Skip to content
World Health Systems Facts

Japan: People With Disabilities

Flag of Japan

Japanese Health System Overview
Health System Rankings
Health System Outcomes
Health System Coverage
Consumer Costs
Japan’s COVID-19 Strategy

Health System Expenditures
Health System Financing
Medical Personnel
System Resources and Utilization
Long-Term Care
Medical Training
Pharmaceuticals

Political System
Economic System
Population Demographics
People With Disabilities
Aging
Social Determinants & Health Equity
Health System History and Challenges


“Until recently, Japan and South Korea were among the few countries that used centralized systems of grading disability based on medical criteria to determine eligibility for state assistance and benefits. These systems help explain the relatively lower numbers of officially recognized disabled people in both countries, which at 6 to 7 percent of each population is far below other OECD countries. It took a 1,842-day sit-in in a Seoul subway station for Korean disability rights advocates to persuade their government to replace this system in 2019 with one that assesses individual needs and situations, such as rural versus urban. Japan still uses the grading system.”

Source: Celeste L. Arrington; Disabled People’s Fight for Rights in South Korea and Japan. Current History 1 September 2021; 120 (827): 233–239. doi: doi.org/10.1525/curh.2021.120.827.233


“As noted above Japan’s system takes into consideration the cultural Confusian values, family responsibilities and productivism in social issues. Disability is seen as an individual problem to be dealt with individually and/or by families and mothers. If the impairment could be eliminated by means of cure or rehabilitation, so to can disability. There are strict limitation of types of disabilities recognized by the law. The strict dependence on the medical model implies that Japan has “a conspicuously small number of people with disabilities as a percentage of the total population” (Yoda, ¯ 2002, p. 4).”

Source: Lindqvist, R., & Lamichhane, K. (2019). Disability policies in Japan and Sweden: A comparative perspective. Alter, 13(1), 1-14.


“Understanding disability, in medical terms, has led to exclusionary government practices, segregated schools and workplaces, and sophisticated welfare and rehabilitation institutions separate from the rest of the society. Such developments of Japanese welfare legislation seem to emphasize special needs at the expense of equal rights and integration (Heyer, 1999, pp. 105–6; Heyer, 2015). However, government interventions are necessary requirements to enforce employers accommodate disabilities, hence, Japan has sought to combine its welfare with American style rights approach (inspired by the Americans with Disability Act, ADA), though, adapted to its own unique socio-political context and priorities (Heyer, 2015).

“Interestingly, the idea of normalization inspired by the writings of Scandinavian activists, like Niels Bank-Mikkelsen and Bengt Nirje in the 1960s, became included as a major policy directive in Japanese disability policy discourse. This was a result of pressure from disability activists promoting independent living in the community, and a more self-sufficient identity (Stevens, 2013, p. 64). However, normalization was given a specific connotation with its main objective of “encouraging integration into mainstream society” (Stevens, 2013, p. 89), without mentioning eligibility to Scandinavian-style welfare measures like child allowances, personal pensions, old-age allowances and home help services. Being without public social services support, people with disabilities had to conform and adapt to a non-disabled life-style through employment, and, in case that was impossible, receive support from family and kinship, and income-tested social protection programs.

“Because people with disabilities in Japan, like elsewhere are at an economic disadvantage the goal of social welfare is to provide services (or extra funding) necessary because of the effects of a person’s impairments. For example, Japan’s Special Child Rearing Allowance (tokubetsu shogaisha ¯ teate) provides payment (depending on the severity of the disability) to eligible parents and caregivers of children with disabilities. Like in Sweden, disability welfare laws frequently were expressed as providing financial support for living expenses and facilities for medical treatment (for disabling medical conditions), specialist equipment and the prominence of the idea of rehabilitation (Lindqvist, 2000; Stevens, 2013, pp. 60–65).

“Income test is in general in tune with Japan’s welfare mindset. Financial support must not have an impact on work incentives, and granted only after all other personal and public resources is exhausted, including assistance from persons who are required to support the person by law. Furthermore, public assistance is provided a household rather than to an individual (Yoda, ¯ 2002, p. 10). Stevens (2013, pp. 76–77) contends, “government views the individual with a disability as an extension of the family, rather than as an individual”.

Source: Lindqvist, R., & Lamichhane, K. (2019). Disability policies in Japan and Sweden: A comparative perspective. Alter, 13(1), 1-14.


“Japan has long displayed a strong orientation towards rehabilitation. Yoda ¯ (2002, pp. 1–15) writes about this in terms of a rehabilitation paradigm, that sees disability as an individual problem, assuming that if the impairment can be eliminated so too can the problem, and persons with disabilities can adopt (or approximate) to normative able-bodied life-styles. It follows that the rehabilitation paradigm tends to extend social protection only to those people with disabilities “who have been deemed potentially able to contribute to labour and the economy” (ibid. p. 2). Vocational rehabilitation services and comprehensive employment support for persons with mental disabilities are available under the Employment Promotion Act for Persons with Disabilities (EPAPD). In this context, the Quota System and the Levy and Grant System play a central role in promoting employment for disabled persons, implying that public and private employers are obliged to employ, and report to the employment authorities a certain ratio of disabled persons. Those enterprises that fail to achieve the quota must pay a levy used to encourage employers who employ disabled workers above the quota and to improve their working conditions.”

Source: Lindqvist, R., & Lamichhane, K. (2019). Disability policies in Japan and Sweden: A comparative perspective. Alter, 13(1), 1-14.


Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems in the US and sixteen other nations.


Page last updated Sept. 11, 2022 by Doug McVay, Editor.

  • Home
  • About World Health Systems Facts
    • Contact Us
    • Join Our Email List
  • Breaking News & Opinion
  • Upcoming Events
  • Seventeen National Health Systems
    • Austria
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Czech Republic
    • Denmark
    • France
    • Germany
    • Hungary
    • Italy
    • Japan
    • Netherlands
    • South Korea
    • Spain
    • Sweden
    • Switzerland
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • Comparing National Health Systems
    • Healthcare Access and Quality Index
    • Sustainable Development Goals Health Index
    • Mirror Mirror 2021
    • World Health Report 2000
    • International Health Systems In Perspective
    • Lessons for US Health Reform
  • Aging
  • Health System Outcomes
  • Healthcare Spending
  • Healthcare Workers
    • Health System Personnel
    • Health Workforce Training
  • Information and Communications Technologies
  • Long-Term Services and Supports
  • People With Disabilities
  • Pharmaceutical Pricing and Regulation
  • Social Determinants & Health Equity
  • Wasteful Spending
  • Various US Health System Proposals
    • Affordable Care Act
    • All Payer
    • Public Option
    • Single Payer / “Medicare For All”
    • Universal Health Coverage
  • Recommended Resources
  • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

© 2019-2023 Real Reporting Foundation | Theme by WordPress Theme Detector

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
_GRECAPTCHA5 months 27 daysThis cookie is set by Google. In addition to certain standard Google cookies, reCAPTCHA sets a necessary cookie (_GRECAPTCHA) when executed for the purpose of providing its risk analysis.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_UA-71314304-21 minuteThis is a pattern type cookie set by Google Analytics, where the pattern element on the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to. It appears to be a variation of the _gat cookie which is used to limit the amount of data recorded by Google on high traffic volume websites.
_gcl_au3 monthsThis cookie is used by Google Analytics to understand user interaction with the website.
_gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
IDE1 year 24 daysUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
test_cookie15 minutesThis cookie is set by doubleclick.net. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo