 4.8 Million Yen

By Barrier Free Japan, extract from News.jp

February 24 2026

TOKYO – A Tokyo care worker who worked as a support staff member at a workshop for people with disabilities said they witnessed repeated physical and verbal abuse of service users by colleagues shortly after starting their job in 2019. The alleged misconduct extended beyond frontline staff to a male executive of the operating social welfare corporation, who she said repeatedly grabbed the groins of male users with intellectual disabilities when they did not comply with instructions. Identified by a pseudonym as Yoshimi Kurita, said they reported the abuse multiple times to the corporation’s executives, but the corporation “turned a blind eye.”

In 2024, Kurita, who had been dismissed on disciplinary grounds, filed a lawsuit against former employer Tokiwa-kai, a social welfare corporation based in Kodaira City, Tokyo. At the Tachikawa Branch of the Tokyo District Court, Kurita argued that the dismissal was invalid, asserting:

“The dismissal was retaliation for reporting abuse and violates the Whistleblower Protection Act.”

In response, the corporation countered:

“We were not in a position to know whether Kurita had reported abuse to the government. The dismissal is unrelated to any such reporting.”

The litigation eventually concluded in a settlement after both parties accepted a proposal from the court. The primary terms were:

The dismissal of Kurita is retracted. Tokiwa-kai shall pay Kurita a settlement fee of 4.8 million yen.

Kurita evaluated the outcome as a “de facto victory.”

“I consider this a major win, as it effectively acknowledges that the dismissal was a mistake. I want Tokiwa-kai to make the facility a place where users can feel safe,” Kurita stated.

A Hard-Fought Battle

For Kurita, who had been fighting this case for approximately six years since joining the organization, the journey was far from easy. After losing employment, Kurita faced severe financial hardship and utilized public systems to defer the payment of legal fees. Evidence was gathered while struggling to make ends meet, all while enduring a significant mental burden.

Regarding the abuse allegations, four involved municipalities, including Kodaira City, confirmed between 2022 and 2023 that approximately 10 staff members had committed acts of abuse. Furthermore, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government issued administrative guidance to Tokiwa-kai after it was discovered the corporation had over-received approximately 20 million yen in public disability welfare benefits.

When reached for comment, Tokiwa-kai stated, “We cannot comment on the settlement.”