I guess it all started years ago, when I watched the movie Lost in Translation. Since then, I had a “thing” for Tokyo. But visiting it was not something I ever thought would become reality. Searches on accessibility back then weren’t promising. So the idea drifted away.
Then more recently I began watching more videos about Tokyo, and again my interest level rose. Internet searches found more promising results. So I began thinking that to commemorate my 25th anniversary of my accident (will be in 2019), I’d like to go on a memorable trip, and Tokyo was one of the top choices.
Then, as it so happens, I learned of a fellow quad who recently returned from Tokyo, and remarked about the accessibility. So from there the spark was lit, and I knew I couldn’t wait until 2019. So that’s when the planing began!
After the initial anxiety of should I or shouldn’t I, my first debate was whether to fly direct or take a connecting flight. I ultimately decided to fly direct from JFK, which was a 14 hour flight! With that, my two biggest concerns were my skin, and my chair arriving in one piece. I think of those two, my chair was my biggest concern. The reason I chose to fly direct was because I figured it would limit the amount of times my chair would need to be transferred, the same for me! So I booked a flight with Japan Airlines.
The staff at JFK and Japan Airlines were tremendous! They inquired about how best to handle my chair, and seemed truly concerned. I think it’s the first time I’ve flown where I wasn’t concerned about what I would find when I arrived!
Our hotel was great as well, very clean and very accessible. The staff were very helpful and accommodating. The location was ideal as well, as it was very convenient to two subway stations.
Speaking of the subway system, it was very safe and efficient. For an individual that may require assistance, staff are available at each of the gates. From there, they will ask your final destination. They would then accompany me, with a ramp in hand, to the correct departure point. At our arrival destination, staff would be waiting, again with a ramp. Most of the subway stations that we used had an elevator (or elevators). However, as you can see in the videos, there were a few stations that did not have elevators, but instead have accessible escalators or stair climbers. The accessible elevator was a bit daunting to ride, as it felt like you could very easily plummet down the stairs!
Regarding accessibility, overall I was very impressed. One thing I was very impressed by were the curb cuts. Generally, in cities in the USA the curb cuts are narrow, with varying degrees of steepness. In Tokyo, the entire sidewalk at street crossing is level.
All of the tourist attractions we did were accessible. We visited numerous prefectures (sections) of Tokyo, including Shibuya, Shinjuku, Asakusa, Harajuku, Akihabara, and Odaiba, and didn’t experience must issue with accessibility. However, probably the biggest issue was finding accessible restaurants. Many are very small, or have steps, or have fixed seats.
I must give credit to two websites, Accessible-Japan and Japan-Accessible, which were tremendous help both in researching Tokyo as well as providing great feedback. Through Josh Grisdale at Accessible-Japan I was also able to arrange the rental of a Hoyer lift. That alone amazes me still, that one can travel halfway around the world and rent a lift!
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