While known for its complex and sophisticated train system, Japan also has many buses connecting commuters to the nearest train station. The majority of the city buses in large urban areas are wheelchair accessible, however, some routes are still not fully accessible in more rural areas. The majority of the accessible buses Read more…
Shoko Kanazawa is a Japanese calligrapher with Down Syndrome. With the confidence she gained through her work, she decided to take the plunge and start living independently starting this December. Previously Shoko was living with her mother – not uncommon as a large population of adults with Down syndrome in Japan still Read more…
Though the ancient capital of Japan, Kyoto, may conjure up images of ageless buildings that are not wheelchair accessible. However, Kyoto has been working very hard to make tourist sites in the city available to all visitors. Josh from Accessible Japan took a few days off to visit the ancient Read more…
Mark Bookman is currently a PhD student in East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania. He came to Japan on a Fulbright Fellowship in the fall of 2014 and studied Buddhist philosophy at Toyo University for 10 months. He uses an electric wheelchair. The masses come and Read more…
On March 26th, the Barrierless City Awards and Competition was held in downtown Tokyo. The competition began as the effort of two architects – one a wheelchair user – as they struggled to find enough accessible accommodations for athletes in an international wheelchair tennis competition. Being from the design and architecture Read more…
At Sign With Me, a local soup Café in Tokyo customers are received by sign language and gestures from staff members. In Japan it is traditional to receive a ‘irasshaimase’ shouted as a welcome when a new customer enters into a restaurant but here it’s a much more quiet affair. Read more…