Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Thursday that the government will release 50 million medical gloves from its stockpile to medical institutions starting next month. The move came after some medical institutions expressed concerns about supplies of medical products amid the Middle East crisis.
Japan’s health ministry decided on Wednesday to lift restrictions on organ donations from individuals who have stayed in Europe, a measure introduced to combat variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). The change is expected to take effect as early as this autumn.
The mother of a five-year-old girl with a disability, who was who was kidnapped and abused by a 46-year-old staff member at a facility for children with disabilities, has spoken out about the suspect’s arrest. “I cannot forgive the culprit for doing such a thing to my precious only daughter”, speaking to the Japan news programme ‘TBS Newsdig’.
Japan’s health ministry decided on Wednesday to lift restrictions on organ donations from individuals who have stayed in Europe, a measure introduced to combat variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). The change is expected to take effect as early as this autumn. Previously, the ministry restricted blood donations from people who had stayed in Britain or elsewhere in Europe between 1980 and 2004 and imposed similar restrictions on organ donations.
A Japanese government survey in 2025 published on Tuesday 14th April showed that 4.5 pct of respondents in the country often or constantly feel lonely, up 0.2 percentage point from the previous year. The share of people who often or constantly feel lonely was higher in their 30s to 50s. The survey, conducted by the Cabinet Office in December, found that 13.7 pct said they sometimes feel lonely and 19.5 pct said they have lonely feelings once in a while.
Tokyo police have arrested a former worker of a facility for children with disabilities in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, for an alleged indecent assault against a 5-year-old girl who attended the facility, it was learned Monday 13th April 2026.
A Japanese government survey in 2025 showed Tuesday that 4.5 pct of respondents in the country often or constantly feel lonely, up 0.2 percentage point from the previous year. The share of people who often or constantly feel lonely was higher in their 30s to 50s. The survey, conducted by the Cabinet Office in December, found that 13.7 pct said they sometimes feel lonely and 19.5 pct said they have lonely feelings once in a while.
Tokyo police have arrested a former worker of a facility for children with disabilities in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, for an alleged indecent assault against a 5-year-old girl who attended the facility, it was learned Monday.
Masamichi Sone, the representative of a company operating facilities such as “Rapport” in Nishi Ward, Sapporo, has been arrested and referred to prosecutors. Sone is suspected of repeatedly submitting false applications to Sapporo City between 2022 and 2025, claiming to have provided employment support services for persons with disabilities despite not having appointed a qualified managing supervisor as required. He allegedly defrauded the city of approximately ¥35 million in benefit payments.
It is said that they abused a system intended to promote stable employment, receiving about 7.9 billion yen from Osaka City and about 7.1 billion yen from 75 other municipalities, mainly in the Kansai region. Osaka City has decided to revoke the designation of the four offices effective May 1. Including penalty charges under the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act, the city has requested the return of a total of approximately 11 billion yen.
Barrier Free Japan