Author: Michael Gillan Peckitt

UK & CP born, living in Japan, blogging about disability
by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 10, 2026 1
Abilympics Disability Employment Japan Welfare

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Seeks Competitors for Tokyo Abilympics in February 2027

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will hold the 25th Tokyo Skills Competition for Persons with Disabilities, known as the Tokyo Abilympics, on Feb. 20, 2027, and will accept applications from Oct. 19 to Nov. 13. Applications must be submitted through an online form to be published on the website of the organisation’s Tokyo branch. Applicants’ eligibility will be reviewed, and participants will be selected and notified individually. Selection may be necessary if applications exceed the available places.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 10, 2026 Number of comments0
Infectious Diseases Influenza Japan

Japan Flu Cases Exceed Alert Level

The average number of new influenza cases per regularly monitored medical institution in Japan stood at 11.35 in the week through Sunday, exceeding the alert level of 10, the health ministry said Friday. The figure, based on reports from about 3,000 such medical institutions nationwide, surpassed the level indicating the possibility of an outbreak within four weeks, reaching the threshold about a month earlier than last year.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 9, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Health Japan Medical Mental Health

Mental Disorders among Medical Workers Surge in Japan

Japan has seen a surge in approved compensation claims by medical workers for work-related mental disorders, a government white paper showed Friday.  The data from fiscal 2021 to fiscal 2023 show an annual average of 59.3 cases, up 3.6-fold from the 16.3 cases for fiscal 2012 to fiscal 2014. The most common factor over the entire survey period was “experiences or sightings of tragic accidents or disasters.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 9, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Discrimination Housing Japan

One in 10 people with disabilities in Japan have been refused rental housing, some turned away without discussion

The survey was conducted from December last year to March this year through 20 member organisations and other channels, receiving responses from 400 people. The results have recently been compiled. Surveys of this scale targeting people with disabilities themselves are said to be rare. Of the 311 respondents who answered whether they had ever been refused rental housing, 33 said they had.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 9, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Podcast Welfare

Japan Disability Pension Applicants Face Hurdles Proving Medical History [Podcast Episode]

A total of 11.4% of disability pension applicants in Japan were denied benefits in fiscal 2025 because their disabilities did not meet eligibility criteria or because of incomplete documentation, according to Japan Pension Service statistics. Although the rate fell from a record 13.8% in fiscal 2024, concerns remain that applicants can struggle to obtain the medical records and other documentation needed to prove their eligibility, particularly when treatment dates back decades. Medical institutions are generally required to retain medical records for only five years, meaning applicants may have difficulty proving the date of their first consultation or diagnosis when older records have been disposed of. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations has criticized aspects of the certification process and called for fairer disability pension assessments.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 8, 2026 1
Disability Japan Welfare

Japan Disability Pension Applicants Face Hurdles Proving Medical History

A total of 11.4% of disability pension applicants in Japan were denied benefits in fiscal 2025 because their disabilities did not meet eligibility criteria or because of incomplete documentation, according to Japan Pension Service statistics. Although the rate fell from a record 13.8% in fiscal 2024, concerns remain that applicants can struggle to obtain the medical records and other documentation needed to prove their eligibility, particularly when treatment dates back decades. Medical institutions are generally required to retain medical records for only five years, meaning applicants may have difficulty proving the date of their first consultation or diagnosis when older records have been disposed of. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations has criticized aspects of the certification process and called for fairer disability pension assessments.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 7, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Forced Sterilization Japan Podcast

Japan’s “Father of Disability Welfare” Applied for Forced Sterilization, Told 16-Year-Old Girl bed-wetting will stop [Podcast Episode]

It has been discovered through research that Omi Gakuen, a facility for children with intellectual disabilities in Shiga Prefecture founded by Kazuo Itoga, who was praised as the “father of disability welfare,” gave a 16-year-old girl with an intellectual disability the false explanation that “your bed-wetting will stop” when applying for her forced sterilization in 1952, during the period when the Eugenic Protection Law was in effect (1948–1996). The law permitted sterilization to be carried out through deception. This is the first time that the specific means of deception used in such a case have been identified in Shiga Prefecture.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 6, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Care Crime Disability Japan

Employee at Chiba disability facility arrested on suspicion of assault after striking resident

The suspect is accused of striking a 52-year-old male resident near the face with a sandal around 4:30 p.m. on September 23 at “Sodegaura Hikari no Gakuen”, the facility in Shimoshinden, Sodegaura City where he works as a care worker, and grabbing his upper body and tripping him so he fell backward around 7:50 p.m.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 6, 2026 Number of comments0
Japan Podcast Typhoon

A Triple Typhoon Threat! [Podcast Episode]

Typhoon No. 28, Nolo, also classified as very strong, had a central pressure of 950 hectopascals and maximum sustained winds of 50 m/s and was moving west-northwest near the Midway Islands; it is forecast to turn northward and approach waters east of Japan later in the week. Typhoon No. 29, Koguma, was considerably weaker, with a central pressure of 1,000 hectopascals and maximum sustained winds of 18 m/s, and was moving north-northwest near the Marshall Islands.