Disability News Japan Michael Gillan Peckitt

“In Japan, the idea of a right to move is missing. It is not a problem only for people with disabilities. In rural areas, public transportation declines for business reasons and elderly people who cannot drive a car are inconvenienced,” said wheelchair user Hideto Kijima (45) after he was was forced to crawl up a set of stairs to the plane on the now defunct ‘Vanilla Air’ LCC in June 2017.

Vanilla Air later merged with ‘Peach Aviation’ and it was reported on April 13th 2024 that a “Taiwanese national with a physical disability attempted to board a Taiwan-bound flight of low-cost carrier (LCC) Peach Aviation (headquartered in Osaka Prefecture) at Naha Airport in Okinawa, but was denied boarding because the battery in their electric wheelchair was not visible from the outside.”

Episode Notes:

‘Electric Wheelchair User Denied Boarding on Japan LCC ‘Peach’ Due to ‘Visible Battery’: https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/04/15/electric-wheelchair-user-denied-boarding-on-japan-lcc-peach-to-due-to-visible-battery/

‘Vanilla Airline Incident 1 & a Half Year Later’ (December 9th 2018): https://barrierfreejapan.com/2018/12/10/year-and-half-after-vanilla-airline-incident-japanese-wheelchair-user-reflects-on-disability-issues/

About 40 pct of Japanese medical institutions accepting hospitalizations of children ask family members to stay around the clock with them in certain circumstances, a government survey showed Friday 12th April.

Following the initial concerns with ‘beni koji’ supplements, problems linked to 18 food items with functional claims have been reported in Japan other than those allegedly caused by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. supplements.

Episode Notes:

’40% of Hospitals in Japan Request Family Be Caregivers for Child Inpatients’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/04/12/40-of-hospitals-in-japan-request-family-be-caregivers-for-child-inpatients/

‘Health Problems Reported over 18 Functional Foods in Japan’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/04/13/health-problems-reported-over-18-functional-foods-in-japan/

Author of ‘No One’s Perfect’, Hirotada Ototake said on Monday April 8th that he will run as an independent in the April 28 House of Representatives by-election in the Tokyo No. 15 constituency with the backing of Tomin First no Kai or ‘Tokyoites First Party’, a political organization closely linked to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike that he serves as deputy leader. Ototake said that as one who has congenital tetra-amelia syndrome, he wants to "help people in need through the power of politics.”

Episode Notes: https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/04/08/disabled-japanese-author-hirotada-ototake-to-run-in-lower-house-by-election/

A disability news-related digest from the first few days of April 2024 in Japan, the beginning of the fiscal year. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. says that water leaked “into ‘beni-koji’ production tank in past.” Japan’s Health Ministry conducted a poll that revealed 35% of people are prejudiced against ex-leprosy patients and 2024 brings changes regarding policies about health and for people with disabilities in Japan.

Episode Notes:

‘Spring 2024 in Japan Brings In Changes for Health and People with Disabilities’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/04/06/spring-2024-in-japan-brings-in-changes-for-health-and-people-with-disabilities/

‘35% in Japan Prejudiced against Ex-Leprosy Patients Says Government Survey’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/04/05/35-in-japan-prejudiced-against-ex-leprosy-patients-says-government-survey/

‘Kobayashi Pharma says water leaked into ‘beni-koji’ production tank in past’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/04/06/kobayashi-pharma-says-water-leaked-into-beni-koji-production-tank-in-past/

There were 7,637,967 ambulance dispatches in Japan in 2023, the highest figure since comparable data became available in 1963, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said in a preliminary report. From the previous year, ambulance dispatches increased 5.6 pct. The agency also said a record 6,639,959 people, up 6.8 pct, were transported by ambulance.


Episode Notes:

‘Japan Saw Record Ambulance Dispatches in 2023’ (March 29 2024): https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/03/29/japan-saw-record-ambulance-dispatches-in-2023/

Well, the tsunami warnings and advisories for Okinawa are lifted, of course we still have to be cautious and be aware of the possibility of further earthquakes. We breath a sigh of relief!