Latest Posts

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 11, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Welfare

Kanazawa Employment Support Agency for People with Disabilities Files for Bankruptcy after Fraudulently Receiving 30.41 Million Yen

Last December, the company had its designation revoked by Kanazawa City for fraudulently receiving 30.41 million yen in benefit payments intended for employment support for people with disabilities. The city had demanded a payment of 42.58 million yen, which included additional penalties, but it was not paid by the January 5th deadline of this year and the city is currently considering filing criminal charges.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 10, 2026 1
Abuse developmental disabilities Disability Education Japan

Osaka High Court upholds dismissal of bullying lawsuit by schoolgirl with developmental disability

According to the complaint and a report by a third-party committee established by the city, the young woman, now a high school student, attended a municipal elementary school in Sakai. Between her third and fourth grades (2018–2019), she was bullied by classmates, who blacked out her name in a shared notebook and stuffed small stones and other objects into her shoes. She eventually stopped attending school and later transferred to another school.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 10, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Disability Intellectual disabilities Japan Podcast

Tokyo girl with disabilities allegedly held captive; another brother arrested over confinement in closet [Podcast Episode]

In the case involving a teenage girl with an intellectual disability who was allegedly confined in a closet at her family’s home in Machida, in which her parents and two brothers – a total of four people – were arrested and indicted, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigation Division on July 6 arrested another teenage brother on suspicion of unlawful confinement, according to investigative sources. Police believe the girl had been subjected to abuse by every other member of her family.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 8, 2026 Number of comments0
Care Crime Disability Elderly Japan

Ex-Care Worker Gets 20 Years for Killing Elderly Home Resident

A local court on Tuesday sentenced a former worker at an elderly care home in the city of Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture, east of Tokyo, to 20 years in prison for murdering a resident of the facility six years ago.  Public prosecutors charged Megumi Akama, 40, with murdering two residents of the elderly home by injecting air into their intravenous drip tubes while she was working at the facility in 2020.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 8, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Care Disability Hokkaido Japan Podcast

Hokkaido Disability Facility Operator Drafts Improvement Plan Following Assault of Resident [Podcast Episode]

Following an incident where two former male staff members were arrested on suspicion of assault for physically abusing a resident at the “Tsurugaoka Gakuen” disability support facility in Kushiro City, the operating social welfare corporation, “Kushiro Aiiku Kyokai,” has drafted an improvement plan and submitted it to the Hokkaido prefectural government. In addition to reviewing security camera footage daily, the organization will establish a system that makes it easier to report and seek counselling regarding abuse. 

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 6, 2026 1
Abuse Care Disability Japan

Kushiro Disability Facility Operator Drafts Improvement Plan Following Assault of Resident

Following an incident where two former male staff members were arrested on suspicion of assault for physically abusing a resident at the “Tsurugaoka Gakuen” disability support facility in Kushiro City, the operating social welfare corporation, “Kushiro Aiiku Kyokai,” has drafted an improvement plan and submitted it to the Hokkaido prefectural government. In addition to reviewing security camera footage daily, the organization will establish a system that makes it easier to report and seek counseling regarding abuse. 

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 6, 2026 1
Children Disability Education Japan Podcast

Boy, 10, dies after disappearing from Ishikawa special needs school [Podcast Episode]

A tragic accident has raised questions after a 10-year-old boy attending a special needs school in Komatsu City went missing during class and was later found dead in a nearby waterfall. According to the school, the boy had a relatively mild disability and had no difficulty communicating. However, three years ago he had left the school building through the main entrance on his own. Since then, the school said it had strengthened supervision of students and ensured that doors remained locked.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 5, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Welfare

Japan’s municipal oversight of disability service providers falls short, with only just over 10% meeting inspection targets in FY2024; fraudulent claims exceed ¥3.2 billion

The rate at which local governments conduct operational inspections (unei shidō) of disability welfare service providers to ensure they are being properly run remains low. Among the municipalities responsible for overseeing such providers, only just over 10% met the national target in fiscal 2024 for the proportion of facilities inspected. Some municipalities conducted no inspections at all, raising concerns that improper practices may be going undetected.