Japanese Tabloid Investigates Misuse Of Disability ‘Help Mark’ as ‘Life Hack’

By Barrier Free Japan

May 2 2026

TOKYO – The Japanese tabloid magazine ‘FRIDAY’ has been investigating misuse of the ‘Help Mark’, which was designed to help people with disabilities alert people of possible needs they might have.

The Tokyo metropolitan government created the mark in 2012, and it is now available free of charge in all prefectures. Those who need one can request it at local government offices and train stations, among other places. No special permission is needed to use the mark.

In a recent edition of the tabloid magazine ‘FRIDAY’ published by Kodansha, it was reported that some people appear to use it casually as a fashion item or as a tool to signal emotional distress.

Speaking to ‘FRIDAY’, a teenage girl, referred to as A, who spends time around Shinjuku, belongs to a group often called the “pien-kei.” While there are slight distinctions, they are also referred to as “jirai-kei” or “mass-produced type,” and many in this group tend to treat being “mentally unwell” as a kind of status. She says she wears the mark because she is “constantly anxious.”

“I don’t have friends at school, and I’m not particularly close with my family either, so I feel like I don’t belong anywhere and feel isolated no matter where I go. When that happens, I become mentally unstable and end up blaming myself, thinking ‘it’s all my fault,’ which makes me feel depressed. At times like that, a friend told me that if I wore the Help Mark, someone might help me, so I started wearing it,” A explains.

There is also said to be a sense of solidarity among those who wear the Help Mark, with an idea that they should help one another.

“My friends also wear the Help Mark, and we help each other when we’re in trouble. Even when something painful happens, we can talk about the same kinds of worries and support each other. Because we can connect with people who have similar struggles, neither my friends nor I feel alone. We help each other. Now, among close friends, we even wear it almost like an identification tag,” she adds.

Another teenage girl, B, also wears the Help Mark, but she does not have any particular disability. Still, she says there are benefits to wearing it.

“When I wear this, people are kinder to me. If I’m struggling or having trouble, they’ll ask, ‘Are you okay?’ and help me, and people are generally more considerate than usual. It makes me feel like, ‘I don’t have to push myself so hard, I can rely on others.’

Even adults who would normally scold me, saying things like, ‘Stop taking weird drugs,’ or ‘You shouldn’t be lying on the ground,’ will back off once I show them the mark and say, ‘I have this.’ They kind of give up and leave. I use it like a good-luck charm, so it would be a problem if I didn’t have it,” she says.

Speaking to ‘FRIDAY’ about cases of misuse of the Help Mark, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said, “At present, we are not aware of any specific cases, but if such reports are true, it is very unfortunate. For example, people who may become confused by sudden events or feel anxious when alone are also eligible to receive one. However, using it simply to be treated kindly by others, or wearing it as a fashion item within a social group, can interfere with providing support to those who truly need it, so we would like people to refrain from such behavior,” they added.