Employment Support Services in Japan

Although some people with psychiatric disabilities have a desire to gain employment in Japan, the employment situation is not conducive for people with such disabilities. Nonetheless some efforts have been made to improve the situation within the country through the introduction of new employment measures and enhancement of employment supports for people with psychiatric disabilities. This article provides an overview of policies, employment support services, and actual employment situation for people with psychiatric disabilities in Japan. It also indicates some of the progress within each area. Even though the process to promote employment for people with psychiatric disabilities has been slow, the number of people with psychiatric disabilities calculated in the actual employment rate has grown at a faster rate than before. This progress brings a sense of hope to people with psychiatric disabilities who want to work.