The death toll from Typhoon Dujuan that hit eastern Japan earlier this week rose to nine Wednesday with the discovery of a woman confirmed dead in Kanagawa Prefecture and a man from a submerged vehicle in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, local authorities said. The search continues for four people who are still missing after the storm brought heavy rain and flooding to a wide area of the prefecture.
was learned on September 19 that the number of people waiting to use the “Daily Living Independence Support Program,” provided by social welfare councils across Japan for people with dementia, intellectual disabilities and other conditions, totaled 3,931 in fiscal 2025. This was about 1.4 times the 2,868 recorded in fiscal 2024. The main reason for the sharp increase is a shortage of social welfare council staff in the face of growing demand for the service. The government plans to expand the program to elderly people who have no relatives they can rely on, making it an urgent priority to strengthen the system.
Needy households in Japan live on an average food expenditure of less than 500 yen per person a day amid lingering inflation, according to a survey by Save the Children Japan, a nongovernmental organization. The survey, conducted in June, covered 8,736 parents nationwide who applied for food assistance from the organization. All of them provided valid responses online or by telephone.
According to the prefecture, the abuse occurred on the afternoon of Aug. 21. The resident had accidentally soiled himself and taken a temporary shower before completing his regular bath. He subsequently returned to the changing room twice more and attempted to remove his clothes. The staff member slapped him while trying to stop him.
Ahead of Respect for the Aged Day in Japan on Monday, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation warned of accidents involving nursing beds or wheelchairs and urged elderly people to review proper usage with their families and care workers. According to NITE, there were 43 nursing bed accidents affecting elderly people between 2016 and 2025, including 23 cases in which users’ bodies were caught in handrail and other gaps.
A 47-year-old man with a mental disability who worked at a farm in Kawasaki operated by a company involved in the so-called “disability employment business” has been recognized as suffering a work-related illness after developing a lung condition that he says was caused by his duties, it has been learned. The man was hired as an employee of a hospital in Kawasaki, but did not work at the hospital and instead performed agricultural work at the farm. It is unusual for a disabled worker employed through a disability employment business to have been recognized as suffering a work-related illness. The case highlights concerns over safety management and other issues at workplaces operated by such companies.
While the Tokyo Deaflympics in 2025 have helped boost public awareness of the sporting event, there remain issues that need to be tackled almost a year on. According to the survey, 24.3 pct of respondents aged 20 and over said that they knew of the Tokyo Deaflympics, before the competition was held last November. The recognition rate rose to 55.4 pct in 2026.
Japan’s welfare ministry on Friday began considering a plan to raise nursing care insurance premiums for high-income earners aged 65 or older from fiscal 2027. Under the latest proposal, the ministry plans to raise the highest rate, applied to people with annual incomes of 7.2 million yen or more. It also plans to divide lower-income brackets into smaller categories to curb sharp increases in premiums when people move into a higher rate bracket.
A 58-year-old mother accused of drowning her severely disabled 29-year-old daughter in a water-filled plastic storage container at their home in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, has expressed regret over the incident. During a Chiba District Court hearing, A described her daughter as “my life, my everything” and said she wished she could “turn back time.” She also apologized to her daughter, saying, “B-chan, I’m sorry. Every day, I apologize to B-chan and pray for her soul… With everyone’s help, I’m living… B-chan, I’m truly sorry.”
Patients with rare diseases and under prolonged treatment will be exempt from a new Japanese system that imposes additional out-of-pocket payments for prescription drugs that are similar to over-the-counter medicines, the health ministry indicated Wednesday.
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