Care – Barrier Free Japan

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 12, 2025 0

Half of the People with Disabilities Living in Facilities Sent to “out-of-Tokyo facilities” [Podcast Episode]

Aikawa Shinseien, a remote facility in Akita Prefecture housing nearly 90 intellectually disabled people sent from Tokyo, illustrates the long-standing practice of placing disabled residents far from their home communities due to Tokyo’s high land prices and neighborhood resistance to disability facilities, with some locals claiming such facilities would “damage the image” of the area. Many residents have lived there for decades, seldom see their families, and feel trapped, one 65-year-old man, who has lived there since the facility opened, says poignantly, “I don’t want to end my life here.” As parents age and die and “out-of-Tokyo facilities” continue to fill in replacements, some question what a truly inclusive living environment for disabled people should look like.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 18, 2025 0

Barrier Free Care Children Disability Group Homes (GH) Japan

90% of Families of People with Disabilities in Japan “Worried” About Life After Parents’ Death

A recent survey by a private organization has revealed widespread anxiety among families of adults with disabilities in Japan, with 90.2% expressing worry about their loved one’s life after the parents pass away, and 58.2% reporting they are reaching the limits of providing care.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 12, 2025 0

Care Disability Japan Nursing Care

Fiscal Panel Calls for Ability-Based Fees for Care Services

A panel under Japan’s Fiscal System Council, which advises the finance minister, proposed Tuesday that nursing care service fees be charged to users based on their ability to pay, as part of reform on the country’s nursing care insurance program. The proposal comes as nursing care costs are estimated to total 14.3 trillion yen in fiscal 2025, about four times the level in 2000, when the program was established.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 12, 2025 0

Abuse Care Crime Disability Japan Podcast

Shiga care worker for disabled arrested with knife will not be prosecuted [Podcast Episode]

The Hikone branch of the Otsu District Public Prosecutors Office announced on the 10th that it has decided not to indict a 70-year-old male care worker from Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture. The man had been arrested on suspicion of preparation for murder and violation of the Firearms and Swords Control Act after allegedly hiding a kitchen knife at the welfare facility for people with disabilities in Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture, where he worked, with the intent to kill a 44-year-old resident. The prosecutors did not disclose the reason for their decision.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 11, 2025 1

Abuse Care Crime Disability

Attempted murder of a resident at Shiga care facility for people with disabilities; care worker arrested with knife will not be prosecuted

The Hikone branch of the Otsu District Public Prosecutors Office announced on the 10th that it has decided not to indict a 70-year-old male care worker from Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture. The man had been arrested on suspicion of preparation for murder and violation of the Firearms and Swords Control Act after allegedly hiding a kitchen knife at the welfare facility for people with disabilities in Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture, where he worked, with the intent to kill a 44-year-old resident. The prosecutors did not disclose the reason for their decision.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 5, 2025 0

Abuse Care Disability Japan Podcast

Shiga Care Facility Worker Suspected of Abusing Disabled Residents, 15 Possible Victims, Says He “Couldn’t Control His Frustration” [Podcast Episode]

A 43-year-old care worker at a facility for people with disabilities in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, has been arrested for indecent assault and is suspected of abusing 15 residents in total, the facility’s operator said Thursday. According to the social welfare corporation Gamounokai, which runs the Akane support facility, the worker admitted to acts including pinching, headbutting, and hiding stuffed toys from residents between April last year and August this year, saying he “couldn’t control [his] irritation.” All additional victims were men with disabilities, though no injuries were reported. The corporation has apologized to residents and families, and pledged measures such as stricter staff supervision and the installation of monitoring cameras to prevent further abuse.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 4, 2025 0

Abuse Care Crime Disability Intellectual disabilities Japan

Fukuoka Court Hands Suspended Sentence to 60-Year-Old Care Worker For Indecent Acts Against Intellectually Disabled Resident

A Fukuoka court has sentenced a 60-year-old former group home worker to two years in prison, suspended for four years, for committing an indecent act against a 38-year-old woman with a severe intellectual disability. According to the ruling, Kenji Takada kissed the woman on the lips three times at the facility’s office in April, taking advantage of her inability to form an intention not to consent. In delivering the verdict on October 27, Judge Yasuhiro Okamoto of the Fukuoka District Court said the defendant had abused his position in a “malicious” crime and that his criminal responsibility was “not light.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 1, 2025 1

Abuse Care Disability Japan

Care Facility Worker Suspected of Abusing Disabled Residents, 15 Possible Victims, Says He “Couldn’t Control His Frustration”

A 43-year-old care worker at a facility for people with disabilities in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, has been arrested for indecent assault and is suspected of abusing 15 residents in total, the facility’s operator said Thursday. According to the social welfare corporation Gamounokai, which runs the Akane support facility, the worker admitted to acts including pinching, headbutting, and hiding stuffed toys from residents between April last year and August this year, saying he “couldn’t control [his] irritation.” All additional victims were men with disabilities, though no injuries were reported. The corporation has apologized to residents and families, and pledged measures such as stricter staff supervision and the installation of monitoring cameras to prevent further abuse.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 17, 2025 0

Abuse Care Crime Disability Japan Podcast

A Tale of Two Care Home Crimes in Japan [Podcast Episode]

In two separate incidents in Japan, vulnerable residents of care facilities tragically lost their lives under disturbing circumstances. In Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, a 38-year-old woman with disabilities died in December 2022 after suffering severe burns from overly hot bathwater during staff-assisted bathing. Three employees of the Hitakami-en facility have been referred to prosecutors for professional negligence resulting in death, as the water temperature was found to be dangerously high. Meanwhile, in Tsurugashima, Saitama Prefecture, two elderly women were found dead on October 15, hours after being discovered bleeding and unconscious in their care facility.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 16, 2025 1

Care Crime Disability Japan

Three Care Workers Referred to Prosecutors Over Fatal Burn Incident at Miyagi Care Facility

In December 2022, a 38-year-old female resident of a support facility for people with disabilities in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, died after suffering severe burns during a bath assisted by staff. On October 15, police referred three employees of the “Hitakami-en” facility—a male supervisor and two female caregivers—to prosecutors on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death. According to the facility’s accident report, although the surface temperature of the bathwater was measured at 40°C, it had not been stirred, and the actual temperature is believed to have been around 50°C. The woman was in the bath for five minutes before being transported to a hospital, where she died three days later.