Latest Posts

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 8, 2025 Number of comments0
Deaf Disability Hearing Impaired Japan

Osaka High Court finalizes full lost earnings ruling for deceased girl with disability

A Japanese high court has finalized a ruling recognizing that the estimated lost earnings of a girl with a hearing impairment who died in an accident should be considered at the same level as for people without disabilities. Ide Ayuka was 11 years old when she was fatally struck by a power shovel that ran onto a sidewalk in Osaka City in 2018. She had been attending a school for children with hearing impairments. The ruling was finalized as the driver and the company did not appeal by the Tuesday 4 February deadline.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 7, 2025 Number of comments0
Care Japan Nursing Care

Japan to Allow Foreigners to Engage in Home Care Services

The Japanese government Thursday presented to an experts panel a plan to allow foreign nationals to engage in home care services under the country’s specified skilled worker program as part of efforts to alleviate severe labor shortages. The government also proposed easing regulations so that more foreigners can work in the restaurant industry and at manufacturers of industrial products, which are also struggling with manpower shortages.

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 6, 2025 1
Disability Eugenics Forced Sterilization Japan

As Japan starts accepting compensation applications from roughly 25,000 eugenics victims, fear of discrimination and inability to apply to due impairment may cause hesitancy

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 4, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Discrimination Employment Japan Welfare

Number of disabled people employed in Japan reaches record high, bias in work, criticism of “number-filling”

In the 2024 employment status of disabled people announced by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (as of June 1), the number of disabled people working in private companies has reached 677,461 (35,283 more than the previous year), the highest number ever for the 21st consecutive year. The actual employment rate also rose 0.08 points from the previous year to 2.41%, reaching a record high for the 13th consecutive year. However, only 46.0% of companies achieved the statutory employment rate (2.5%), a decrease of 4.1 points from the previous year.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 4, 2025 Number of comments0
Disability Discrimination Japan

‘My Physically Disabled Son’s Prospective In-Laws Oppose the Marriage’ [‘Dear Troubleshooter’, The Japan News]

My two older children are twins, and they both have physical disabilities. They both say they have never resented their bodies, although I believe they’ve gone through difficulties. One of the twins has been with his girlfriend for more than five years. She’s lovely and they’re talking about getting married soon. However, her parents are against the marriage. I think they’re worried about their daughter marrying a person who is severely disabled. Should I not say anything and leave it up to my son and his girlfriend? It’s difficult because I feel helpless as a parent.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 4, 2025 Number of comments0
Coronavirus COVID-19 Japan

COVID-19 Victims of Diamond Princess Ship Remembered, 5 Yrs On

People laid flowers Monday at Yokohama Port in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, to pray for those who died after contracting COVID-19 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which arrived at the port five years ago. “We will not let the deaths of 14 people go to waste,” said Yasuhito Hirasawa, 69, co-head of a group formed by those who were on the ship at that time.

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 February 2, 2025 Number of comments0
Abuse Education Intellectual disabilities

Disabled student filmed in school toilet, serious bullying incident in Mie

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.