Category: Japan

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 5, 2025 Number of comments0
Assassination of Shinzo Abe Crime Cults Disability Japan Unification Church

Abe Shooter Apologizes to Bereaved Family for 1st Time

Tetsuya Yamagami, charged with the 2022 murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, apologized to the bereaved family for the first time at Nara District Court on Thursday. At the 14th court hearing of his lay judge trial, Yamagami, 45, said he was very sorry for what he did. Yamagami also said that killing Abe was “wrong.” He reportedly targeted Abe in light of the former prime minister’s ties with the Unification Church, which he held a grudge against.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 5, 2025 Number of comments0
Assassination of Shinzo Abe Crime Japan Mental Health Podcast

Shinzo Abe Shooting Trial: Defendant Explains Motive, Akie Abe Attends Hearing [Podcast Episode]

The trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, accused of killing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, continued this week at the Nara District Court with detailed testimony about the defendant’s motives and a courtroom appearance by Abe’s widow, Akie. Yamagami, 45, told judges and lay judges that he targeted Abe because he believed the former leader sat “at the center” of ties between politics and the Unification Church, saying his “hatred and hostility” developed gradually and that attacking any other politician would have carried “weak significance.” 

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 4, 2025 1
Assassination of Shinzo Abe Crime Japan

Slain Ex-PM Abe’s Wife Attends Attacker’s Trial for 1st Time

Akie Abe sat behind prosecutors and listened to the 13th court hearing of the lay judge trial at Nara District Court, using a system for victims’ participation in trials. She did not ask questions herself.
   She entered the courtroom at 1 p.m. wearing a black jacket with a blue ribbon badge, which is a symbol of efforts to rescue Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 3, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan Podcast Tokyo

Tokyo Annual ‘Disability Week’ to be Held December 3rd to 9th [Podcast Episode]

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced on December 1st that it will hold its annual ‘Disability Week’ from December 3rd to 9th. The aim of ‘Disability Week’ is to deepen public interest and understanding of disability welfare and to encourage people with disabilities to actively participate in all areas of social, economic, and cultural activities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 2, 2025 1
Barrier Free Disability Japan Tokyo

Tokyo Annual Disability Week to be Held December 3rd to 9th

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced on December 1st that it will hold its annual ‘Disability Week’ from December 3rd to 9th. The aim of ‘Disability Week’ is to deepen public interest and understanding of disability welfare and to encourage people with disabilities to actively participate in all areas of social, economic, and cultural activities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 1, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Hansen's disease Japan Medical

Nippon Foundation’s Sasakawa Visits Leprosy Colony in New Delhi

Yohei Sasakawa, honorary chair of the Nippon Foundation and WHO goodwill ambassador for leprosy elimination, visited a leprosy colony in New Delhi where up to 250 residents live, urging about 30 accompanying Japanese business representatives to support efforts against the disease. India accounts for roughly 60 percent of the world’s new leprosy cases, and the Sasakawa Health Foundation organized the visit to raise awareness among Japanese residents in the country. Although effective treatments exist, people affected by leprosy in India still face deep-rooted social exclusion and often form or join isolated colonies—some of the roughly 800 believed to exist nationwide—to escape discrimination tied to the caste system

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.