For travelers with disabilities, traveling can be a nightmare in Japan, especially in Tokyo and other large metropolises. City sidewalks can be so jam-packed that getting around on crutches or in a wheelchair is exceedingly difficult. Some subway and train stations are accessible only by stairs, and although trains have seating for passengers with disabilities -- called "Priority Seats" and located in the first and last compartments of the train -- subways can be so crowded that there's barely room to move. Moreover, Priority Seats are almost always occupied by commuters -- so unless you look visibly handicapped, no one is likely to offer you a seat.
As for accommodations, only 10% of the nation's 8,500 hotels have barrier-free rooms (called a "universal" room in Japan and used primarily by the elderly), mostly in the expensive category. Only a scant 1% of Japanese inns have such rooms. Restaurants can also be difficult to navigate, with raised doorsills, crowded dining areas, and tiny bathrooms. Even Japanese homes are not very accessible, since the main floor is always raised about a foot above the entrance-hall floor.
When it comes to facilities for the blind, however, Japan has a very advanced system. At subway stations and on many major sidewalks in large cities, raised dots and lines on the ground guide blind people at intersections and to subway platforms. In some cities, streetlights chime a theme when the signal turns green east-west, and chime another for north-south. Even Japanese yen notes are identified by a slightly raised circle -- the ¥1,000 note has one circle in a corner, while the ¥10,000 note has two. And finally, many elevators have floors indicated in Braille, and some hotels identify rooms in Braille.
In any case, a disability shouldn't stop anyone from traveling. Organizations that offer a vast range of resources and assistance to disabled travelers include MossRehab (tel. 800/CALL-MOSS; www.mossresourcenet.org); the American Foundation for the Blind (tel. 800/232-5463; www.afb.org); and Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (tel. 212/447-7284; www.sath.org). British travelers should contact Holiday Care (tel. 0845-124-9971 in U.K. only; www.holidaycare.org.uk) to access a wide range of travel information and resources for disabled and elderly people.
