Woohoo!  That is so exciting!

You may want to post this in the “Discussions” tab of the group so it doesn’t get pushed down out of sight by other updates 

Hi Rohan, hopefully you can repost this under discussions to be able to get more visibility on your question. I am a part time wheel chair user so different from your situation. In situations where an able person would take their shoes off, I would have been asked to take mine off as well and they would have someone wipe down my wheelchair so I could still continue to use it.

I am not sure how your situation would be handled (I’d be curious to see other responses). If you feel that might be an issue for you, have you considered those disposable shoe covers? Perhaps that would make things easier?

Example: https://www.amazon.com/Disposable-Pack%EF%BC%8850-Waterproof-Resistant-Booties/dp/B07CWV59QR/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2ZDQNM4VQCKM3&keywords=foot+booties&qid=1686918413&sprefix=foot+bootie%2Caps%2C393&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

For tourists, Japanese restaurants, Buddhist temples, and National Treasure buildings like castles are the most common buildings where you must take off your shoes. It’s usually due to tatami mats or wooden floors. I don’t think they will make an exception even in your case.

It’s because there’s usually an easy work-around. Japanese restaurants with tatami mats will also usually have dining areas with regular chairs and tables where you can keep your shoes on.

Same for Buddhist temples. If there are tatami mats, there’s usually a space where you can keep your shoes on and still see inside the temple. The only difference is that, you can sit on the tatami mats, but not on the floor where people keep their shoes on.

The problem will be National Treasure castles. They are usually on a hill with lots of stone steps and slopes. They also require shoes to be removed inside the main tower (or palace such as at Nagoya Castle) if you can get to it. Traditional castle buildings also have steep, wooden stairs inside. It can be scary even for able-bodied people.

Himeji Castle states that accessibility to the main tower is too difficult for wheelchair visitors. However, the more modern castles would have an elevator and better accessibility.

In Kyoto, Nijo Castle (National Treasure) is easier to access. It’s on flat land and the building is a single-story palace, not a tower, so no stairs to climb inside. It has wheelchairs you can borrow for in-house use. Otherwise, you will need to remove your shoes. Any action of dragging your foot or walking stick that would scratch or damage the wooden floor or tatami mat would probably not be allowed.

Other places where you must remove your shoes include private homes, sumo arenas if your seat is near the sumo ring where you sit on floor cushions instead of chairs. (Get a ticket for a regular chair seat instead.) Geisha parties where the room will have tatami mats. Events in a gymnasium, outdoor events where a tarp is provided for people to sit on the ground, elementary schools, some medical and dental clinics, carpeted rest spaces on ferries, yakata-bune river boats (tatami mats), and the foot rests on the shinkansen (1st class Green cars) and long-distance buses.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip.

Hi Rohan,

As alliejay, I’d say that a disposable shoe cover should do the trick. I’ve visited temples both on a wheelchair and using crutches (when there were too many steps or when wheelchairs were not allowed). With the wheelchair, if they are allowed inside, they wipe your wheels and, with the crutches, I never had a problem, but they were mostly clean as I only used them for temples and emergencies. 

If you cover your shoes with said covers and they see your prosthetic leg, it should help avoiding uncomfortable situations. 

Have a nice trip!