India’s Dhanush Srikanth won the men’s 10-meter air rifle event at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, setting a new world record and giving India an early gold, while South Korea’s Jeong Suk-hwa claimed her country’s first gold of the Games in the women’s 10-meter air rifle.
A Mainichi Shimbun survey found that one in four major Japanese companies failed at some point to provide legally required reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, despite strengthened obligations under disability discrimination and employment laws. Of the 92 firms responding, 23 reported such failures, citing issues such as inadequate workplace environments, high costs and time needed to make facilities barrier-free, poor coordination or communication with employees, and cases where insufficient support led to resignations. While most companies also reported successful accommodations—including job-coaching support and allowing tools like earmuffs or sunglasses—many called for clearer case studies and a dedicated consultation desk to help assess appropriate measures without creating undue burdens.
The former officer, Masato Takeuchi, and another suspect arrested over the case, 55-year-old company employee Hiromi Ishichi, are apparently denying the allegations. The Deaflympics officially opened Saturday in Tokyo, marking the first time Japan has hosted the international sporting event for the deaf or hard of hearing.
A 60-year-old woman with an intellectual disability in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, was denied a UR rental apartment despite having spent more than a year preparing to live independently with support from a local nonprofit, prompting concerns that the agency’s requirement for a co-resident family member constitutes discriminatory treatment. The woman had practiced living alone in an NPO-rented unit, staying several nights a week and managing household tasks with periodic help from care workers. As The Mainichi Shimbun reported on November 15, disability-rights advocates argue that imposing conditions not required of non-disabled applicants contradicts national policy encouraging people with disabilities to move from institutions into community-based housing.
The Deaflympics officially opened Saturday in Tokyo, marking the first time Japan has hosted the international sporting event for the deaf or hard of hearing. A record 3,081 athletes from 81 countries and regions, as well as a refugee team and a neutral team competing under the Deaflympics flag, have made the final entry list for the games, with the opening ceremony held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in the heart of the Japanese capital.
The Japan Deaf Football Association has been conducting a crowdfunding campaign to livestream all soccer matches of the Tokyo Deaflympics which opened Saturday. Although only a limited number of matches are scheduled to be shown on the official YouTube channel, the association hopes to expand coverage using funds from the campaign, which runs until around Nov. 20 and has already raised more than its target of 1.5 million yen ($9,800).
The suspect in the 1999 murder of a Nagoya housewife has told police that she disliked the way the victim’s husband thought about women and child-rearing, investigative sources said Friday. Prosecutors apparently believe that if indicted, her mental capacity will be a key point of contention at trial.
The mother of Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, who is charged with the 2022 murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara, western Japan, apologized for the crime committed by her second son as she appeared in court as a defense witness. “I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for the terrible crime committed by my second son, Tetsuya,” said the mother, a follower of the Unification Church, at the beginning of her testimony at the seventh hearing of his lay-judge trial at Nara District Court.
The former officer, Masato Takeuchi, and another suspect arrested over the case, 55-year-old company employee Hiromi Ishichi, are apparently denying the allegations. Takeuchi is a board member of a Kyoto-based group, mainly comprising former police officers, that provides daily assistance to elderly people with dementia. The police believe the two suspects withdrew several million yen in cash using the victim’s card.
Japan is preparing to host its first-ever Deaflympics from Nov. 15 to 26, with events held in Tokyo, Shizuoka, and Fukushima, and Narita airport stepping up accessibility measures for the thousands of athletes and visitors expected from around 80 countries. The airport has introduced pictogram signage, written communication tools, and staff training sessions led by people with hearing impairments to improve interactions with deaf and hard-of-hearing travelers. Meanwhile, the Tokyo metropolitan government is offering sign language lessons to its employees to ensure smooth event operations and promote greater understanding of the deaf community ahead of the 12-day international sporting event.
Barrier Free Japan