Latest Posts

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 18, 2024 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Robotics

New ‘ultra-short-time employment’ experiment for people with disabilities using avatar robots to be conducted in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward

Toshima Ward will conduct an experiment on a new employment model for people with disabilities at the Sunshine City complex (Higashi-Ikebukuro). For the month of November, people with mental and intellectual disabilities will work short hours, and people who have difficulty going out will serve customers using avatar robots. An agreement was signed with the company on the 6th of this month for the experiment. In the experiment, about 10 ward residents with disabilities will practice the employment model at Sunshine City’s reception desk, aquarium, and observation deck. They will not be paid, but participants will receive a subsidy from the ward.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 18, 2024 Number of comments0
Disability Film Japan Mark Bookman

Documentary film ‘Mark: A Call To Action’ to be released on DVD on October 8th 2024 [Podcast Episode]

Mark Bookman was a historian, whose specialism was disability policy and related social movements in Japanese and global contexts. He studied Japanese Studies at University of Pennsylvania, and at the time of his death on December 16th 2022 he was Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Tokyo. The documentary film ‘Mark: A Call To Action’, directed by Ron Small about Mark, will be released on DVD on October 8th 2024:

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 17, 2024 Number of comments0
2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake Disability Disasters Discrimination Japan

Annual ‘Miyagi Appeal Action’ Held in Sendai to Raise Awareness About Issues Facing People with Disabilities 

he “Miyagi Appeal Action” rally was held in Sendai City on the 16th to raise awareness of the discrimination and difficulties facing people with disabilities. This is held annually by an executive committee made up of over 40 disability groups in Miyagi Prefecture. This year, in response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, the theme was “Disability and Disaster Prevention,” and an appeal was adopted calling on the government to develop disaster prevention and evacuation plans that reflect the perspectives of people with disabilities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 16, 2024 Number of comments0
Disability Forced Sterilization Japan Podcast

‘All’ forced sterilization lawsuits settled; plaintiffs and Japanese government sign agreement [Podcast Episode]

On September 13th, the plaintiffs and the government signed a settlement agreement in a lawsuit over forced sterilization under the old Eugenic Protection Law. Final adjustments were being made on the government’s payment of 15 million yen in compensation to any individual who underwent the surgery. Lawsuits currently underway in various regions have been gradually entering settlement procedures, and the settlement will take place about six years and seven months after the first lawsuit was filed in 2018.

The agreement covers 19 plaintiffs of pending lawsuits across the country.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 15, 2024 Number of comments0
Japan Medical

Out-of-pocket costs for off-patent drugs to rise in October

A system revision in Japan in October will increase out-of-pocket expenses for patients who choose original drugs with expired patents over their generic counterparts. The revision is aimed at reducing the country’s overall medical costs by promoting the use of generic drugs, which have the same efficacy as the original drugs but are cheaper. Moisturizing ointments and patches are among the 1,095 items to be affected by the revision.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 13, 2024 1
Disability Forced Sterilization Japan

All forced sterilization lawsuits settled; plaintiffs and Japanese government sign agreement

On September 13th, the plaintiffs and the government signed a settlement agreement in a lawsuit over forced sterilization under the old Eugenic Protection Law. Final adjustments were being made on the government’s payment of 15 million yen in compensation to any individual who underwent the surgery. Lawsuits currently underway in various regions have been gradually entering settlement procedures, and the settlement will take place about six years and seven months after the first lawsuit was filed in 2018.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 13, 2024 Number of comments0
Japan Podcast Politics

LDP Candidate asked whether he seems too ‘intellectually low’ to be Leader [Podcast Episode]

The Tokyo Shimbun reported that although Shinjiro Koizumi is considered one of the “favorite” candidates due to his high name recognition and ability to communicate, there are strong concerns about his ability to answer questions as prime minister, as he has made some unique statements at international conferences, such as “I will tackle climate change in a sexy way.” At the press conference that day, Koizumi was asked, “Doesn’t your intellectual level seem low?”