Japan is a country of some 125.1 million people, approximately 13.96 million of whom live in Tokyo. Space is at a premium, so where there is space it will be used, even if; as Taro Igarashi, a professor of architectural history and theory at the graduate school of Tohoku University points out, how it is used excludes vulnerable members of society.
Japan is seeing a spread of so-called welfare nail services, or nail stylists dispatched to welfare and other facilities giving manicures to elderly or disabled people.
The number of certified providers of such services, known as “welfare nailists,” has grown 3.5-fold over years, according to a training organization.
“[A]ccording to a survey conducted by the Consumer Affairs Agency and others, fatal accidents involving escalators were recorded at least seven times from June 2004 through March 2024.The Japan Elevator Association reported the number of accidents involving escalators was 1,550 during the two years from 2018 to 2019, which is two times higher than the number 15 years ago.”
Japanese Princess Kako watched a dance event for people with disabilities held at Tokyo Gymnasium on Sunday. At the beginning of the event, the princess, the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, waved to performers with a smile, with pompoms in her hands, to the music of “Matsuken Samba II,” and applauded after the song ended.
“According to a survey conducted by the Consumer Affairs Agency and others, fatal accidents involving escalators were recorded at least seven times from June 2004 through March 2024.The Japan Elevator Association reported the number of accidents involving escalators was 1,550 during the two years from 2018 to 2019, which is two times higher than the number 15 years ago.”
On the morning of the 12th, a woman in her 80s was found collapsed with her neck trapped near the handrail of an escalator at a supermarket in Nishitokyo City, Tokyo, and was taken to the hospital, but later died. The woman was using a shopping cart, and the Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the details of the incident.
Hiroshi Tamon, a deaf Japanese civil rights lawyer, was elected Tuesday to serve as an independent expert on the U.N. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“I’m feeling very happy that I won, however burdened with this very large undertaking,” Tamon, 57, told Kyodo News after the vote through a sign language interpreter.
A group representing people with disabilities has pointed out that the location of the new parking lot “hinders the use of the platform and increases danger,” and is calling for improvements. JR West Japan Chugoku Headquarters, based in Higashi-ku, which set up the parking lot, has reflected that “information sharing with the groups was not done well,” and will continue to monitor usage.
“But another Kobe resident in her 50s said that the city was “divided in some parts,” while also lamenting that attendance could have been better. She came to see the tournament with her husband and daughter, who has cerebral palsy and is wheelchair-bound.”
Some people with disabilities who use wheelchairs find ‘wheelchair-bound’ to be offensive and prefer the term ‘wheelchair user’. Barrier Free Japan sometimes gets comments and posts on social media about this issue.
“In Japan, the idea of a right to move is missing. It is not a problem only for people with disabilities. In rural areas, public transportation declines for business reasons and elderly people who cannot drive a car are inconvenienced”
Barrier Free Japan