Category: Disability

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 9, 2025 Number of comments0
Blind Disability Japan Travel

23,000 Sign Petition Demanding Safety Reforms After Death of Blind Woman at JR Tsukumi Station

A disability rights group has submitted over 23,000 signatures to JR Kyushu, urging an investigation and stronger safety measures following the death of a visually impaired woman at Tsukumi Station in Ōita Prefecture three years ago. The woman was struck by a limited express train during unstaffed hours in December 2022. The group, comprising people with visual and physical disabilities, also delivered a written statement reflecting concerns from visually impaired passengers. During a meeting at JR Kyushu’s Ōita branch, members called for clear rescue protocols for falls from platforms. Co-representative lawyer Yasuyuki Tokuda urged JR to take the voices of disabled passengers seriously.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 8, 2025 Number of comments0
Care Disability Elderly Japan Nursing Care Podcast

Japan to Launch Public Support System for Elderly Living Alone; Hospitalization, Nursing Homes, Funeral Arrangements Covered [Podcast Episode]

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is considering creating a new framework to support elderly people who live alone and have no relatives they can depend on. The framework would cover hospital admission, entry into nursing homes and post-mortem procedures such as funerals. The ministry aims to launch the program in fiscal 2027 with an eye toward revising the Social Welfare Law next year.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 6, 2025 Number of comments0
Animals Care Disability Japan Podcast Welfare

Bear attacks woman outside home for people with disabilities in Akita [Podcast Episode]

A woman was sent to hospital unconscious after an apparent bear attack outside a facility for people with disabilities, police said on Friday. More and more wild bears have been spotted in residential areas in Japan in recent years, resulting in a rising number of attacks and deaths. “A 73-year-old woman was found lying down with head injuries at the facility entrance on Thursday night,” a local police spokesman in Akita Prefecture said. Emergency doctors told police they believed it was a bear attack based on the injuries the woman suffered, the spokesman said.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 5, 2025 1
Care Disability Elderly Japan Welfare

Japan to Launch Public Support System for Elderly Living Alone; Hospitalization, Nursing Homes, Funeral Arrangements Covered

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is considering creating a new framework to support elderly people who live alone and have no relatives they can depend on. The framework would cover hospital admission, entry into nursing homes and post-mortem procedures such as funerals. The ministry aims to launch the program in fiscal 2027 with an eye toward revising the Social Welfare Law next year.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 5, 2025 2
Animals Disability Japan Welfare

Bear attacks woman outside disabled home in Akita  

A woman was sent to hospital unconscious after an apparent bear attack outside a facility for people with disabilities, police said on Friday.
More and more wild bears have been spotted in residential areas in Japan in recent years, resulting in a rising number of attacks and deaths. “A 73-year-old woman was found lying down with head injuries at the facility entrance on Thursday night,” a local police spokesman in Akita Prefecture said. Emergency doctors told police they believed it was a bear attack based on the injuries the woman suffered, the spokesman said.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 4, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Elderly Health Japan Welfare

Help Mark: Symbol’s Use is a Step toward Building a Supportive Society [The Japan News Editorial]

In a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office, half of the respondents said they knew about the ‘Help Mark’. However, this percentage shrank as respondents’ age increased, with only 30% of people age 70 or older recognizing it. These days, defamatory content on social media has become a societal problem. There is no end to cases of people participating in fraud and robbery that target senior citizens, as if they were doing ordinary part-time jobs. It is regrettable if there is a growing lack of consideration for others.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 4, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Health Japan Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co.

Kobayashi Pharm Chm. Vows Corporate Culture Reform

A major problem the drug and supplement maker must address is the “strong tendency to depend on top management,” seen among its employees, Ota said in a recent interview. In March 2024 it was discovered that Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Cos supplement containing ‘beni koji’ – red fermented rice – had led to several deaths from kidney failure.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 4, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Disasters Elderly Japan Podcast Tsunami Tsunamis Observed in Japan after Kamchatka Quake

Elderly and Disabled Struggled to Evacuate Amid Japan Tsunami Warnings [Podcast Episode]

When tsunami warnings were issued across parts of Japan on July 30, tens of thousands of residents were urged to evacuate coastal areas. However for some elderly and disabled people, evacuation proved either extremely difficult or impossible. An 80-year-old woman in Iwaki, caring for her 86-year-old husband who uses a wheelchair, explained her dilemma: “It’s physically impossible for me to push his wheelchair to the local elementary and junior high schools designated as evacuation centers. And there’s no way I’ll go and leave my husband behind.”