The workers had been told by an employment support provider, which arranges workplaces for disabled people through a scheme known as the “disability employment business”, that they would be participating in an 18-month programme. Some were so shocked by the news that they became unable to continue working.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will hold the 25th Tokyo Skills Competition for Persons with Disabilities, known as the Tokyo Abilympics, on Feb. 20, 2027, and will accept applications from Oct. 19 to Nov. 13. Applications must be submitted through an online form to be published on the website of the organisation’s Tokyo branch. Applicants’ eligibility will be reviewed, and participants will be selected and notified individually. Selection may be necessary if applications exceed the available places.
A total of 11.4% of disability pension applicants in Japan were denied benefits in fiscal 2025 because their disabilities did not meet eligibility criteria or because of incomplete documentation, according to Japan Pension Service statistics. Although the rate fell from a record 13.8% in fiscal 2024, concerns remain that applicants can struggle to obtain the medical records and other documentation needed to prove their eligibility, particularly when treatment dates back decades. Medical institutions are generally required to retain medical records for only five years, meaning applicants may have difficulty proving the date of their first consultation or diagnosis when older records have been disposed of. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations has criticized aspects of the certification process and called for fairer disability pension assessments.
It has been discovered through research that Omi Gakuen, a facility for children with intellectual disabilities in Shiga Prefecture founded by Kazuo Itoga, who was praised as the “father of disability welfare,” gave a 16-year-old girl with an intellectual disability the false explanation that “your bed-wetting will stop” when applying for her forced sterilization in 1952, during the period when the Eugenic Protection Law was in effect (1948–1996). The law permitted sterilization to be carried out through deception. This is the first time that the specific means of deception used in such a case have been identified in Shiga Prefecture.
Typhoon No. 28, Nolo, also classified as very strong, had a central pressure of 950 hectopascals and maximum sustained winds of 50 m/s and was moving west-northwest near the Midway Islands; it is forecast to turn northward and approach waters east of Japan later in the week. Typhoon No. 29, Koguma, was considerably weaker, with a central pressure of 1,000 hectopascals and maximum sustained winds of 18 m/s, and was moving north-northwest near the Marshall Islands.
The average number of influenza patients per monitored medical institution has exceeded 1.0 in all 47 Japanese prefectures, signaling a nationwide flu outbreak, a health ministry announcement showed Friday. The ministry said that the number of flu patients at some 3,000 regularly monitored institutions across the country came to 7.17 on average in the week through Sunday. While the figure was slightly lower than 8.48 the previous week, a ministry official said, “The decline may be temporary, given trends in previous years.” A large and powerful typhoon, now over the sea far south of Japan, is expected to move north while developing and come closest to the Pacific islands of Ogasawara early next week.
A large and powerful typhoon, now over the sea far south of Japan, is expected to move north while developing and come closest to the Pacific islands of Ogasawara early next week. People are advised to be on the alert for high waves from Sunday onward. The Japan Meteorological Agency says that as of 6 a.m. on Saturday, Typhoon Choi-wan was moving north-northeast near the Mariana Islands at a speed of 15 kilometres per hour.
The typhoon had a central atmospheric pressure of 970 hectopascals. It was packing winds of up to 126 kilometres per hour near its centre, with gusts peaking at 180 kilometres per hour.
Uematsu had also sought a retrial in 2022, but the petition was rejected, with the rejection becoming final at the Supreme Court in October 2025. Regarding his second petition, the Tokyo High Court ruled in August 2026 that the grounds for the petition were “substantially the same” as those of his first petition, and upheld a Yokohama District Court decision rejecting it.
A survey by the Fukuoka City-based group Association to Eliminate Discrimination against People with Disabilities in Fukuoka City found that one in 10 respondents with disabilities or their family members had been refused when looking for private rental housing.
Some respondents said they had been turned away because of their disability. Experts say such cases could constitute “unjust discriminatory treatment,” which is prohibited under Japan’s Act for Eliminating Discrimination against People with Disabilities. The survey was conducted from December last year through March this year through the group’s 20 member organizations and other channels.
According to the prefecture, the abuse occurred on the afternoon of Aug. 21. The resident had accidentally soiled himself and taken a temporary shower before completing his regular bath. He subsequently returned to the changing room twice more and attempted to remove his clothes. The staff member slapped him while trying to stop him.
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