Hey folks,
How are we all?
We want to jump straight into today’s newsletter by starting with a request. We are looking to hear from you if you have experience either bringing a mobility scooter to Japan or renting one upon arrival.
To give us your feedback and experience, head on over to the dedicated post on tabifolk, where you can leave your thoughts and opinions and help us shape an article that we are currently working on.
Wheelchair Accessible Autumn Leaves in Kyoto and Hiroshima
Autumn (or if you prefer, Fall) is now well and truly in full swing, so now is the perfect time to visit if you’d like to see blooms of gold and reds across the varied, beautiful trees that Japan has to offer.
Nothing makes the historic architecture pop quite so well as those autumnal vibrancies. Check out our latest article, which features a couple of handy suggestions on where to make the most of one of nature’s best displays!
Useful Links and Reminders
Renting equipment for your trip? Start with our Wheelchair & Hoist Rentals guide for the full breakdown of airport counters and hotel delivery.
Prefer a step-by-step walkthrough? Our How to Rent a Wheelchair in Japan guide covers the booking process in detail.
Flying into Haneda? Bookmark our Haneda Airport accessibility hub for everything from terminal navigation to getting into the city.
Care for a Reshare?
Following on from the announcement we made in the previous newsletter, we’re sharing another older post that we believe deserves an airing!
Have you read: ‘Handling Wheelchair Breakdowns While Staying in Japan’?
Everyone knows that things can go awry on any trip! So, it’s important to know what you can do if something were to happen to your wheelchair while in Japan. Our guide from January 2024 is well worth checking out. Though a word to the wise, as with anything on our site, it’s often worth double-checking when posts have been online for a little while. Things change, and we wouldn’t want you to get caught short. But this article is certainly a good starting point, and heck, we’ll consider updating it within the next couple of months — just leave it with us!
Did You Know?
A Hokkaido train station stayed open for years for a single passenger. Kami-Shirataki station was due to close for lack of use, but JR Hokkaido kept trains stopping there so one high school student could get to class. It closed in March 2016, the month she graduated.
A Hotel Recommendation: voco Osaka Central by IHG
voco Osaka Central by IHG opened in May 2023 as Japan's first voco hotel. It stands on a corner in Kyomachibori, a quiet business district near Yodoyabashi and Nakanoshima, and its street entrance opens directly into the ground-floor lobby and restaurant.
That’s all for this edition. If you have any questions relating to upcoming travel to Japan, or if you would just like to know about something more generally, please don’t hesitate to reach out through tabifolk.
Until next time,
The Accessible Japan Team
For the scooter piece: JR West calls them handle-type electric wheelchairs and takes ones up to about 120 cm long and high and 70 cm wide, as a rule only between stations on its list. On conventional lines it's local, rapid and special rapid trains you can roll straight onto, not trains with steps or a deck such as limited expresses; on the Shinkansen, only the multipurpose room on N700, W7 or E7 trains (JR West's Japanese page, checked 21 Oct 2026).