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Hosted by Michael Gillan Peckitt, who resides in Kobe, Japan, the Disability News Japan Podcast is News website 'Barrier Free Japan's podcast, a weekly digest of some of the news about disability in Japan in audio form. New episodes will usually be available every Friday at 6am Japan Time.
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A male leukemia patient between 10 and 19 died and two other young male patients are unconscious after spinal injections of anticancer drugs at a hospital in the city of Saitama, near Tokyo, hospital officials have said. The Saitama Prefectural Children’s Medical Center is consulting police in view of the possibility that the incident resulted from a criminal or accidental cause, the officials said Wednesday. Of the three patients, one died in February, while a boy under 10 and the other patient, who is between 10 and 19, are in critical condition.
Episode notes:
‘Patient Dies, 2 Critical after Injections at Hospital near Tokyo':
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/12/patient-dies-2-critical-after-injections-at-hospital-near-tokyo/
Japan’s Daichi Oguri won the silver medal in the men’s snowboard banked slalom SB-LL1 event at the Milano-Cortina Paralympics on Friday. This is Japan’s third medal in the ongoing Paralympics, and its 100th winter Paralympic medal overall.
Alpine sit skier Momoka Muraoka's 11th career Paralympic medal at this year's Milan Cortina games has made her Japan's most decorated winter Paralympian, a new high in an already stellar career.
Episode notes:
‘Japan’s Oguri Wins Para Snowboard Silver at Milan-Cortina':
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/14/japans-oguri-wins-para-snowboard-silver-at-milan-cortina/
‘Paralympics: Record 11th medal for Momoka Muraoka marks new high in stellar career’ (Peter Masheter for Kyodo):
https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/72185
In September 2025, a 21-year-old man residing in a welfare facility for people with disabilities in Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture, was assaulted by a male staff member and lost sight in his left eye. On the 10th, the Kobe District Court sentenced the former staff member, Akira Kamitake (23), to three years in prison, suspended for five years (the prosecution had sought four years of imprisonment). Testimony from the trial and further reporting have shed light on the background of the incident.
Episode notes:
‘ “Stop your damn crying”: Guilty Verdict for Staff Member in Abuse Case at Hyogo Facility for Disabled’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/13/stop-your-damn-crying-guilty-verdict-for-staff-member-in-abuse-case-at-hyogo-facility-for-disabled/
Referring to “the case in which a mother killed her daughter with a severe disability,” Noburo Takachi mentioned the incident that occurred in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture. He noted that many opinions online say “the mother cannot be blamed,” creating an atmosphere suggesting it was unavoidable, referring to comments circulating on social media about the suspect.
Episode notes:
‘Actor Noburo Takachi on Murder of Disabled Daughter: “I Feel a Discrimination Between Lives”’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/12/actor-noburo-takachi-on-murder-of-disabled-daughter-i-feel-a-discrimination-between-lives/
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on the 10th referred a 46-year-old former employee of the disability support facility Takinogawa Gakuen Adult Division to prosecutors on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death, over an incident last March in which he allegedly looked away from a man with an intellectual disability (48 at the time), leading to the man being struck and killed by a train at a railroad crossing in Kunitachi, Tokyo, investigative sources said.
Episode notes:
‘Ex-Tokyo Disability Facility Worker Referred Over Railroad Crossing Death’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/11/ex-tokyo-disability-facility-worker-referred-over-railroad-crossing-death/
Many evacuees from Fukushima Prefecture cite anxiety about a lack of medical services as a reason for their hesitation to return to their hometowns devastated by a severe nuclear accident following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. More than half of the population who lived in Futaba just before the triple disaster are still living outside their hometowns, although evacuation orders have been lifted in many places in the county. In Fukushima, the number of medical institutions has plunged since the disaster. Many of the 132 medical facilities that had operated in the prefecture have suspended operations, leaving only 47 currently in service.
Episode notes:
’15 Years On: Medical Care Key to Evacuees’ Return to Fukushima’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/10/15-years-on-medical-care-key-to-evacuees-return-to-fukushima/
A mother has been arrested on suspicion of killing her daughter by drowning her face in water at a home in Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture. The suspect (58) is suspected of killing her daughter Kana (29) by holding her head against a container filled with water at her home in Mobara City on the 8th. Kana was severely disabled and bedridden, and the mother reportedly admitted to the charges, saying, “I intended to kill myself, too.”
Episode notes:
‘Mother Arrested in Chiba Over Alleged Drowning Death of Disabled Daughter’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/09/mother-arrested-in-chiba-over-alleged-drowning-death-of-disabled-daughter/
The ancient Verona Arena that hosted the opening ceremony for Friday’s Milan Cortina Paralympic Games has been undergoing a raft of accessibility changes to bring it in line with the sport event’s values of equality.
The modifications to the arena, which dates back around 2,000 years, include ramps, protective railings and, after the games, an elevator. The work has been undertaken as part of some 20 million euros ($23 million) worth of improvements funded by the Italian government to enhance accessibility throughout Verona.
Episode notes:
‘Paralympics: Ancient Verona Arena boosts accessibility for opening ceremony’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/08/paralympics-ancient-verona-arena-boosts-accessibility-for-opening-ceremony/
The Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympic Games kicked off Friday with an opening ceremony at an amphitheater in Verona, a UNESCO world heritage city in northern Italy. Over 600 athletes from a record 55 countries and regions will vie for medals in 79 events across six sports at the first winter Paralympics in Italy since the 2006 Turin Games. A total of 44 Japanese athletes will compete in all six sports, making it the largest Japanese delegation for a winter Paralympic Games held outside of Japan. Considering the burden of travel caused by the dispersed venues, each country and region was encouraged to have only two athletes attend the opening ceremony. Snowboarder Junta Kosuda and curling player Aki Ogawa carried the Japanese flag in the ceremony. Japanese Paralympians are just three medals shy of reaching a 100 cumulative medals won at the Winter Games. The country netted 24 medals at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics held last month, a record high for the Winter Olympics.
Japan’s biggest Winter Paralympic delegation in decades will take part in the Milan Cortina Games from Friday, with competitors in multiple events tipped to bring home medals.
The Winter Paralympics, which run through March 15, are Italy’s first since Torino 2006 and mark the 50th anniversary of the games. More than 600 athletes are expected to compete in 79 events in six sports.
Episode notes:
‘Japan heads to Winter Paralympic Games with biggest team in decades':
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/06/japan-heads-to-winter-paralympic-games-with-biggest-team-in-decades/
Tokyo High Court on Wednesday 4th March upheld a district court order for the dissolution of the controversial religious group Unification Church, stripping the organization of its status as a religious corporation. “A dissolution order is necessary and inevitable, even when taking into consideration the impact on followers’ freedom of religion,” Motoko Miki, presiding judge of the high court, said.
Episode notes:
‘Tokyo High Court Upholds Unification Church Dissolution Order':
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/05/tokyo-high-court-upholds-unification-church-dissolution-order/
Hiroshima Prefecture announced on Feb. 27 that it will revoke the designation of four facilities in Etajima City, including “Popo Etajima,” which serve children with disabilities. The revocation, due to fraudulent claims by the operator, will take effect on April 1. The city of Kure also announced it will take similar action against three facilities in the city operated by the same company. The total amount of fraudulent claims is about 260 million yen, affecting 214 children. As they will no longer be able to use the services from April 1, the prefectural government and other authorities are coordinating alternative placements.
Episode notes:
‘Hiroshima Revokes Designation of 7 Facilities for Disabled Children; Fraudulent Claims Affect 214':
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/04/hiroshima-revokes-designation-of-7-facilities-for-disabled-children-fraudulent-claims-affect-214/
Kitakyushu City said it will revoke the designation of a Type B continuous employment support facility for people with disabilities in Yahatanishi Ward after its operator, based in Nakama, Fukuoka Prefecture, was found to have fraudulently claimed public support funds. According to the city, the company falsely reported that a full-time instructor was employed to improve participants’ wages in order to receive additional staffing payments between May and September last year, and also inflated attendance records for a user approved for services by another municipality, billing for more days than were actually attended. The revocation, under the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act, will take effect on March 31.
Episode notes:
‘Kitakyushu to Revoke Designation of Disability Support Facility Over Fraudulent Benefit Claims’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/03/kitakyushu-to-revoke-designation-of-disability-support-facility-over-fraudulent-benefit-claims/
Tomoyoshi Aoki, a 51-year-old certified social worker from Saitama Prefecture, says he discovered that his former employer, ‘Nihon Remake’, which operates more than 10 group homes for people with disabilities in Saitama City, was overcharging residents for meal and other expenses and improperly claiming public reimbursements. After clashing with the company over how to address the issues, Aoki filed a whistleblower report with the prefectural government before resigning in late 2024. The prefecture later instructed the company to refund excess charges and return improperly received payments. In April 2025, however, the company sued Aoki at the Saitama District Court for about 41.3 million yen in damages, alleging he took accounting documents without authorization and disrupted operations. The case remains ongoing.
Episode notes:
‘Saitama Social Worker Reports Company for Overcharging Disabled Residents, is Sued for Stealing Documents':
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/03/02/saitama-social-worker-reports-company-for-overcharging-disabled-residents-is-sued-for-stealing-documents/
Three nurses, including Ryusuke Asakura, a 50-year-old former staff member at a municipal support center for people with severe disabilities in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, filed a lawsuit in 2024 alleging they were retaliated against for reporting abuse of residents. The trio say they alerted authorities in 2019 after their concerns were ignored internally, leading the city to acknowledge multiple cases of abuse, but claim they were subsequently subjected to lengthy home suspensions, dismissal and job transfers by the facility’s operator, prompting their legal action.
Episode notes:
‘Western Japan Disability Nurses have Difficulties but “no regrets” in Reporting “culture” of Abuse’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/02/27/western-japan-disability-nurses-have-difficulties-but-no-regrets-in-reporting-culture-of-abuse/
With one week to go until the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games open on March 6, Japan is preparing for its 11th appearance at the Winter Paralympics, carrying a proud legacy in the competition. Since making its debut at the Innsbruck 1988 Paralympic Winter Games, Japan has won a total of 97 medals - 27 gold, 33 silver and 37 bronze - establishing itself as a consistent force in winter para sports.
Episode notes:
‘Japan Eyes Strong Showing at Milano-Cortina Paralympics with One Week to Go’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/02/27/japan-eyes-strong-showing-at-milano-cortina-paralympics-with-one-week-to-go/
A care worker who reported the sexual abuse of a female resident at a disability group home in Ibaraki Prefecture has warned that the toll of his subsequent court battle could discourage others from coming forward. Yusuke Okanemasa, 47, reported the alleged abuse in 2021, which prefectural authorities later confirmed, but he became embroiled in a dispute with his employer and eventually resigned after a pay cut. Although the Tokyo High Court in July 2025 ruled the pay cut invalid and ordered limited damages, it did not recognize the measure as retaliation for whistleblowing. Okanemasa said the lawsuit cost him about 1.5 million yen and required “an enormous amount of mental and emotional energy, as well as time,” warning that if such consequences follow abuse reports, “people will think it’s better to keep their mouths shut,” leaving victims unprotected and underscoring the need for stricter official action.
Episode notes:
‘Ibaraki Care Worker Who Reported Abuse Warns Legal Battle May Deter Future Whistleblowers':
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/02/26/ibaraki-care-worker-who-reported-abuse-warns-legal-battle-may-deter-future-whistleblowers/
Nagoya City held a meeting with disability groups and others regarding the wooden reconstruction of the main keep of Nagoya Castle. On February 11th the city held its first public briefing session since discriminatory remarks were made at a citizens’ debate in 2023. At the session, it reaffirmed its policy of proceeding with the wooden reconstruction plan by installing a small-scale lifting device. Nineteen groups, including disability organizations, took part in the meeting held on the 20th, where the city explained the basic principles of the plan.
Episode notes:
‘Nagoya Aims to Finalize Barrier-Free Policy for Castle Keep by February’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/02/22/nagoya-aims-to-finalize-barrier-free-policy-for-castle-keep-by-february/
A former support staff member at a disability workshop in Kodaira, Tokyo, who was dismissed after reporting alleged abuse by colleagues and a senior executive, reached a court-mediated settlement in 2024 with the operating social welfare corporation. The staff member had filed suit at the Tokyo District Court, arguing the dismissal was retaliation for whistleblowing in violation of the Whistleblower Protection Act. Under the settlement, the corporation retracted the dismissal and paid 4.8 million yen. Municipal authorities later recognized abuse by around 10 staff members, and the Tokyo metropolitan government issued administrative guidance to the corporation over excessive welfare payments.
Episode notes:
‘Fired After Reporting Abuse, Care Worker Awarded 4.8 Million Yen’:
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/02/24/fired-after-reporting-abuse-care-worker-awarded-4-8-million-yen/
A Tokyo woman who worked as a support staff member at a workshop for people with disabilities said she witnessed repeated physical and verbal abuse of service users by colleagues shortly after starting her job in 2019. The alleged misconduct extended beyond frontline staff to a male executive of the operating social welfare corporation, who she said repeatedly grabbed the groins of male users with intellectual disabilities when they did not comply with instructions. The woman, identified by a pseudonym as Yoshimi Kurita, said she reported the abuse multiple times to the corporation’s executives, but they “turned a blind eye.”
Episode notes:
‘Tokyo Disability Facility Worker Says She Was Fired After Reporting Abuse':
https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/02/23/tokyo-disability-facility-worker-says-she-was-fired-after-reporting-abuse/
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