Category: Japan

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 21, 2024 1
Crime Disability Intellectual disabilities Japan Mental Health Sex

Disabled woman forced to sell body sentenced for killing client

A mentally disabled woman who was forced into prostitution was given a six-year prison term for fatally stabbing an elderly client she was trying to steal from at a Tokyo love hotel.

The Tokyo District Court on Feb. 20 convicted Haruka Fujii, 26, of injury resulting in the death of the 82-year-old customer in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district in 2022.

Prosecutors had sought a nine-year prison sentence, but the court took into account Fujii’s mental condition that made her vulnerable to exploitation and prone to involuntary criminal activity.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 17, 2024 1
Barrier Free Disability Japan Travel

Japan’s Transport Ministry Points Out Language Used to Refer to Disabled on Airline Website May Be Misinterpreted

TokiAir, an airline that began service last month, posted information on its website for passengers. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) pointed out that some expressions on the website could be misinterpreted as requiring disabled persons to be accompanied by an escort on a uniform basis. In response, the company changed the content and commented that it did not intend to discriminate.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 16, 2024 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Writing

Publisher opens ‘forest of patients’ stories’ in Osaka

A private library of more than 1,000 medical memoirs recently opened to the public in Osaka. The library is called “Tobyoki no Mori” (the forest of patients’ stories). It includes books by entertainers about their battles with cancer, memoirs of everyday people with intractable diseases such as Parkinson’s and books by people living with disabilities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 14, 2024 Number of comments0
Crime Disability Japan Mental Health

Parents arrested in Tokyo over fatal drugging of 4-yr-old daughter, use of antipsychotic drug suspected

Parents of a 4-year-old girl were arrested Wednesday for allegedly killing her with a toxic substance and antipsychotic drug at their home in Tokyo in March last year, police said.

Kenichi Hosoya, 43, and his wife, Shiho, 37, were arrested after their daughter, Yoshiki, died from poisoning on March 13, with ethylene glycol and large amounts of olanzapine, a medicine prescribed for mental disorders, detected in her body, an investigative source said.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 14, 2024 Number of comments0
Disability Elderly Employment Hospitals Japan Medical

Japan to Hike Outpatient Visit Fees to Increase Hospital Worker Pay

A Japanese government advisory panel Wednesday proposed hikes in hospital visit fees paid by outpatients for their initial and follow-up medical examinations, in order to increase salaries of health care workers.

For the year starting in April, Japan will revise fees for the three care-related services covered by public insurance–the medical and elderly care services and the welfare service for people with disabilities–together for the first time in six years.