Following the Supreme Court ruling that the former Eugenic Protection Law, which forced sterilization on the grounds of disability, was unconstitutional, the government has decided to create a new council with all cabinet members as members to eradicate discrimination against people with disabilities.
The government has decided to drastically revise the national exam system for certifying care workers in a bid to increase personnel in the field, particularly foreign personnel, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The planned revision will divide the exam into three parts, so that repeat test-takers will only need to sit again for the parts of the test they previously failed.
More than half of Japanese elementary and junior high school students are “underhydrated,” a research team led by Niigata University has found.
Following the Supreme Court ruling that the former Eugenic Protection Law, which forced sterilization on the grounds of disability, was unconstitutional, the government has decided to create a new council with all cabinet members as members to eradicate discrimination against people with disabilities. It will be launched within this week and its first meeting will be held within the month. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference on the 22nd, “We would like to proceed with preparations to establish the council as soon as possible.”
Kikuo Kojima, 83, of Sapporo was put up for adoption soon after his birth. He contracted polio, leaving him with a disabled right leg for which he was bullied. At age 19, when he was leading a desolate life, he was forced to undergo sterilization.
Kojima was handcuffed by a police officer in front of his home and put into a psychiatric hospital in Sapporo. It was one-sidedly determined that he was mentally ill, and when he was sterilized, a nurse told him that this had to be done “since it would be terrible if people like you had children.”
Among the victorious plaintiffs is Kikuo Kojima, 83, of Sapporo. He was put up for adoption soon after his birth. He contracted polio, leaving him with a disabled right leg for which he was bullied. At age 19, when he was leading a desolate life, he was forced to undergo sterilization.
Kojima was handcuffed by a police officer in front of his home and put into a psychiatric hospital in Sapporo. It was one-sidedly determined that he was mentally ill, and when he was sterilized, a nurse told him that this had to be done “since it would be terrible if people like you had children.”
Speaking at a press conference held in Tokyo after the meeting, Koji Niisato said, in a trembling voice, “We’ve made it this far at last. It’s taken so long. But now that we’ve gotten an apology from the prime minister, I think we have reached one of our goals.”
The average among the roughly 5,000 medical institutions stood at 11.18 in the week, with the total number of patients increasing to 55,072, 1.39 times the figure the previous week, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare data revealed.
In front of more than 130 plaintiffs, lawyers and supporters, Kishida said, “It is with deep regret that at least 25,000 people have suffered the grave harm of being sterilized,” under the eugenics law, which was in effect between 1948 and 1996.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday apologized directly to victims of forced sterilizations conducted under the now-defunct eugenic protection law.
At a meeting with the victims held at the Prime Minister’s Office Kishida said: “The government’s responsibility is extremely serious, I am sincerely sorry.”
Barrier Free Japan