Hi All–I’m an 85 year old guy with balance issues. I use a walker most of the time, and I’m surprised so few Japanese use them. I’ve been here for a week or so, and I’ve only spotted one walker user, albeit wheelchairs are common. Why is this transitional mobility aid neglected here? I’ve been looking for a list of train and subway stations with elevators, but I haven’t found one yet–not even in “Accessible Japan’s Tokyo”. This would be VERY useful.
I’m a retired university professor and a gerontologist with a column on aging issues that appears monthly in Japan–in Japanese. I’ll soon be writing a column on this blog. More later. But I’m keen to find that elevator list.
tabifolk2 Comments
Welcome!
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Hi @danmcleod, Yes, walkers, mobility scooters etc are very neglected here. Disability rights groups are fighting to change this, but it seems to be a slow fight.
As for the elevators, Accessible Japan is a one-man volunteer service at the moment, and according to Wikipedia in Tokyo ”as of May 2014, the article Tokyo rail list lists 158 lines, 48 operators, 4,714.5 km of operational track and 2,210 stations”… so, a bit out of our scope. At the moment, the best we can do is give general advice. Sorry!
At the moment, the best option is to look at the station on the train line’s website or smartphone app. They often have a 3D map of the station. Here is an example:
http://www.tokyometro.jp/station/roppongi/yardmap/index.html#adjacentHope that helps!
