Category: Japan

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 2, 2025 Number of comments0
Abuse Children Crime Education Japan Sexual abuse

Japanese Teacher Admits Sharing Child Pornography

Japanese elementary school teacher Fumiya Kosemura pleaded guilty to charges of sharing child pornography via social media, in the first hearing on his case at Nagoya District Court on Wednesday. The charges are “correct, and I’m very sorry,” said Kosemura, 37, a teacher at a public elementary school in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, who has been indicted for voyeurism and indecent assault. According to the indictment, Kosemura filmed secretly the underwear of a 7-year-old girl at a facility in Kanagawa and shared the video data within the group between January and February this year.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 1, 2025 Number of comments0
Crime Intellectual disabilities Japan Podcast

Four in Japan arrested for robbing intellectually disabled man after forcing him to drink [Podcast Episode]

Tokyo police have arrested four people on suspicion of robbing and abusing a man in his 40s with a mild intellectual disability after forcing him to drink large amounts of whisky, the Metropolitan Police Department said Sept. 26. The suspects — a 22-year-old company worker from Shizuoka Prefecture, a 24-year-old woman from Tokyo, a 21-year-old university student from Hokkaido, and a 19-year-old male restaurant worker — allegedly met the victim through social media and conspired to exploit his condition. Police said the four made the man drink over 700 milliliters of whisky in Tokyo’s Nakano Ward in June, stole his smartphone and used about 100,000 yen in electronic money. They also filmed the incident, which included acts of sexual humiliation, and later abandoned the victim near his home and again in Shizuoka Prefecture. All four have admitted to the allegations, according to the police.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 30, 2025 1
Abuse Crime Disability Intellectual disabilities Japan

4 in Japan accused of robbing intellectually disabled man after forcing him to drink

Tokyo police have arrested four people on suspicion of robbing and abusing a man in his 40s with a mild intellectual disability after forcing him to drink large amounts of whisky, the Metropolitan Police Department said Sept. 26. The suspects — a 22-year-old company worker from Shizuoka Prefecture, a 24-year-old woman from Tokyo, a 21-year-old university student from Hokkaido, and a 19-year-old male restaurant worker — allegedly met the victim through social media and conspired to exploit his condition. Police said the four made the man drink over 700 milliliters of whisky in Tokyo’s Nakano Ward in June, stole his smartphone and used about 100,000 yen in electronic money. They also filmed the incident, which included acts of sexual humiliation, and later abandoned the victim near his home and again in Shizuoka Prefecture. All four have admitted to the allegations, according to the police.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 29, 2025 Number of comments0
Earthquake Japan Mental Health Tsunami

Miyagi Mental Care Center to Close 14 Years after 2011 Disaster

A northeastern Japan facility that has provided mental care for about 14 years to people affected by the March 2011 powerful earthquake and tsunami is set to finish its services at the end of this month. The Miyagi Disaster Mental Health Care Center, located in Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, part of the areas afflicted by the disaster, had offered consultations for about 63,000 cases by early this month. After its closure, local governments in the prefecture will provide the services.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 29, 2025 Number of comments0
Art Disability Japan Podcast

The First Paragraphs of a New Story by Akutagawa Prize Winning Author with Disabilities, Saou Ichikawa [Podcast Episode]

Saou Ichikawa was born in 1979. Diagnosed in childhood with congenital myopathy, a rare disease that causes muscle weakness, and has used a ventilator since age 14. Ichikawa graduated in March 2023 from Waseda University’s School of Human Sciences correspondence program. Her thesis “The Reciprocal Influence Between the Representation of Disabled People and Real Society” won the Ono Azusa Memorial Academic Prize. Her debut novel “Hunchback” won the 169th Akutagawa Prize in July 2023. Her most recent book, to be published in September 2025 is “A Girl’s Spine”.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 28, 2025 1
Care Disability Japan Welfare

Kagoshima City Ordered to Repay 35 Million Yen, Disability Welfare Designation Revoked

On September 26th, Kagoshima City took administrative action to revoke the disability welfare service designation of the “Employment Support Center Shichifukujin” (Takashi 2-chome), a Type B Continuing Employment Support Facility operated by the Social Welfare Corporation Tenyukai (Director: Yurika Nagata) in Murasakihara 5-chome, for fraudulently claiming training and other benefits. The city also ordered the repayment of 25,176,250 yen fraudulently claimed and received, plus additional payments totaling 35,240,631 yen. The revocation of the designation will take effect on the 30th.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 28, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability HIV Infectious Diseases Japan

New HIV Infections, AIDS Patients in Japan Up for 2nd Year

Japan confirmed 994 new cases of HIV infection and AIDS in 2024, up 34 from the previous year and marking the second consecutive annual increase, the health ministry said Friday. The tally included 662 new HIV carriers, down seven, and 332 new AIDS patients, up 41. Sexual contact remained the leading transmission route, with 417 HIV and 170 AIDS cases. By age, people in their 30s accounted for the most HIV infections at 210, followed by those in their 20s at 208, while among AIDS patients, those 50 and older made up the largest group with 106 cases, followed by people in their 40s with 85.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 27, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan Travel Wheelchair

From October 1, JR East to Begin Crew-Assisted Ramp Service on the Jōetsu, Shin’etsu, and Agatsuma Lines

Crew-assisted ramp services have been in place since 2022 at certain stations operated by JR Kyushu, JR East, JR Central, JR West, and JR Shikoku. Within JR East, they are already available at selected stations on the Ōme Line, Sōbu Main Line, Narita Line, Sotobō Line, Uchibō Line, Kururi Line, Sagami Line, Ryōmō Line, and Echigo Line. DPI Japan encourages wheelchair users living along these lines to try the service and share your feedback.