Category: Education

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 6, 2026 1
Children Disability Education Japan Podcast

Boy, 10, dies after disappearing from Ishikawa special needs school [Podcast Episode]

A tragic accident has raised questions after a 10-year-old boy attending a special needs school in Komatsu City went missing during class and was later found dead in a nearby waterfall. According to the school, the boy had a relatively mild disability and had no difficulty communicating. However, three years ago he had left the school building through the main entrance on his own. Since then, the school said it had strengthened supervision of students and ensured that doors remained locked.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 4, 2026 1
Children Disability Education Intellectual disabilities Japan

Boy, 10, dies after disappearing from Ishikawa special needs school

A tragic accident has raised questions after a 10-year-old boy attending a special needs school in Komatsu City went missing during class and was later found dead in a nearby waterfall. According to the school, the boy had a relatively mild disability and had no difficulty communicating. However, three years ago he had left the school building through the main entrance on his own. Since then, the school said it had strengthened supervision of students and ensured that doors remained locked.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 28, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Education Japan

“Left neglected,” “following precedent”, Japan’s education ministry apologizes for excluding disabled

Saying the practice “left neglected without due consideration” and a case of “following precedent,” the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology expressed remorse for long excluding graduates of special needs schools from the School Basic Survey, saying the practice dates back at least to the 1970s, though a review based on interviews with 1980s-era officials failed to clarify how the method was adopted. Education Minister Yohei Matsumoto apologized publicly, bowing before cameras, as the ministry moved to swiftly revise the survey within a month of the issue surfacing amid anger from those affected.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 15, 2025 Number of comments0
Education Imperial Family Japan Nursing Care

Princess Aiko Attends Ceremony for Chiba University School of Nursing

Japanese Princess Aiko on Sunday attended a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Chiba University’s School of Nursing. 
   “I hope that you will continue to thrive while supporting people, and that you will dedicate your efforts to the further advancement of nursing and nursing science,” the princess, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, said in her speech at the ceremony held at the university in the eastern Japan city of Chiba.  Chiba University is the country’s only national university with a nursing department. Some 400 people, including students and university staff, attended the ceremony.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 1, 2025 Number of comments0
developmental disabilities Disability Education Japan Podcast

University students with developmental disabilities increase in Japan [Podcast Episode]

The number of university students with developmental disabilities in Japan is on the rise, with their conditions often identified at a late stage through challenges in their social lives. According to a survey by the Japan Student Services Organization, 14,666 students with developmental disabilities were enrolled in universities, junior colleges and technical colleges in the 2024 academic year, approximately five times the number from 10 years ago.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 29, 2025 1
Disability Education Intellectual disabilities Japan

University students with developmental disabilities increase in Japan

The number of university students with developmental disabilities in Japan is on the rise, with their conditions often identified at a late stage through challenges in their social lives. According to a survey by the Japan Student Services Organization, 14,666 students with developmental disabilities were enrolled in universities, junior colleges and technical colleges in the 2024 academic year, approximately five times the number from 10 years ago.