Category: Japan

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 20, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Disasters Earthquake Japan Tsunami

7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northeastern Japan, Tsunami Warnings Issued [Podcast Episode]

A strong earthquake struck northeastern Japan on Monday, measuring up to upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, and triggering tsunami warnings. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the tremor occurred at around 4:52 p.m. off the Sanriku Pacific coastal area of northeastern Japan, with upper 5 seismic intensity observed in the town of Hashikami in Aomori Prefecture. The quake had an estimated magnitude of 7.7 and occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometres.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 20, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Podcast Welfare

“The users are the victims”: After ‘Kizuna Holdings’ Scandal, 1,280 Disabled Service Users to Lose Jobs [Podcast Episode]

“Kizuna Holdings hasn’t suffered any damage, but we are the ones struggling. They are the embodiment of insincerity…When I look for new work, I’m often asked, ‘Where did you work before?’ When I tell them it was a Kizuna Holdings facility, they say, ‘Oh, there. That means you were complicit in the crime. You’re an accomplice,’ and then tell me not to come back. But the one truly in the wrong is Kizuna Holdings, the users are the victims.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 19, 2026 Number of comments0
Children developmental disabilities Disability Japan

With Five-Month Waiting Lists for Initial Appointments, Nagasaki Introduces ‘Blue Doctor’ system for Children with Developmental Disabilities

In an effort to strengthen the medical system for children with developmental disabilities, the prefecture has certified pediatricians and other specialists who have completed specialized training as ‘Nagasaki Blue Doctors.’ There are currently three specialized medical institutions for developmental disabilities within the prefecture. In fiscal year 2024, the number of patients reached approximately 33,000, a 1.5-fold increase compared to ten years ago, and the waiting period for an initial consultation now stands at five months.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 19, 2026 Number of comments0
COVID-19 Disability Infectious Diseases Japan

Japan on Track to Log Highest Post-Pandemic Measles Cases

Japan is on pace to log its highest annual measles cases this year since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 236 patients confirmed by early April compared with the post-pandemic full-year high of 265 marked last year. About half of patients are in the 10-29 age group, and the Japan Pediatric Society is calling on people to get vaccinated.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 18, 2026 1
Disability Employment Japan Welfare

“The users are the victims”: After ‘Kizuna Holdings’ Scandal, 1,280 Disabled Service Users to Lose Jobs

“Kizuna Holdings hasn’t suffered any damage, but we are the ones struggling. They are the embodiment of insincerity…When I look for new work, I’m often asked, ‘Where did you work before?’ When I tell them it was a Kizuna Holdings facility, they say, ‘Oh, there. That means you were complicit in the crime. You’re an accomplice,’ and then tell me not to come back. But the one truly in the wrong is Kizuna Holdings, the users are the victims.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 16, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Children Crime Disability Japan

Mother of Five-Year-Old Girl with Disabilities Abused by Ex-Care Worker Seeks “Severe Punishment”

The mother of a five-year-old girl with a disability, who was who was kidnapped and abused by a 46-year-old staff member at a facility for children with disabilities, has spoken out about the suspect’s arrest. “I cannot forgive the culprit for doing such a thing to my precious only daughter”, speaking to the Japan news programme ‘TBS Newsdig’.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 16, 2026 1
Disability Japan Organ Donation

Japan to Lift Organ Donation Curbs on Europe Stayers

Japan’s health ministry decided on Wednesday to lift restrictions on organ donations from individuals who have stayed in Europe, a measure introduced to combat variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). The change is expected to take effect as early as this autumn. Previously, the ministry restricted blood donations from people who had stayed in Britain or elsewhere in Europe between 1980 and 2004 and imposed similar restrictions on organ donations.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 16, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Mental Health Podcast

Government Survey Indicates 4.5 Percent in Japan Constantly Feel Lonely [Podcast Episode]

A Japanese government survey in 2025 published on Tuesday 14th April showed that 4.5 pct of respondents in the country often or constantly feel lonely, up 0.2 percentage point from the previous year. The share of people who often or constantly feel lonely was higher in their 30s to 50s. The survey, conducted by the Cabinet Office in December, found that 13.7 pct said they sometimes feel lonely and 19.5 pct said they have lonely feelings once in a while.