Japan has seen a surge in approved compensation claims by medical workers for work-related mental disorders, a government white paper showed Friday. The data from fiscal 2021 to fiscal 2023 show an annual average of 59.3 cases, up 3.6-fold from the 16.3 cases for fiscal 2012 to fiscal 2014. The most common factor over the entire survey period was “experiences or sightings of tragic accidents or disasters.”
A 58-year-old mother accused of drowning her severely disabled 29-year-old daughter in a water-filled plastic storage container at their home in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, has expressed regret over the incident. During a Chiba District Court hearing, A described her daughter as “my life, my everything” and said she wished she could “turn back time.” She also apologized to her daughter, saying, “B-chan, I’m sorry. Every day, I apologize to B-chan and pray for her soul… With everyone’s help, I’m living… B-chan, I’m truly sorry.”
The number of children who died from abuse in Japan in fiscal 2024 rose by 12 from the previous year to 77, an expert panel of the Children and Families Agency said Thursday. Excluding family suicide cases, the figure stood at 50, including 34 who died before reaching 1 year old. The number of children who died within 24 hours after birth came to 17.
Workers’ compensation claims involving mental disorders surged by 46.9% from the previous fiscal year, reaching a total of 1,121 cases. Tokyo accounts for more than one-fifth of the nationwide total (4,958 cases).
The Saitama Prefectural Government has announced that, in fiscal 2025, it received a total of 284 reports and notifications concerning abuse of people with disabilities by staff at psychiatric hospitals in the prefecture, an increase of nine from the previous fiscal year. Of these, nine cases, two more than the previous year, were officially determined to constitute abuse. According to the announcement on the 21st, six of the nine cases involved physical abuse, three involved psychological abuse, and one involved neglect or abandonment.
Kobe City confirmed three cases of abuse of people with disabilities at psychiatric hospitals in fiscal year 2025, with the hospitals required to submit improvement plans, the city said.
At a meeting of the Labour Policy Council on the 22nd, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare indicated that it plans to allow workers with mental disabilities to continue being counted toward a company’s disability employment quota for about one year even if their Mental Disability Health and Welfare Handbook (certificate) is not renewed. The measure is intended to prevent situations in which companies suddenly become unable to meet the legally mandated employment rate because an employee forgot to complete the renewal procedure or chose not to renew the certificate due to an improvement in their condition. On the other hand, disability advocates have raised concerns that the measure could reduce new employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
The girl, who was 16 at the time and worked at a disability welfare facility in Hyogo Prefecture, had been arrested on suspicion of assault after restraining a service user who became violent. She was detained for 18 days. Although prosecutors ultimately decided not to indict her, she continued to suffer from eating disorders and other physical and psychological health problems, and died five months after her release.
The Japanese tabloid magazine ‘FRIDAY’ has been investigating misuse of the ‘Help Mark’, which was designed to help people with disabilities alert people of possible needs they might have.
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.
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