Author: Michael Gillan Peckitt

UK & CP born, living in Japan, blogging about disability
Disability Health Japan Podcast Sex

Japan Panel OKs 1st OTC Sales of Erectile Dysfunction Drug [Podcast Episode]

An expert panel of Japan’s health ministry on Thursday approved over-the-counter sales of a drug to treat erectile dysfunction. It is expected that OTC sales of the drug will help spread opportunities for erectile dysfunction treatment as the male sexual dysfunction has major impacts on society, such as being a factor for declining birthrates.

Japan Para Sports Paralympics Sports

Japan names 5-time Paralympic gold medalist Kawai to head sports agency

Retired visually impaired swimmer Junichi Kawai was named the next commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency on Friday and will become the first Paralympian to assume the post when his appointment takes effect Oct. 1. Kawai expressed his determination to fulfill his role, saying at a press conference in Tokyo, “My goal is to build a society where citizens recognize the value and appeal of sports.” As it is rare for a government body to be led by someone who is totally visually impaired, he added, “The fact that someone like me has been appointed to this position shows that times have changed, and I hope this means a lot to many people.”

Disability Health Hospitals Japan

Hyōgo man dies after collapse; emergency call delay linked to NTT outage

On the afternoon of the 16th, a man in his 50s was found collapsed in Itami City, Hyōgo Prefecture, and was transported to a hospital, where he was later confirmed dead. According to police, at the time there was a communication outage affecting NTT West, and it is believed that the emergency call was delayed. However, it is not known whether this was directly related to the man’s death.

ALS Disability Japan Podcast Politics Reiwa Shinsengumi

Ex-lawmaker in Japan with ALS calls on politicians to ensure right to live [Podcast Episode]

Yasuhiko Funago, a former House of Councilors lawmaker with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, called on politicians to guarantee the right to “live until the end,” in a recent written interview. The retired lawmaker of Reiwa Shinsengumi, an opposition party, served one six-year term in the Upper House before deciding not to seek re-election in this July’s election.

Assisted Dying Assisted Living Disability Japan Politics Reiwa Shinsengumi

Ex-lawmaker with ALS calls on politicians to ensure right to live

Yasuhiko Funago, a former House of Councilors lawmaker with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, called on politicians to guarantee the right to “live until the end,” in a recent written interview.
The retired lawmaker of Reiwa Shinsengumi, an opposition party, served one six-year term in the Upper House before deciding not to seek re-election in this July’s election.

Birth Rate Elderly Japan

Japan’s Elderly Population Down at 36.19 Million

The estimated number of people aged 65 or older in Japan stands at 36.19 million as of Monday, falling by 50,000 from a year before, the internal affairs ministry said Sunday. The estimate, released ahead of Respect for the Aged Day on Monday, a national holiday, decreased for the first time in two years but accounted for record 29.4 pct of the country’s total population, up by 0.1 percentage point. According to the ministry, the decrease of the elderly population is attributed to factors such as the number of deaths among those aged 65 or over exceeding the number of people newly reaching 65.