Group Homes (GH) – Barrier Free Japan

by Michael Gillan Peckitt March 2, 2026 1

Saitama Social Worker Reports Company for Overcharging Disabled Residents, is Sued for Stealing Documents

Tomoyoshi Aoki, a 51-year-old certified social worker from Saitama Prefecture, says he discovered that his former employer, Nihon Remake, which operates more than 10 group homes for people with disabilities in Saitama City, was overcharging residents for meal and other expenses and improperly claiming public reimbursements. After clashing with the company over how to address the issues, Aoki filed a whistleblower report with the prefectural government before resigning in late 2024. The prefecture later instructed the company to refund excess charges and return improperly received payments. In April 2025, however, the company sued Aoki at the Saitama District Court for about 41.3 million yen in damages, alleging he took accounting documents without authorization and disrupted operations. The case remains ongoing.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 18, 2026 1

Care Disability Group Homes (GH) Japan

Japan’s Children and Families Agency Considers “Children’s Homes”

Japan’s Children and Families Agency has begun considering the creation of small-scale residential facilities tentatively called “Children’s Homes” for children with disabilities, aiming to enable them to live closer to the communities where they were born and raised. A draft proposal presented at an expert panel on the future of institutional care highlighted concerns that many children are currently placed in large, distant facilities, limiting contact with their families. The envisioned Children’s Homes would provide a more home-like, small-group environment while maintaining family ties, with trained staff assigned to support children with severe behavioral disorders or medical care needs and access to external services such as visiting nursing care, as the government looks ahead to possible legal revisions.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 11, 2026 0

Care Crime Disability Group Homes (GH) Japan Podcast

Chiba disability group home resident dies; former representative arrested [Podcast Episode]

Police in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, plan to arrest a man in his 30s who formerly headed a disability group home on suspicion of assault resulting in death after a 19-year-old male resident with an intellectual disability died under suspicious circumstances in 2025. Investigators believe the former representative assaulted the resident, leading to his death, and are also examining possible liability among staff members who allegedly failed to report the abuse despite being aware of it. Police suspect the victim may have been subjected to routine violence and are continuing the investigation.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 10, 2026 1

Crime Disability Group Homes (GH) Intellectual disabilities Japan

Chiba Group Home Representative Arrested for Killing 19-Year-Old Man

According to police, the suspect, Yasuki Nemoto, the corporate representative of the disability group home in Kashiwa, is suspected of punching and kicking the resident, Ryuhei Mihara, who had an intellectual disability, in March last year, resulting in his death. In addition, Miki Tobari, who was a staff member at the time, was arrested on suspicion of destroying evidence, including wiping away bloodstains at the scene. Nemoto’s wife was also arrested on suspicion of inciting the destruction of evidence.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 9, 2026 2

Abuse Disability Group Homes (GH) Intellectual disabilities Japan

Chiba disability group home resident dies; former representative to be arrested

Police in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, plan to arrest a man in his 30s who formerly headed a disability group home on suspicion of assault resulting in death after a 19-year-old male resident with an intellectual disability died under suspicious circumstances in 2025. Investigators believe the former representative assaulted the resident, leading to his death, and are also examining possible liability among staff members who allegedly failed to report the abuse despite being aware of it. Police suspect the victim may have been subjected to routine violence and are continuing the investigation.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 5, 2026 0

Abuse Care Disability Group Homes (GH) Japan

Ex-Care Worker Arrested for Assaulting Female Resident at Saitama Disability Group Home

According to the arrest allegations, between approximately 8:17 p.m. and 8:43 p.m. on October 12, 2025, at the disability group home in Sekiyama 1-chome, Hasuda City where he worked, the man allegedly assaulted a 21-year-old female resident by punching her in the face and causing injuries, including a subconjunctival hemorrhage in her right eye. The man denies the charges, stating, “I did not use violence. I cannot accept the arrest.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 10, 2025 0

Disability Discrimination Group Homes (GH) Housing Japan Tokyo

“I Don’t Want to End My Life Here”: Half of the Disabled People Living in Facilities Sent Outside Tokyo

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 August 29, 2025 0

Disability Group Homes (GH) Japan Podcast Welfare

Only 10% of Municipalities Implement Caps on Disability Welfare Services, Japan’s Health Ministry Reports [Podcast Episode]

A Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry survey has found that only about 10% of local governments have implemented caps on disability welfare services to prevent oversupply, despite rising demand. Around 40% said they were considering adopting the measure, while 30% opposed it, citing the need to respond flexibly when demand exceeds projections. The cap currently applies to residential facilities, day activity services, and two types of employment support, but whether to add group homes, whose numbers have surged in recent years has become a key issue.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 28, 2025 1

Disability Group Homes (GH) Japan Welfare

Only 10% of Municipalities Implement Caps on Disability Welfare Services, Japan’s Health Ministry Reports

A Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry survey has found that only about 10% of local governments have implemented caps on disability welfare services to prevent oversupply, despite rising demand. Around 40% said they were considering adopting the measure, while 30% opposed it, citing the need to respond flexibly when demand exceeds projections. The cap currently applies to residential facilities, day activity services, and two types of employment support, but whether to add group homes, whose numbers have surged in recent years has become a key issue.