Category: Podcast

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 14, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Elderly Japan Organ Donation Podcast

Japan’s Health Ministry Introducing System to Assist Institutions with ‘Brain-Death’ Organ Donations [Podcast Episode]

Japan’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry this year started rolling out an online system to enable about 70 institutions with minimal experience in the processes behind organ donations from brain-dead patients to connect with core medical institutions that have abundant experience. The initiative seeks to help the inexperienced institutions with declaring patients as brain dead and is part of an effort to increase the number of organ donations in the country.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 12, 2025 Number of comments0
Health Japan Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. Podcast

The Saga of “Scandal-Tainted Kobayashi Pharma Co” Continues [Podcast Episode]

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. said on Friday March 22nd 2024 it will voluntarily recall some 300,000 packs of five supplement products in Japan after reports of health damage suffered by users. The Osaka-based company said in March 2024 that 13 people had developed kidney disease and other symptoms after taking the products, advertised as foods with functional claims, including three containing “beni koji,” rice fermented with monascus purpureus, a species of mold that is red.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 7, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Eugenics Forced Sterilization Japan Podcast

Fear of Shaming May Cause Hesitancy in Making Compensation Claims for Japan’s 25,000 Forced Sterilization Victims [Podcast Episode]

Japan’s government says roughly 25,000 people are eligible for compensation as victims of forced sterilization or their bereaved relatives. It is believed that some of them may hesitate to apply due to fear of discrimination or may be unable to do so because of their disabilities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 5, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Education Intellectual disabilities Podcast SNS Social Media

Disabled student filmed in school toilet, serious bullying incident in Mie Prefecture [Podcast Episode]

It has been revealed that in October last year, a male student with a disability attending a special needs school in Mie Prefecture was filmed in a school toilet by two high school students and posted on social media, causing him to miss school for an extended period of time, and the school has determined that this constitutes a serious case of bullying. According to the Mie Prefectural Board of Education, in October last year, a male student with an intellectual disability (then 17) attending a special needs school, which is attached to a prefectural high school in the prefecture, was filmed in a shared toilet stall by two male high school students and posted on the social media site Instagram.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 3, 2025 Number of comments0
developmental disabilities Disability Discrimination Employment Japan Podcast

Chiba civil engineering company settles lawsuit over “insufficient understanding” of disability [Podcast Episode]

A lawsuit filed by a man in his 30s from Chiba Prefecture against his former civil engineering company in Abiko City, Chiba Prefecture for damages, alleging that he was discriminated against and forced to resign from the civil engineering company where he was employed as a disabled person through Hello Work because the company did not take his developmental disability into consideration, has been settled in the Chiba District Court. The former employer will pay the man approximately 300,000 yen in settlement money. According to the man’s attorney, the settlement was reached in October last year. The settlement terms stated that the former employer apologized to the man for not fully understanding the characteristics of his developmental disability and would pay him the settlement money. 

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 26, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan Podcast

Support People with Disabilities by going to Mister Donut in Japan on January 27 [Podcast Episode]

January 27th, 1970 is the day that Duskin founder Suzuki Seiichi decided to enter into a business partnership with Mister Donut of America. Mister Donut designated this day as its founding day, and every year it donates a portion of purchases from customers to the ‘Duskin Ai No Wa Fund’ to help people with disabilities become independent and participate in society.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 24, 2025 Number of comments0
Care COVID-19 Disability Influenza Japan Podcast

As Influenza Cases Increase in Japan, Facilities for People with Intellectual Disabilities Struggle [Podcast Episode]

As influenza and COVID-19 infections spread, facilities for people with disabilities are also struggling to respond. Facilities for people with severe intellectual disabilities have found it difficult to take precautions, and there have been cases of infections spreading among users and staff. At a residential facility for people with disabilities in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, is home to 40 people, including those with severe intellectual disabilities. The Director of the Saitama facility, Takahashi Minoru said: “We took sufficient precautions, but the infection spread so quickly that we’ve come to realize how contagious it is. Some of our users have epilepsy, and a high fever can lead to severe seizures. we would be grateful for any support.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 22, 2025 1
Deaf Disability Hearing Impaired Japan Podcast

Osaka High Court Rules ‘Lost Earnings’ After Death of Eleven Year Old Hearing-Impaired Girl Should be Same as Able-Bodied Person [Podcast Episode]

In a lawsuit concerning the death of Ayuka Ide (then aged 11), who was born with a hearing impairment, and who was hit by a piece of heavy machinery seven years ago, the Osaka High Court changed the ruling of the first trial and allowed the payment of the same amount as a healthy person in the appeal trial judgment on the calculation of ‘lost earnings’ that could have been earned in the future. Although the lost earnings of disabled children have been reduced to a certain extent, it is unusual for a judicial decision to recognise the same amount. The high court judgement determined that Ayuka Ide ‘was able to work in the same workplace as able-bodied people’.