Square Enix Artnia Store and Cafe wheelchair accessibility
Square Enix Artnia Store and Cafe wheelchair accessibility
Hi everyone,
I have my first trip to Japan finally planned for the end of next month and among the long list of things I want to do, is take a look at the Square Enix store in Shinjuku.
I’ve taken a look at some videos on YouTube to try and see if it’s wheelchair accessible and it looks like there are stairs at the front with no other access points.
Has anyone here, in a wheelchair, been to the store before, and if so, could you confirm accessibility?
I have impaired mobility and currently would much prefer to use my wheelchair to get around, but if need be, I can handle stairs and short-duration walking.
Thanks in advance
- 14 Replies
Hi!
I haven’t been but @bookman has been?
Yeah, all of the images show stairs… but there are many times where the accessible entrance is a side door – so there is hope.
I won’t likely have a chance to visit before you come but will give them a call after the holiday finishes.
Just chiming in to say I haven’t been, unfortunately! But it seems like some other folks have investigated from the videos downthread. Please do keep us posted!
Thanks very much Josh, your efforts are appreciated.
Evalore,
You may be in luck, looking via google street view (see attached picture) it seems the rear (and possibly the front by going around) is accessible, and I found a video a customer made (here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Zq3LolmV8) which shows him going around and in the back, plus @11:27 on the video you can see an entry door that seems to have no steps. I think the only real issue may be some tight isles inside, but it does look accessible enough that the staff would probably help with things you may want to see.
I hope that helps,
Justin
Thank you for those videos, I hadn’t seen the store from that perspective. 🙂
You are very welcome, I visited a Square-Enix shop in Shinjuku more than decade ago before they closed it (which was only partly accessible) and I believe this is the shops’ replacement in a completely new building. I’m happy to see this new shop and I have put it on my own must-see list. So, if you do visit, please give us an update. 🙂
-Justin
I certainly will do, I’ve been looking forward to going to Japan since 2018 and now it’s just around the corner, very excited at the moment. Just hope the darn airline doesn’t pull any last minute funny business…
Hopefully it will go very smoothly! If you have any other questions, never hesitate to ask!
Likely unneeded after @schroth-sensei‘s amazing sleuthing, but I gave them a call this morning and they confirmed that wheelchair users can visit the cafe. There is no accessible toilet though, so if you need the extra space you may want to use the toilet at the nearest station.
As Schroth Sensei (or is it Sephiroth Sensei 🧐) mentioned, please do share how things go afterwards!
Josh,
Haha funny you should mention it, the attached picture was taken in the Square-Enix store I visited in 2008. It was full size and built into the floor of a balcony area requiring about 6-steps up to reach, originally I wasn’t going to go up there but my brother insisted on carrying me up, it was quite awesome to see. I hope it’s still on display somewhere.
Ooo! but kinda creepy!
Just to update this thread, I recently made my way to Japan and managed to get to Artnia. The building is very accessible as discussed with a ramp around the building and wide doors for mobility scooters etc. Unfortunately that’s where the accessibility finishes without assistance from staff.
As soon as you enter the building there is a table of merchandise that would need to be shifted for those in mobility scooters. Likewise, all merchandise around the sides of the shop can only be navigated very narrowly because of more tables between the shelf displays, I’m a very able wheelchair user, so I could shift the tables myself but others may not be able to as they have a considerable heft to them. You also may not want to move them as breaking anything on the tables could be an extremely expensive mistake
About 75% of the place is dedicated to the cafe and cash registers, and because it’s a busy place, you may need to rely on other guests to help move the tables to allow for free movement.
The Final Fantasy exhibit around the back of the store was just wide enough for me to get through in an 18” wide wheelchair.
Altogether probably a 2/5 rating for accessibility. If patrons are helpful, it can be accessible however, when I was there, it was far too busy for staff to help.
I’d recommend the store in Akihabara. It’s very near to the station and has a similar selection, though without the highend Final Fantasy merchandise. It’s still a tight fit, but less busy and staff are more able to help.
Yodobashi Camera across the road from the Akihabara store also has more Square Enix merchandise.
Thank you so much for following up! Too bad about the layout though…
If you have any other reviews please feel free to share in new threads!
Thank you for the update! It’s great to get a personal perspective of the inside of the store and not just relying on video clips. Nevertheless, next time I’m personally in the area I’ll probably still pop in out of pure curiosity and being a big Square Enix fan. 😀
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