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by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 1, 2026 Number of comments0
10 Golden Week Blind Disability Japan Travel

Some Notes on Blindness in Japan During Golden Week [Podcast Episode]

Two recent developments in Japan have highlighted ongoing safety challenges faced by people with visual impairments in public spaces. At the Imabari branch of the Matsuyama District Court, a visually impaired woman has filed a lawsuit seeking about 1.7 million yen in damages from a dog owner, alleging she was injured after an unleashed dog approached her guide dog, causing her to fall; she warned that such incidents on public roads can be life-threatening and called for greater awareness of the dangers of interfering with guide dogs doing their work. Separately, East Japan Railway Co. opened a platform-based training session at Shinagawa Station in Tokyo to the media, where visually impaired participants practiced navigation with mobility instructors using actual train cars, underscoring efforts by transport operators to improve safety and prevent accidents.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 30, 2026 2
Disability Employment Japan Welfare

Kizuna Holdings Files Lawsuit Against Osaka City as Repayment Deadline for 11 Billion Yen in Repayment of Disability Employment Subsidies Passes

In the ongoing issue involving the fraudulent receipt of disability employment support bonuses by four “Type A” continuous employment support offices under the umbrella of the Osaka-based welfare company Kizuna Holdings (HD), it has been learned through interviews with both the company and the city that Kizuna HD has filed a lawsuit in the Osaka District Court. The suit seeks to rescind the city’s order to return approximately 11 billion yen.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 30, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Elderly Health Japan

Japan Govt Calls for Road Map to Medical Payment Hikes

Japan’s Finance Ministry on Tuesday called for a road map to raising out-of-pocket medical payments by patients aged 70 or older to reduce the health insurance premium burden on the working generation. The road map to consolidating their payment rates eventually to a uniform 30 pct should be created, the ministry said at a meeting of a subcommittee of the Fiscal System Council, which advises the finance minister.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 29, 2026 Number of comments0
Crime Disability Japan Podcast

The Showa Day Pod: Earthquake Advisories Lifted and ‘Disability Dating App’ Fraudster Suspects Re-Arrested [Podcast Episode]

Tokyo police have re-arrested two men, including the alleged leader of a group accused of exploiting a dating app aimed at people with disabilities, in what investigators describe as a systematic fraud scheme targeting vulnerable users. The suspects are accused of luring victims, such as a man in his 30s, to bars in Shibuya after meeting them on the app, then falsely claiming losses like canceled reservations to demand large “compensation” payments, in one case about ¥4.7 million.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 27, 2026 1
Crime Disability Japan Relationships

Tokyo Met Police Re-arrest Two over 85 Million Yen Fraud, Targeting the Disabled with Dating App

Tokyo police have re-arrested two men, including the alleged leader of a group accused of exploiting a dating app aimed at people with disabilities, in what investigators describe as a systematic fraud scheme targeting vulnerable users. The suspects are accused of luring victims – such as a man in his 30s – to bars in Shibuya after meeting them on the app, then falsely claiming losses like canceled reservations to demand large “compensation” payments, in one case about ¥4.7 million. Police believe the group deliberately focused on people with disabilities and may have defrauded dozens of victims out of roughly ¥85 million in total; the alleged ringleader denies the charges while another suspect has admitted involvement.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 27, 2026 1
Animals Blind Disability Japan

Visually impaired woman sues for 1.7M Yen after unleashed dog attacks guide dog, causing fall

A lawsuit is being heard at the Imabari branch of the Matsuyama District Court in which a visually impaired woman is seeking approximately 1.7 million yen in damages from a dog owner, alleging that she fell and was injured after an unleashed dog approached her guide dog.
In an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, the plaintiff stressed, “If you fall on a public road, there’s a risk of being hit by a car, could be life-threatening.” She added, “I want people to understand how dangerous it is to interfere with a guide dog while it is guiding.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 27, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Discrimination Japan Podcast Travel Unmanned Stations

Oita District Court Rejects Disabled People’s Claim over Unmanned Stations, Citing “Excessive Burden” on JR Kyushu [Podcast Episode]

A district court in southwestern Japan on Thursday 23rd April dismissed a damages claim by people with disabilities who said that the unmanned operations of stations by Kyushu Railway Co., or JR Kyushu, violated their freedom of movement. “It cannot be acknowledged that there was unfair and discriminatory treatment” on the grounds of disability in operating stations without staff, Oita District Court Presiding Judge Mina Tomita said, rejecting the claim for damages totaling 660,000 yen against JR Kyushu.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 25, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Discrimination Japan Travel Unmanned Stations

Oita Court Rejects Disabled People’s Freedom of Movement Claim, Cites ‘Excessive Burden’ on JR Kyushu

The Oita District Court dismissed a lawsuit by six people with disabilities who claimed that JR Kyushu’s use of unmanned stations infringed their freedom of movement, with Presiding Judge Mina Tomita ruling that “It cannot be acknowledged that there was unfair and discriminatory treatment” and concluding that while requiring advance notice for assistance “cause[s] a difference in the use of stations,” the policy was not illegal. She added that, given factors such as population decline, operating stations without staff “was unavoidable” and that maintaining staffing would impose an “excessive burden” on the company. In response, plaintiffs’ lawyer Yasuyuki Tokuda condemned the decision as an unjust ruling and said the legal team would continue to fight the case.