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by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 28, 2025 Number of comments0
Birth Rate Health Japan

Births in Japan in 2024 fell to record low of 721,000, deaths increased to record 1,618,684

The number of children born in Japan in 2024 fell from a year earlier to 720,988, marking the ninth consecutive year of record lows, health ministry data showed Thursday. The figure including foreigners, down by 5 percent from the previous year, comes as more people choose to marry later in life and there is increased anxiety over child-rearing due to the higher cost of living. The number of deaths in 2024 increased by 28,181 to a record 1,618,684, and the natural decrease, subtracted from the number of births, stood at a record 897,696, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 26, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Human Rights Japan Prison

Disabled People International Japan Branch to Hold ‘Online Rally’ on “Prisoners with Disabilities and the Right to Use Wheelchairs”

The Japan Branch of the NPO Disabled People’ International (DPI), located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, will hold an online rally on the theme of “Prisoners with disabilities and their right to use wheelchairs” on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The rally is being held in response to a ruling was handed down in a lawsuit seeking ‘reasonable accommodation’ in Gifu, a lawsuit concerning an alleged human rights violation in which an inmate with walking difficulties was denied wheelchair access at Gifu Prison for over 10 years. On October 30, 2024, the Gifu District Court did not recognize the denial of wheelchair access as illegal and ruled against the plaintiff.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 26, 2025 Number of comments0
Care Crime Disability Japan Podcast Sexual abuse

Former Niigata NPO employee sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman with a disability [Podcast Episode]

On February 19th, the Niigata District Court handed down a sentence of 14 years in prison to a former employee of an organization, who was charged with crimes including sexually assaulting and injuring a woman with a disability while transporting her in Sanjo City. The court ruled that “he repeatedly committed the crime, taking advantage of the fact that the victim could not resist, which is despicable.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 25, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan Welfare

Tokyo Company Suspected of Violating Laws and Regulations, Introducing Users of Disabled Welfare Services for a Fee

The business is to introduce users to welfare service offices for a fee, but the operating standards based on the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act prohibits the offices from giving money or goods in exchange for the introduction of users. This is because welfare for the disabled is largely financed by public funds, and taxpayers’ money is used for other purposes. The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) has stated that “there is no law or regulation that regulates the referral business itself, but the business office that pays the money or goods is in violation of the standards,” and that it will “consider how to deal with the situation.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 24, 2025 2
Crime Disability Japan Niigata Sexual abuse

Former Niigata NPO employee sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman with a disability

Takuya Hosokai (44), a former employee of an NPO that supports people with disabilities, was charged with sexually assaulting and filming women with disabilities while transporting them between 2019 and the year before last. Among these incidents, he was specifically charged for sexually assaulting and injuring a woman in a parking lot in Sanjo City in December 2023.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 23, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Disasters Elderly Japan

Japan Eyeing IT to Help Those Needing Assistance in Disasters

Japan is increasingly adopting information technology to help those in need of assistance in times of disasters, such as the elderly and people with disabilities. Major electronics maker NEC Corp. and disaster management advisory firm Tokio Marine Resilience Co. conducted a test with the western Tokyo city of Tama late last month of a system to confirm the safety of those in need of support during disasters. Under the system, those who provide evacuation support receive requests on their smartphones for safety checks when local governments issue evacuation-related information.