Category: Japan

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 18, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan

Former Japanese PM Tomiichi Murayama, Who Advocated for a “Society for All Abilities”, Dies at 101

Former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who led Japan from 1994 to 1996 and was known for his wartime apology and advocacy of an inclusive welfare society, died of old age Friday at a hospital in Oita Prefecture at 101, according to local reports. As the first socialist leader in nearly 50 years, Murayama urged in his 1994 Diet address the creation of “a society in which everyone, including the enfeebled and the disabled, can participate as an independent individual.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 18, 2025 Number of comments0
Employment Health Japan

Fatigue causing increase in ‘workplace accidents due to falls’ incidents in Japan

Fatigue is emerging as a key factor behind the rise in workplace accidents caused by falls, according to Hideki Katano, author of Rest Science and Fatigue Science, and head of the Japan Recovery Association. In an interview reported by Toyo Keizai on Friday, October 17, Katano warned that widespread fatigue is not only a health concern but also a growing safety risk. The association’s latest 2025 survey found that 82% of working-age Japanese feel tired—an all-time high—translating to over 71 million people, up 300,000 from the previous year. With fatigue-related economic losses estimated at 15 trillion yen annually and the number of “frequently tired” individuals continuing to climb, Katano emphasizes the urgent need for nationwide fatigue management and prevention efforts.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 17, 2025 Number of comments0
Japan Politics

Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama dies at 101

Tomiichi Murayama, Japan’s prime minister from 1994 to 1996 and the first socialist to lead the country in nearly half a century, died of old age Friday at a hospital in southwestern Japan, his party’s local chapter said. He was 101. Murayama is best remembered for issuing the landmark 1995 statement apologizing for Japan’s wartime aggression and colonial rule, a declaration upheld by successive governments. Leading an unlikely coalition of his Social Democratic Party with the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, he faced major crises including the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack. His government also launched redress efforts for atomic bomb survivors and “comfort women” and sought solutions for Minamata disease victims. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba praised Murayama for confronting numerous challenges, while SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima mourned him as her “political father.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 17, 2025 Number of comments0
Abuse Care Crime Disability Japan Podcast

A Tale of Two Care Home Crimes in Japan [Podcast Episode]

In two separate incidents in Japan, vulnerable residents of care facilities tragically lost their lives under disturbing circumstances. In Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, a 38-year-old woman with disabilities died in December 2022 after suffering severe burns from overly hot bathwater during staff-assisted bathing. Three employees of the Hitakami-en facility have been referred to prosecutors for professional negligence resulting in death, as the water temperature was found to be dangerously high. Meanwhile, in Tsurugashima, Saitama Prefecture, two elderly women were found dead on October 15, hours after being discovered bleeding and unconscious in their care facility.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 16, 2025 1
Care Crime Disability Japan

Three Care Workers Referred to Prosecutors Over Fatal Burn Incident at Miyagi Care Facility

In December 2022, a 38-year-old female resident of a support facility for people with disabilities in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, died after suffering severe burns during a bath assisted by staff. On October 15, police referred three employees of the “Hitakami-en” facility—a male supervisor and two female caregivers—to prosecutors on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death. According to the facility’s accident report, although the surface temperature of the bathwater was measured at 40°C, it had not been stirred, and the actual temperature is believed to have been around 50°C. The woman was in the bath for five minutes before being transported to a hospital, where she died three days later.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 15, 2025 1
Crime Disability Elderly Japan

(Update) 2 Women Found Bleeding at Saitama Elderly Care Facility Die, Former Employee Arrested

Two female residents of an elderly care facility in Tsurugashima in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, were confirmed dead Wednesday morning, hours after they were found bleeding and unconscious there. At around 4:55 a.m., an emergency call from the facility reported the two women lying injured. They were taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Investigating the case as a possible murder, the Saitama prefectural police department apprehended a former facility employee in his 20s on Wednesday morning.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 15, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Intellectual disabilities Japan Missing

Hachioji expands SOS network after special-needs teen’s death

The city of Hachioji in western Tokyo has expanded its SOS Network — a system used to help locate missing residents — to include people with intellectual disabilities and others in need, following the death of a 16-year-old boy last year. Previously limited to elderly residents with dementia, the program allows families to register photos and physical details of vulnerable individuals so police, transport staff, and volunteers can be alerted instantly if they go missing. The move was prompted by the case of Daijiro Kubota, who left home without his GPS-equipped phone and was later found dead in a river in Yamanashi Prefecture. His parents and local advocates urged authorities to prevent similar tragedies, leading Hachioji to broaden eligibility this summer. While over 80 percent of municipalities nationwide operate SOS networks, only a few, such as Kushiro and Sagamihara, currently cover people with intellectual disabilities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 15, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan Podcast Travel

Saitama Bus Service for People with Disabilities to Be Discontinued Due to Driver Shortage [Podcast Episode]

A long-running bus service for people with disabilities in Saitama Prefecture will be discontinued at the end of the fiscal year due to a shortage of drivers and the wider availability of lift-equipped charter buses from private operators, the prefectural government said. The Oozora-go, a 40-seat bus donated over decades by Musashino Bank, has served thousands annually since 1973, offering affordable group travel for disability organizations. Advocates have expressed disappointment, saying the service promoted social participation for people with disabilities, while Governor Motohiro Ōno said the prefecture will consider alternative measures in light of user feedback and social changes.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 14, 2025 Number of comments0
developmental disabilities Disability Japan

Miyako Island pesticide-linked contamination suspected amid surge in developmental disorders

The number of children diagnosed with developmental disorders has risen sharply on Miyako Island in recent years, with pesticide-related groundwater contamination suspected as a possible cause. While the issue has become a major concern among local residents, it has received little to no coverage in national media. Similar cases of groundwater, river and tap water contamination have also been reported in other parts of Japan in recent years, suggesting the problem may be more widespread.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 13, 2025 1
Barrier Free Disability Employment Japan Mobility as a Service Travel

Bus Service for People with Disabilities to Be Discontinued Due to Driver Shortage

A long-running bus service for people with disabilities in Saitama Prefecture will be discontinued at the end of the fiscal year due to a shortage of drivers and the wider availability of lift-equipped charter buses from private operators, the prefectural government said. The Oozora-go, a 40-seat bus donated over decades by Musashino Bank, has served thousands annually since 1973, offering affordable group travel for disability organizations. Advocates have expressed disappointment, saying the service promoted social participation for people with disabilities, while Governor Motohiro Ōno said the prefecture will consider alternative measures in light of user feedback and social changes.