Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attend opening ceremony for festivals in Niigata
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the opening ceremony for festivals in the city of Niigata on Monday, their second visit outside Tokyo in as many weeks. They were in Niigata for the 34th National Cultural Festival and the 19th Niigata National Arts and Culture ...
Legacy of pioneering Japanese doctor lives on in communities for disabled
As Japan prepares to host its second Paralympics next summer, one social welfare group can look back on over five decades of effort it has made to achieve the vision of a pioneering doctor who many consider to be the father of sports for ...
Plan to cut down ginkgo trees in Fukuoka to improve wheelchair access sparks backlash
An ongoing redevelopment project in the city of Fukuoka has sparked outrage among some local residents and calls for the authorities to reconsider their decision to cut down fully grown ginkgo trees along Fukudai-dori avenue, one of the city's main roads. The Nishinippon Shimbun newspaper ...
The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee has not prepared ticket purchasing instructions in Braille or on a CD for those with visual impairments, drawing criticism from groups supporting such individuals. The Tokyo Welfare Association of the Blind requested these services but Tokyo 2020, which responded by ...
Akiko Santo, president of the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of the Diet, has called for discussions among ruling and opposition parties on the cancellation of the integration of neighboring prefectural constituencies for the Upper House. "Is it really OK that there could be ...
Ordinance on barrier-free hotel rooms takes effect in Tokyo ahead of 2020 Games
An ordinance takes effect that is expected to boost the number of hotel rooms in the capital accessible by disabled and elderly people ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Nearly 40% of Japan government institutions miss hiring targets for people with disabilities
But the 44 state institutions have reached over 80 percent of the overall hiring target set for year-end.
Mother seeks donations to build evacuation shelter in Hokkaido for people with disabilities
The mother of a man with an intellectual disability has launched a crowdfunding campaign to build an evacuation center where people with disabilities can feel safe. She started her efforts following a powerful earthquake that hit Hokkaido in September last year. Akiko Aoki, 51, a ...
Pioneering Japanese interpreting team opened nation's eyes to disabled athletes at '64 Paralympics
Foreign residents and wheelchairs — much less Paralympic athletes — were a rare sight in Japan in 1964. Preparations to host the Summer Olympics and the second-ever Paralympics were well underway. Stadiums, highways and hotels were being built at breakneck speeds, cutting-edge photographic and timing ...
Japan's Paralympic organizers expect huge boost in support and awareness from 2020 Games
Japan has set lofty goals for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, but by aiming for packed venues and a top-seven finish on the medal table, organizers are seeking far more than national pride and prestige. With sports an important arena in the fight for social equality, ...
Tokyo 2020 organizers launch domestic ticket lottery for Paralympics
Applications for the first 2020 Tokyo Paralympic ticket lottery, open only to residents of Japan, started Thursday. The online ticket lottery, where applications are submitted via an official ticket sales website (ticket.tokyo2020.org/paralympic), will run through 11:59 a.m. on Sept. 9, and results will be announced ...
Japan earthquake task force to redesign hazard maps to aid people with color vision deficiencies
A government task force focused on earthquake research intends to redesign its hazard maps to make it easier for those with color vision deficiencies to identify risks, an official said Wednesday. The move is part of an effort by the government body to comprehensively revamp ...
