A mother in Hiroshima reported that her 21-year-old autistic son was mistakenly accused of groping on a bus after failing to respond to a woman’s request to move, highlighting how individuals with developmental disabilities are often misjudged due to difficulties with communication and social cues; although the police confirmed no wrongdoing through surveillance footage, the emotional impact remains, prompting calls for greater public awareness and understanding—especially through visible aids like the “Help Mark”—to prevent such distressing incidents.

Episode Notes:

‘“I’m in shock”: Autistic Man in Hiroshima Mistaken for Molester, Reported to Police’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/30/im-in-shock-autistic-man-in-hiroshima-mistaken-for-molester-reported-to-police/

Tuesday 29th April was both ‘Showa Day’ and Michael Gillan Peckitt’s of the Disability News Japan Podcast birthday. Unusually he had to work that day, but he made a brief podcast on the way home about recent news regarding the book depicting neurodivergent people as animals.

Episode notes:

‘Amidst Controversy Over Book Depicting Neurodivergent People as Animals, Publisher Changes Author’s Credentials’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/27/amidst-controversy-over-book-depicting-neurodivergent-people-as-animals-publisher-changes-authors-credentials/

As Golden Week approaches with Showa Day on April 29th, ‘Barrier Free Japan’ & ‘Disability News Japan’ has been busy! Here is a digest of recent news stories about disability issues in Japan.

*Apologies for the background noise, it is why Disability News Japan sometimes engages ‘AI mode’.

‘Digitalized Osaka Expo Troubling Elderly Visitors’ (April 19):

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/20/__trashed-7/

‘Nippon Foundation Estimates 360,000 Young People in Japan have been Diagnosed with Developmental Disorders’ (April 24):

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/26/nippon-foundation-estimates-360000-young-people-in-japan-have-been-diagnosed-with-developmental-disorders/

‘Amidst Controversy Over Book Depicting Neurodivergent People as Animals, Publisher Changes Author’s Credentials’: (April 27):

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/27/amidst-controversy-over-book-depicting-neurodivergent-people-as-animals-publisher-changes-authors-credentials/

A group home for people with disabilities located in Uruma City has been found to be operating without meeting required standards and allegedly overcharging for service benefits. The prefectural government has announced that it will revoke the facility’s designation as a disability welfare service provider.

According to the prefecture, from the time the facility was designated as a disability welfare service provider in August two years ago until an audit conducted in November last year, the home had delegated operations to another organization, with the official manager failing to carry out oversight duties. Furthermore, it failed to create individualized support plans for users, among other violations of operational standards.

Episode Notes:

‘Okinawa Group Home for People with Disabilities Suspected of Overcharging without Meeting Standards has Designation Revoked’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/24/okinawa-group-home-for-people-with-disabilities-suspected-of-overcharging-without-meeting-standards-has-designation-revoked/

Publisher Mikasa Shobo released a press statement on April 18th addressing the criticisms of the book ‘Psychological Techniques to Skillfully Handle 'Difficult' People in the Workplace' by Yuko Kanda ahead of its publication on April 22nd.

Episode Notes:

‘Ahead of Going On Sale Publisher of Controversial Book Depicting Neurodivergent People as Animals and as ‘Difficult’ Responds to Criticism’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/21/ahead-of-going-on-sale-publisher-of-controversial-book-depicting-neurodivergent-people-as-animals-and-as-difficult-responds-to-criticism/

A new book by the counselor Yuko Kanda, that categorizes people suffering from conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, depression, and trauma disorders as animals — and portrays them as “troublesome people in the workplace” — is drawing strong backlash for promoting discriminatory views. The book claims to be packed with “techniques for winning without fighting.”

Episode Notes:

‘ “ASD is a sloth, ADHD is a monkey, trauma disorder is a sheep” New Book by Japanese Counselor Classifying Neurodivergent People as Animals Sparks Controversy’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/19/asd-is-a-sloth-adhd-is-a-monkey-trauma-disorder-is-a-sheep-new-book-by-japanese-counselor-classifying-neurodivergent-people-as-animals-sparks-controversy/

On April 15th, Musashino Higashi Gakuen, an educational corporation based in Tokyo renowned for its inclusive educational model, filed a lawsuit seeking 725.72 million yen in damages. The lawsuit names several defendants, including individuals affiliated with an association purporting to protect the school, parents and guardians of graduates from its advanced vocational school, along with a reporter from the ‘Weekly Bunshun.’

*Clarification: Musashino Higashi Gakuen is seeking at least 725.72 million yen as stated in the initial report in the podcast - not 750 million yen as mentioned in the editorial comment made in the second part of the podcast, although it is unclear whether the 33 million claimed specifically by the Chairman (with possible further damages claims to be made) are part of the initial 725.72 million yen defamation claim.

Episode notes:

‘Scandal-Hit ‘Inclusive’ Tokyo School Files Suit Against Parents Association and Reporter After Concerns Raised Over New Chairman’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/17/scandal-hit-inclusive-school-files-suit-against-parents-association-and-reporter-after-concerns-raised-over-new-chairman/

Barrier Free Japan is now freed from hospital! After a stay during there the weekend after an ‘episode’ on Friday after work, he is out!

Apologies for the audio quality , but I thought it was still worth posting to reassure those who listen to the podcast or read the blog and sorry for the rather overly vague description of what happened. As I say in the podcast, it is not infectious or communicable, but outside of the West (and even in some countries in it) there is still some stigma towards it.

And of course Japanese hospital staff rock!

In the appeal trial of a lawsuit where a visually impaired couple residing in Isogo Ward, Yokohama City, is seeking damages from the prefectural police, alleging that police officers entered their home without permission, the prefectural police have newly asserted that "(even without sight) the movements of police officers can be understood by the sounds of their equipment.”

Episode Notes:

‘Yokohama Couple Files Damages Lawsuit: Police Officers Enter Visually Impaired Person’s Home Without Permission’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/09/yokohama-couple-files-damages-lawsuit-police-officers-enter-visually-impaired-persons-home-without-permission/

The US has imposed an import ban on solar salt products produced by a Korean company, citing “forced labour.” This is the first time that a foreign government has banned the import of a Korean company’s products for the reason that they were made using forced labour.

Since 2014, suspicions of human trafficking and forced labor of intellectually disabled people have emerged in salt fields in Sinan-gun, including Taipyeong Salt Fields. In 2022, victims of forced labour in salt fields spoke to the media, saying things like "I ran away but was caught" and "I was beaten." The US has imposed an import ban on solar salt products produced by a Korean company, citing "forced labour." This is the first time that a foreign government has banned the import of a Korean company's products for the reason that they were made using forced labour.

Episode Notes:

' “Disabled people forced to work at Taepyeong Salt Fields in Korea” – US Imposes Import Ban’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/04/08/disabled-people-forced-to-work-at-taipyeong-salt-fields-in-korea-us-imposes-import-ban/