Western Japan Disability Nurses have Difficulties but “no regrets” in Reporting “culture” of Abuse

By Barrier Free Japan, extract from News.JP

February 27 2026

HIROSHIMA/OSAKA – Three nurses, including Ryusuke Asakura, a 50-year-old former staff member at a municipal support center for people with severe disabilities in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, filed a lawsuit in 2024 alleging they were retaliated against for reporting abuse of residents. The trio say they alerted authorities in 2019 after their concerns were ignored internally, leading the city to acknowledge multiple cases of abuse, but claim they were subsequently subjected to lengthy home suspensions, dismissal and job transfers by the facility’s operator, prompting their legal action.

Ryusuke Asakura, 50, worked at the Verde Sakai Center for Severely Disabled Children and Adults in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. The center is a municipal facility. However, it is operated under a designated management (outsourcing) arrangement by the social welfare corporation Misasa-kai, based in Hiroshima City. In 2019, three nurses reported to the city that staff members were abusing residents. Sakai City recognized multiple instances of abuse and pointed out that the background to the incidents lay in the “culture” of the facility.

Afterward, three nurses also made internal reports about other issues. In response, Misasa-kai ordered them to stay at home for four to six months and then dismissed Asakura. The remaining two female nurses were reassigned.

In 2024, the three filed a lawsuit with the Osaka District Court, seeking confirmation of their employment status and compensation, arguing that the dismissal and reassignments were retaliation for their reporting.

Misasa-kai has countered as follows: “The dismissal and other measures were entirely unrelated to the reports. They were due to actions that disrupted the smooth operation of the facility and included inappropriate remarks.” The organization declined to comment further, saying the matter is under litigation.

Asakura and the others said:

“We reported the abuse to our superiors, but they did not take it seriously. We felt we could not turn a blind eye, so we made the report. We went through a very difficult experience, but we have no regrets.”