Disability – Barrier Free Japan

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 31, 2026 0

Japan’s Supreme Court refuses damages to visually impaired couple over police entry [Podcast Episode]

The Supreme Court’s Third Petty Bench, presided over by Justice Masami Okino, has rejected an appeal by a visually impaired couple who sued Kanagawa Prefecture for damages, arguing that police officers who responded to an emergency call unlawfully entered their home without their consent. The decision was dated the 26th. The ruling by the Tokyo High Court, which had rejected the couple’s claim, is now final. The High Court found that the couple had consented to the officers entering their home and overturned a March 2024 ruling by the Yokohama District Court, which had ordered the prefecture to pay the couple ¥275,000 in damages.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 30, 2026 0

Care Disability Elderly Independent Living Japan

Number of People with Disabilities in Residential Care in Hokkaido Declines Due to ‘Community Transition’ Policy

The number of residents in facilities for people with disabilities across Hokkaido is on a declining trend, reaching a record low of 9,026 in fiscal year 2024 according to the latest statistics, an investigation by the prefecture and other sources revealed. However, the pace of this transition falls far short of government targets, prompting experts to point out that “the national government must outline a concrete roadmap.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 29, 2026 1

Barrier Free Blind Disability Human Rights Japan

Japan’s Supreme Court refuses damages to visually impaired couple over police entry

The Supreme Court’s Third Petty Bench, presided over by Justice Masami Okino, has rejected an appeal by a visually impaired couple who sued Kanagawa Prefecture for damages, arguing that police officers who responded to an emergency call unlawfully entered their home without their consent. The decision was dated the 26th. The ruling by the Tokyo High Court, which had rejected the couple’s claim, is now final. The High Court found that the couple had consented to the officers entering their home and overturned a March 2024 ruling by the Yokohama District Court, which had ordered the prefecture to pay the couple ¥275,000 in damages.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 28, 2026 0

Abuse Care Disability Japan

Staff Member at Oita Disability Support Facility Dismissed for Assaulting Two Residents

The victim sustained minor injuries to his face, but the facility initially treated the incident as an accident. During the subsequent investigation, it was also discovered that the same employee had assaulted another man in his 20s who attended the facility as a day user. The employee denied both allegations of assault. However, based on interviews with other staff members and other findings, the facility concluded that abuse had occurred and dismissed him as a disciplinary measure in July.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 28, 2026 0

Disability Disasters Earthquake Elderly Japan Kumamoto Podcast

People with Disabilities Face Challenges after Kumamoto Quake [Podcast Episode]

Evacuee life poses various challenges for those with disabilities, the elderly and other vulnerable people following last month’s massive earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto. Keisuke Wakiyama, a 49-year-old evacuee with hearing loss living at an evacuation center in the city of Kumamoto, said he initially went without food because he was unaware that disaster relief goods were being handed out.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 27, 2026 0

Disability Japan Welfare

About ¥690,000 Fraudulently Received, Disability Welfare Services Provider in Komatsushima City Faces Administrative Penalty

According to the prefecture, at the company’s Reiwa Takenoko-no-Sato day-care service facility for people with disabilities in Anan City, it created false records stating that a full-time nurse was assigned to the facility even though no such nurse was actually present. The company did this between June 2024 and February 2026, fraudulently receiving approximately ¥690,000 in care benefit payments.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 26, 2026 1

Disability Disasters Earthquake Elderly Japan Kumamoto

People with Disabilities Face Challenges after Kumamoto Quake

Evacuee life poses various challenges for those with disabilities, the elderly and other vulnerable people following last month’s massive earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto. Keisuke Wakiyama, a 49-year-old evacuee with hearing loss living at an evacuation center in the city of Kumamoto, said he initially went without food because he was unaware that disaster relief goods were being handed out.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 26, 2026 0

Abuse Disability Japan Mental Health

Saitama received 284 reports of staff abuse at psychiatric hospitals in fiscal 2025

The Saitama Prefectural Government has announced that, in fiscal 2025, it received a total of 284 reports and notifications concerning abuse of people with disabilities by staff at psychiatric hospitals in the prefecture, an increase of nine from the previous fiscal year. Of these, nine cases, two more than the previous year, were officially determined to constitute abuse. According to the announcement on the 21st, six of the nine cases involved physical abuse, three involved psychological abuse, and one involved neglect or abandonment.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 26, 2026 0

Disability Japan Discrimination Employment Podcast

76% Don’t Disclose Disabilities or Diagnoses During Job Hunting, Nippon Foundation Survey Finds [Podcast Episode]

A Nippon Foundation survey found on August 23rd that 76.5% of people diagnosed with developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or with mental illnesses, said they had never disclosed their diagnosis during their job search. The main reason was concern that doing so would put them at a disadvantage, such as being rejected for a job. The survey targeted people who did not have a disability certificate and had sought employment through standard recruitment channels.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 25, 2026 0

Disability Japan Welfare Employment

Miyagi steps up disability employment support after Sendai welfare provider suspension

The Miyagi Labour Bureau, Sendai city government and the Miyagi branch of the Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers will jointly call on employers and economic organizations to strengthen efforts to promote and maintain employment of people with disabilities, prefectural officials said Monday. The initiative comes amid scrutiny of the provision of disability welfare services in Sendai.