My sisters and I are planning on taking a trip to Japan during the summer in 2023 or 2024. I’m in the very first stages of planning an itinerary (as in, I just got the go-ahead to plan the trip at all) and my mother has expressed genuine interest in coming with us. However, my mother can’t walk for extended periods (needs a break every 3-5 mins) and when I mentioned that Japan is extremely walk-heavy, even with the trains, she said “we can buy and bring a wheelchair or rent one there.”
My current itinerary plan is this: touch down in Tokyo and stay there for 2~3 days, take the shinkansen out to Fukuoka for 3 days, shinkansen to Osaka/Kyoto/Nara for 3~4, return to Tokyo for 2~4, Kanazawa for 1, Tokyo for 2 and then go home. I have no specifics of what we’d go to see yet, with the exception of visiting during Toro Nagashi because it was specifically requested.
I want to know if it’s feasible to use/rent a wheelchair for this? I want my mother to come, as she’s never left the country before and I’d like for her to at least once in her life, but I also don’t want for her to get her hopes up only to find out later that she can’t come because of her inability to walk. She’s also on required nightly dialysis that I think will hinder her ability to go, but I don’t know the specifics of her treatment and whether she can take a period of time off from doing it so I’ll leave that questioning for later.
edit: thank you everyone for your replies! after discussing it further with my siblings + mom, we’ve opted to make Japan a trip for the sisters and then visit Italy the following year or two later with my mother as she wants to visit our family’s country of origin. But I have to facetime her when we visit Nara park and when we see the lanterns during Toro Nagashi. I’ll be back in a year (or two?) for advice on a more fleshed out, hopefully not rushed itinerary :’)
10 comments
I don’t think Metropolitan Japan is ideal for that, but it should be possible. I had a friend who visited Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto while they had cancer, and they brought their wheelchair with them and used it when they got too tired. She might have trouble with the smaller convenience stores, as some of them are very cramped. I’m also not sure if the interiors of the major temples in Kyoto are wheelchair accessible.
Is she doing peritoneal dialysis at home nightly? If so, you can travel with it. But it needs advance planning with her dialysis provider. You can’t take a break from it.
Sorry, not personal advice or knowledge, but if you haven’t yet, be sure to check out https://www.accessible-japan.com
I’ve travelled to Japan with a toddler in a pram, while it’s not the same it does highlight similar challenges. A trip with a wheelchair is definitely doable but you just need to plan accordingly.
A few suggestions:
* Large cities are tricky as you are reliant on public transport. Metro stations tend to only have 1 lift so it can take a bit of time to find it as it’s not always clear. If you mother can walk up say 50 or so stairs while you carry the wheelchair it would make things a little easier.
* I think your trip is pretty rushed so I would focus on 2 or 3 locations. Keep in mind that things will be slower for you while you are there. Also the longer you are at a place the more familiar you will become with the local metros and where the lifts are and how best to get around.
* A lot of temples and shrines aren’t really wheelchair friendly as they may have small sets of steps which would require you to hop in and our of the wheelchair. It’s doable but not without challenges. If you go to Kyoto there might be a few sites which are just too hard.
* Kanazawa would be a good city to visit. It’s pretty flat and it’s a good walkable city so you can easily push a wheelchair to the main sights. I would suggest spending 2-3 days there rather than just 1. Takayama is another small town nearby thats worth a visit.
I think this is a fairly fast-paced itinerary (I would argue too fast-paced) even without a handicapped person coming along, so if you intend to keep that pace (in terms of the number of locations), you will definitely end up doing a lot of the places in a very perfunctory manor. For example, 3-4 days to cover Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara is BREAKNECK speed. I would suggest about double that time even if you were all able-bodied young adults–especially if you’re going during the heat of summer.
In terms of using a wheelchair, it is possible (there wheelchair-bound Japanese people, after all), but you will find many smaller attractions, restaurants, and even smaller rural railway stations that are not wheelchair accessible. Also keep in mind that many businesses are very small, and maneuvering a wheelchair inside them even when they are on the first floor could be a challenge. Major attractions will be much more likely to accommodate wheelchair users, but the thing you need to keep in mind is that you really can’t take for granted that most things will be accessible unless you check ahead of time. In any case, I think the fact that your mom is capable of walking short distances will be a major advantage compared to someone who is unable to walk at all. It will give you options, and in cases where the only thing blocking your path is something like a few stairs or a wooden beam (e.g., at temple gates), you will at least have the option of getting up for a short stint.
Urban stations will almost always have elevators (or perhaps just ramps for smaller suburban stations), but the platforms don’t always allow for completely level boarding, so you may need to coordinate with station staff when getting on and off (though if your mother is capable of standing for long enough to get on the train, that could simplify matters). Also bear in mind that some urban trains at rush hour can be difficult to board even for able-bodied people simply because of overcrowding, so you will probably want to avoid taking trains around Tokyo and Osaka around those times.
>I have no specifics of what we’d go to see yet, with the exception of visiting during Toro Nagashi because it was specifically requested.
Just keep in mind that that would mean going during Obon, which would be miserably hot. I often say that the only good reason to go to Japan during July and August is the festivals, but I still wouldn’t really recommend going then unless you’re really planning to go all out on the festivals (e.g., multiple days at the Gion and Tenjin festivals in Kansai in July) to make it worth suffering through the heat and humidity. If you do go to these, be aware that crowds can get pretty extreme (especially on the last night of the Tenjin Festival). If you’re talking about Toro Nagashi in Arashiyama, also be aware that Gozan no Okuribi is the same night.
Edit: This may be a strange question and a long-shot, but would riding a bicycle be an option for some days? I knew a Japanese guy when I lived in Kyoto who had a congenital birth defect that affected his walking ability. He would struggle to walk long distances, but he had absolutely no problem moving around by bike. It’s also not at all uncommon to see very old people riding bikes in Japan, and low cross-bar, low-speed bikes are very common and can be rented easily. Japan in general is a fairly bike-friendly country, so if that’s a possibility, then a lot of options may open up for you.
I just did a quick google and found a site called “accessible-Japan” that has a lot of resources for your situation (minus dialysis).
It seems that there are resources for renting a wheelchair while in Japan as well. Fingers crossed you and your family will be able to take the trip!
First the itinerary itself. Tokyo-Fukuoka is at least 5h in the train, more if you use the JR Pass. I would highly consider to fly direct to Fukuoka with a multi city ticket, you will likely save money on the train too. Kyoto is easily 2-3 days on itself, Nara 1 and Osaka 1-2, so with 4 days, this is kind of bare minimum for me. Then go direct to Kanazawa it’s just over 2h away from Kyoto on the limited Express thunderbird. It would literally be closer to do it a a trip from Kyoto than from Tokyo, that is 3h away on the shinkansen. What make the most sense is just do Kanazawa between Kyoto and Tokyo.
Now on the wheelchair part. While not perfect, a lot of train and subway are already accessible. Staff can also bring a ramp to help getting in the train. Usually the complain is that the elevator might not be as conveniently located as the escalator or stairs. Good thing for you is that if your mom can stand and walk for a couple of minutes, then you can more easily get in the train by yourself (still try to get in the wheelchair designated area to have space for it) and can be easier to navigate the station if she can just use the escalators.
Yes, there is stores and restaurants that can be quite narrow, so either she walk, or you just find a different place to go.
For attractions, of course buildings build centuries ago like temples, shrines and castles might not be the most accessible. Some places will just naturally be easy to access, some like Senso-ji are accessible with lift to get inside. For other, would will be limited, for example you can reach the like of torii gates at Fushimi Inari-taisha, but for sure you cannot hike the mountain in a wheelchair. Some are more tricky, like Yasaka-jinja in Kyoto, you could always pass by the side/back to reach some places that have less stairs than the main entrance, but there is still some stairs. So it might require a bit more research on the different places you want to see or be ready to turn back and look for something else if it is not to a level you can manage.
You have quite a packed schedule. While I think it is sweet that you want to bring your mother along, it seems a bit too busy for what she will require throughout the trip. You may only get to see one or two things per day as a result. Is this okay? Japan is very much a walking country with lots to see. Stairs and escalators are everywhere. Elevators tend to be in more out of the way places. While your trip is not impossible, take into account that you and your sisters won’t be able to do a lot of what you may have planned as a result. Also remember you will be in a foreign country, battling time difference fatigue, foreign language fatigue (just listening to another language all day tires the brain), and the fatigue from being in an unfamiliar place. This will be harder on your mother who has never been outside the country. This will make her tire much quicker.
As for buying or renting a wheelchair, I would probably suggest bringing your own. Most rentals are for that building or location only, and places to buy them won’t be close to a station. It’d have to be a medical supply store that could be a ways away. Long term rentals are the same.
We traveled to Japan 12 years ago and my husband took his walker with a drop down seat. We went to Nara and he was so fascinated with the temple with the deer. It gave him a place to sit and feed the deer but it just didn’t work in a number of places. Small gravel and lots of steps in Kyoto were a problem.
Truthfully, I would not recommend Japan for a first overseas trip for someone who may need to use a wheelchair for mobility – especially if you plan to visit in the hottest part of the year in July/August. Is it possible to do, yes, but getting around will be tiring though you can utilize these resources below.
If you do move forward with your trip, I’d strongly recommend limiting the cities you will visit to just Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka/Nara. It’s going to take you longer to see everything you’d like to visit due to mobility limitations and by just focusing on these two main places you won’t be so rushed. That will also enable you to get more comfortable with what all you *can* do in a day with a wheelchair and if your mom gets too tired she can return to the hotel to rest while you continue to sightsee. I’d suggest staying in hotels directly connected or just a very short walk from the station. For example, if you stay in a hotel connected to Kyoto Station or just across the street, there will be shopping and restaurants that maybe your mom would feel up to exploring on her own while you sightsee before heading to the room to rest if she needs. Hotels connected to the station or immediately across from the station may cost a bit more, but will be much more convenient to get to using a wheelchair.
In Kyoto, definitely use taxis to get around. Most tourist sites you have to take public buses which get insanely crowded and it’s be difficult to get on/off with a wheelchair. There’s English speaking taxi drivers in Kyoto and you can even rent a taxi for the day to take you around to various sites. In the heat/humidity of summer it’s worth the cost even for those without mobility issues.
– [Kyoto Taxis](https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-taxis)
– [MK Taxi: 8 Hour Tour with English Guide](https://www.mk-group.co.jp/english/sharing.html)
As others have mentioned, there are elevators in most train stations but they may not be convenient to the platform/exit that is closest to where you are going. You can utilize the wheelchair accessible route option in Google Maps which will help direct you to the elevators but this may require more time/walking within the station itself than if you weren’t needing to use the elevator. This tip is also helpful for those using strollers.
– [Tokyo Now Has Wheelchair Accessible Route Options in Google Maps](https://www.accessible-japan.com/tokyo-now-has-wheelchair-accessible-routes-in-google-maps/)
Another thing you can do is use the hop-on/hop-off bus to sightsee. These are a bit spendy for what you get and for young travelers not worth it but for those with more limited mobility can be a nice way to see the main sites. Keep in mind that right now hop-on/hop-off bus routes are limited as they are primarily geared towards foreign tourists but once tourism fully reopens the websites should be updated with more current info. The cities I’m aware of with these buses are linked below but there may be others too. Just Google city name + hop on hop off bus or sightseeing bus to see if there’s one where you plan to visit.
– [SkyHop Bus Tokyo](https://skyhopbus.com/)
– [SkyHop Bus Kyoto](https://skyhopbus.com/kyoto)
– [Osaka Wonder Loop Bus](https://wonderloop.jp/)
– [Using JR Pass on Hiroshima Sightseeing Bus](https://www.jrpass.com/blog/using-the-jr-pass-on-the-hiroshima-sightseeing-city-bus)
If you really want to see more than just Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka/Nara you can also look into doing a bus tour through a company like Willer Travel.
– [Willer Bus: Sightseeing Tour](https://willerexpress.com/en/sightseeing-bus/)