by Suzanne Kamata Naoki Higashida became an international literary sensation when his first book, The Reason I Jump, was translated into English by best-selling author David Mitchell and KA Yoshida, and published abroad. As Mitchell writes in the introduction to this book, he and his Japanese wife initially translated the Read more…
Last year, Satoshi Uematsu broke into his former workplace – a care facility for people with severe disabilities – and proceeded to murder 19 residents and seriously injure many more before turning himself in to police. The reason? Uematsu felt that “People who can’t communicate with other people should be Read more…
By Accessible Japan reader, M. G. Koe no Katachi, or as it is known in English, A Silent Voice, is a 2016 Japanese anime movie based on the manga of the same name by Yoshitoki Ōima. On first look, its story is about being disabled or being bullied. However, after finishing the Read more…
While mobility scooters have been gaining popularity around the world as an alternative to traditional wheelchairs, Japan has been slow to follow. Mobility scooters are not common at mobility goods providers and, as such, very few people own them in Japan. This rarity makes it hard for many institutions in Read more…
By Fiona T Konnichiwa! This post is long overdue since I was in Japan last summer. This is not my first time in Japan, but definitely my first in covering so many cities. From Tokyo, to Hirosaki (where we did a day trip to Aomori), then to Echigo-Yuzawa, then back to Read more…
Review by Sally Keys Dogs are much more than pets to many people. They become like children, real family members. Studies show that a maternal-type instinct takes over when we are around dogs, making us immediately gravitate toward them, love them, and bond with them. For those with disabilities, dogs can Read more…