As the tittle says, I am traveling with my family to Japan in October/November for 3 weeks and my blind mum is coming with us.
Do you have any recommendations of places to see that can be experienced even without sight? Any tips? We are getting the 2-weeks Japan Rail Pass and want to do the typical Tokyo-Fuji-Kyoto-Osaka (and surroundings)
I have been to Japan a couple of times already but I would like to tailor the trip a bit for her!
Thanks in advance!
7 comments
**Just a reminder that our FAQ is being updated with more information and you can start** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) **with regards to trip planning if you need tips, or have questions about planning your travel to Japan.** You can also join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/3f7KBUMwU4)
Thank you!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That is a tough one. I am sure many people would like to help – can you give examples of such activity / place in a western country?
I figure temples would be great to experience. I remember a shrine where you would walk in complete darkness through a dark corridor and in the end touch the key to paradise (about hip height, both me and my fellow traveller missed it lol).
For me personally it is difficult to imagine the fine line between “interesting sensations” and ‘overload’
Thank you for being so considerate of your mum!
This is a tough one. I’d say find a traditional Japanese bath of some kind, for something quintessentially Japanese but can be enjoyed by your mum.
This video was the first to come to mind, hope it helps any bit at all
https://youtu.be/GILCVQKDTTE
Places with lots of those tinkling glass wind chimes. Waterfalls to listen to, with birdsong. Forests, beaches to hear the sea and feel the wind. Temples with the amazing smell of incense. Tea tasting, I mean really tasting and appreciating it at her pace, and wagashi sweets to eat. A lovely back massage at the hotel for her.
That place in Kyoto with the ‘nightingale floor” (a wooden squeaking floor, I’m sorry I’ve forgotten the name of the place but Google will know). A ride on one of those rickshaws pulled by a guy would be a cool experience. Unusual food tasting experiences (I am also severely sight impaired, and I am taking a spork, because chopsticks don’t cut it for me as a blindo!). Lots of upmarket places have private tatami dining rooms, so she could eat without being observed if its more difficult for her.
Molly Burke is a blind YouTuber that’s also on tiktok and Instagram that recently went to Japan. Check her out for some tips specific to Japan. I know she was pleasantly surprised by their innovations for the blind
Search for “Digital museums”, for example the latest Team Labs Planets deals a lot with water on bare feet, might be perfect.
Potentially reaching out to popular tourist tea ceremonies, that sense of touch, taste and smell might be amazing. Maybe the same would go for pottery, so she can take home something she’s made?
I’m not sure, but maybe even Hakone round trip? There’s a lot of transport that FEELS different, such as cable cars, rope cars, pirate ships, buses back, and a lot of tasting of random things such as the black eggs. The sounds of the forest near the shrines is also amazing.
I’ll try and think of some more, but that’s a few I know I wouldve loved even without sight.
Edit: shrines/temples in the morning do lots of bells and drums, google some in kyoto to experience that. As well as going into some of the kyoto temples for the shoes off experience, feeling the timber on your feet, and everyone being quiet and whispering (if it’s not a mega touristy one).