I began this podcast episode intending to just welcome in 2024 and then, at around 16:10, a Shindo 7 earthquake occurred in Ishikawa Prefecture and a tsunami warning was issued. At the time of posting this on the late evening of January 1st 2024, not all tsunami warnings have been lifted, but the number of earthquakes has lessened.
Tottori Prefecture announced that in fiscal year 2022, there were 38 consultations regarding abuse of persons with disabilities reported within the prefecture (45 in the previous year). Of these, six cases (compared to nine cases last year) were confirmed as cases where the victim had suffered or was suspected of having been abused.
With regard to why the report came in so late, the director and others apparently said they had been busy dealing with a cluster of COVID-19 infections and moving into a new place, while one worker stated, “I didn’t have the courage to speak out about it.”
So-called senior cafeterias, where elderly people from the local community gather and dine together, are increasing in Japan amid an increase in elderly people living alone.
The scheme is aimed at preventing social isolation among the elderly and promoting their mental and physical health.
According to the announcement, on the morning of September 11th last year, a staff member dipped a spoon in boiling water and applied it to about 10 areas of the resident, including his back and legs, causing burns. He said he was angry that he was covered in urine from a resident who had tried to go to the bathroom the night before and didn’t make it in time. The resident has already made a full recovery. The prefecture will conduct an on-site inspection of the facility in accordance with the Act on Prevention of Abuse of Persons with Disabilities in the new year.
After more than 400 years, the iconic Nagoya Castle is under siege, this time by those wanting to make it more accessible to wheelchair-users and those who are determined to keep it as original as possible.
At a town hall meeting on the planned reconstruction of the castle here on June 3, a man scolded a wheelchair-user.
“Don’t confuse equality with your selfishness,” the man said. “How dare you be so selfish.”
Japan’s Children and Families Agency decided Tuesday to create legislation for support for so-called young carers, or young people who provide daily care for family members.
The legislation will stipulate that the central and local governments provide support for young carers, including those aged 18 and older. At present, there is no legal basis for such support.
A ryokan at the Ikaho Onsen hot springs resort in Gunma Prefecture has a solid history of caring about guests with disabilities.
Back in the 1990s, a guest at the traditional Japanese-style inn started complaining vociferously in the hotel’s bathhouse after finding it soiled by disabled guests.
Tomoko Matsumoto, now 80, was the inn’s proprietress at the time. She apologized profusely to the irate guest, bowing over and over.
But the guest could not be appeased, and even started suggesting the disabled guests should have been refused admittance to the ryokan in the first place.
That was the last straw for Matsumoto. She told the guest: “I want you to move to another ryokan. But these (disabled) people have nowhere else to go. This is the only ryokan they can stay at.”
Back then, few inns were wheelchair-accessible and able to openly welcome patrons with disabilities.
A 27-year-old employee of a support facility for people with disabilities in Miyazaki City was arrested on the night of December 22nd on suspicion of assault after allegedly punching a resident in his 50s this month. Miyazaki City has revealed that this employee has been confirmed to have committed abusive behavior towards a total of five residents, and has decided to issue administrative guidance to the facility in the future.
The Japanese government plans to promote the sharing of information on child abuse in real time between child consultation centers and police.
The measure, aimed at avoiding delays in responses to serious incidents due to lack of cooperation, will be taken as the extent of information-sharing varies by region.
Barrier Free Japan