85% of Families of People with Disabilities in Japan Express Concern Over ‘after the parents are gone’ Issue

By Barrier Free Japan

August 5 2026

OITA – According to a 2025 survey conducted by the Nippon Foundation of 2,500 people with family members who have disabilities, 85.5 percent said they felt anxious about what would happen after the parents of a person with disabilities were no longer able to provide care, the TBS TV programme ‘Newsdig’ reported on August 3rd. Among families with members who have severe intellectual disabilities, nearly every household reported having such concerns.

A first-of-its-kind training program to prepare counselors who can advise families on the issue of what happens to people with disabilities after their parents die has begun in Beppu, addressing a growing concern driven by Japan’s aging population and changing family structures.

The program was organized by the Oita Prefectural Social Welfare Corporation and the The Nippon Foundation with the aim of increasing the number of places where families of people with disabilities can seek advice as they prepare for a future without parents.

The nation’s first counselor training program of its kind began on August 3 at a hotel in Beppu, with around 100 people taking part.

A participant said, “I want to share what I’ve learned and help people who are struggling.”

Akiyoshi Kubota, Executive Managing Director of the Oita Prefectural Social Welfare Corporation, said, “We want to create a system in which anyone can easily seek advice about their concerns over life after parents are gone, with trained counselors available throughout Japan.”

The training program will continue through August 4. Organizers plan to hold additional sessions in other regions, including Kanto and Kansai, with the goal of training around 1,000 counselors nationwide.