Reply To: Blindness accessibility information for a year spent all over japan
Hi
So, first about the Japanese disability card, you can get it as a resident (ie not a tourist staying for under 90 days). However, you need to be a resident of a certain area with a fixed address. So, if you will be living in an area and using that as a base to travel, it should be possible to get one, but if you are constantly traveling I’m not sure… Also note it takes 2-3 months to get one.
As for discounts, if you get your European card translated you can likely get discounts at some places (but not all depending on the location’s rules and if they are strict about having a a Japanese disability card or not). However, you must have a Japanese ID for discounts on public transportation.
For accessibility, yes tactile blocks are nearly everywhere in Japan (actually tactile blocks were invented in Japan!). There is a lot of braille on things like handrails to train platforms, drinks, ticket machines etc, but it is Japanese braille which has two extra dots compared to alphabet braille. There are audio signals at many street crossings.
As mentioned by another member, you can ask station staff to guide you to your train if needed.
