Author: Michael Gillan Peckitt

UK & CP born, living in Japan, blogging about disability
by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 29, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Education Employment Japan Mental Health

Record Number of Teachers in Japan Took Leave for Mental Illness in Fiscal Year 2023 [Podcast Episode]

A record number of public school educators took leave due to mental disorders in fiscal 2023, the third straight year of increase, according to a ministry survey. A record 7,119 educators, or 0.77 percent of the total, temporarily stepped away from their positions under the official leave system for mental illnesses in fiscal 2023, up 580 individuals, or 0.06 percentage point, from the previous year.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 28, 2025 Number of comments0
Health Japan

PFAS Levels in 87.4 Percent of Blood Samples Tested in Okayama Town Exceeded U.S. Standard for Potentially Carcinogenic Chemicals

PFAS concentrations in blood samples from 87.4 pct of those tested in a town in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, exceeded a U.S. standard for the potentially carcinogenic chemicals, it was learned Tuesday. A total of 709 people, aged 2 to 102, took blood tests between November and December last year in the town of roughly 10,000 inhabitants. The highest recorded level of PFOA stood at 718.8 nanograms per milliliter of blood, while the average amounts of the seven PFAS substances totaled 151.5 nanograms, both significantly higher than the U.S. health standard.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 28, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Education Japan Mental Health

Record Number of Teachers in Japan Took Leave for Mental Illness in Fiscal Year 2023

A record number of public school educators took leave due to mental disorders in fiscal 2023, the third straight year of increase, according to a ministry survey. A record 7,119 educators, or 0.77 percent of the total, temporarily stepped away from their positions under the official leave system for mental illnesses in fiscal 2023, up 580 individuals, or 0.06 percentage point, from the previous year.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 26, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan Podcast

Support People with Disabilities by going to Mister Donut in Japan on January 27 [Podcast Episode]

January 27th, 1970 is the day that Duskin founder Suzuki Seiichi decided to enter into a business partnership with Mister Donut of America. Mister Donut designated this day as its founding day, and every year it donates a portion of purchases from customers to the ‘Duskin Ai No Wa Fund’ to help people with disabilities become independent and participate in society.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 26, 2025 1
Barrier Free Disability Japan

Mister Donut in Japan’s ‘Founder’s Day’ on January 27 Supporting People with Disabilities

January 27th, 1970 is the day that Duskin founder Suzuki Seiichi decided to enter into a business partnership with Mister Donut of America. Mister Donut designated this day as its founding day, and every year it donates a portion of purchases from customers to the ‘Duskin Ai No Wa Fund’ to help people with disabilities become independent and participate in society. Why not give back to society by buying a delicious donut on January 27th? 

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 25, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Employment Japan

Farm-welfare links for disabled employment expand in Japan

Agriculture-welfare partnerships, in which individuals with disabilities actively participate in farming activities, have been steadily gaining momentum in Japan following a government 2019 policy vision aimed at promoting such collaborations.
The number of such partnership initiatives launched by agricultural corporations and employment facilities has significantly grown, reaching about 7,100 by fiscal 2023, which ended in March last year. Such initiatives have not only welcomed disabled individuals, but also extended opportunities to former prison inmates and others in need of support.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 24, 2025 Number of comments0
Crime Disability Japan Sexual abuse

‘Black Box Diaries’ About Sexual Assault in Japan, Directed by Shiori Ito, Becomes First Japanese Oscar Nominee for Best Documentary Film

Black Box Diaries,” a documentary film directed by Japanese journalist Shiori Ito, received an Academy Awards nomination for documentary feature film Thursday. Ito, a symbolic figure in the #MeToo movement in Japan, is the first Japanese nominee in the category.