Author: Michael Gillan Peckitt

UK & CP born, living in Japan, blogging about disability
by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 30, 2023 Number of comments0
Japan Paralympics Prosthetics Prosthetics

Kids in Brazil Try On Japan-Developed Prosthetic Legs at Event

Physically unimpaired children and others in Sao Paulo had an experience of wearing prosthetic legs developed by a Japanese company at a trial session held at Japan House, a Japanese government-run public relations hub, in the Brazilian city on Saturday. The session, held along with a related workshop, was organized by Ken Endo, CEO of the Tokyo-based prosthetic leg developer and manufacturer, Xiborg.

Endo, 44, a leading expert on the development of prosthetic legs for athletes, is on a weeklong visit to Sao Paulo, meeting with officials of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee as well as Paralympians and children with disabilities in the South American country.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 27, 2023 Number of comments0
Coronavirus COVID-19 Japan

Japan decides to ease medical rules on COVID-19 on May 8 says PM Kishida

Japan formally decided Friday to downgrade the legal status of the novel coronavirus on May 8 to the same category as common infectious diseases, such as seasonal influenza, to ease COVID-19 prevention rules, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.

Japan formally decided Friday to downgrade the legal status of the novel coronavirus on May 8 to the same category as common infectious diseases, such as seasonal influenza, to ease COVID-19 prevention rules, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 27, 2023 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Podcast Technology

Microsoft 365 Outage & Disability News in Japan Getting ‘Lost in Translation’

When Japanese news outlets reported the problems with software like Microsoft Teams, they used the term “障害”, and since the same term is often used to refer to a news story about disability issues, it was difficult to find news about people with disabilities in Japan, as any Google search with the term “障害”only returned results to do with the Microsoft 365 outage.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 26, 2023 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Podcast

Disability News Japan Podcast: After a Snowstorm in Japan & Fukushima’s Disability Employment Rate Woes

The rate of employment of people with disabilities, which companies are obliged to increase the employment of people with disabilities, reached the highest level in the prefecture last year, but nearly 30% of companies do not employ even one person, NHK found out in a summary by the Fukushima labor bureau.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 26, 2023 1
Disability Employment Japan

Rate of employment of people with disabilities in Fukushima at its highest despite nearly 30% of companies not employing any disabled

According to the Fukushima Labor Bureau, as of June 1, last year, the employment rate of target companies in the prefecture was 2.19% as a whole, an increase of 0.04 points from the previous year, the highest ever. It was 0.06 points below the average of 2.25%.

Only 825 companies, or 54.3% of the target companies, achieved the legal employment rate of 2.3%, which is required by law for private companies.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 23, 2023 1
Disability Forced Sterilization Japan Kumamoto

Kumamoto Court Orders National Japanese Government to Pay Damages over Forced Sterilization

A southwestern Japan court ordered the national government on Monday to pay a total of 22 million yen in damages over the forced sterilization of two people under the now-defunct eugenic protection law.

Kumamoto District Court, presided over by Judge Yuichiro Nakatsuji, found that the law was unconstitutional, and denied the application to the case of the 20-year statute of limitations on compensation claims.