Can you ride the trains in a large power wheelchair?
We plan on using the trains throughout our stay in Tokyo and Kyoto this November.
My husband is a full-time user of a power wheelchair that is 127 cm in length when he is in the chair. The chair can be shortened to 106 cm if he takes his foot rests off.
Does anyone know whether this will be a problem?
Thank you very much
8 Comments
Hello!
Of course you can ride the train.
However, depending on the route and time you board, you may experience hellish crowds.
Also, many of Kyoto’s famous shrines and temples cannot be reached by train…
If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.Tak
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Thank you Tak!
I’m worried about the size of his large power wheelchair!
We plan to walk to a few sites in Kyoto and then bus or train to other sites.
My wheelchair is about the same length so it should be fine!
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@Josh Grisdale Thank you Josh!
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Hi
My post disappeared for some reason…
For example, the famous Kinkakuji Temple is about a 25-minute walk from the nearest station.
If you take a bus from Kyoto Station, it takes about an hour on a terribly packed bus.
And if you want to go from Kinkakuji Temple to, say, Nijo Castle… you can’t get there by train. You have to take a bus or a taxi.
And I’m sorry, but most taxi stands and taxis on the road are not wheelchair accessible…
When traveling to tourist spots by bus, it’s possible that the bus will be full to capacity and you won’t be able to get on, forcing you to miss it multiple times.
Kyoto is so crowded with tourists that even locals often have trouble getting on the bus.
Tak
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I was in Tokyo and Kyoto back in May. I use a Permobil M3 which is a large/heavy chair. Had no issues and everyone was very kind and thoughtful. After you purchase your ticket, you go to the subway staff counter (usually easy to spot) and request for a slope. The subway staff will ask you to wait on the side for a moment then someone will escort you to the subway and place the ramp aka slope for the chair. Then they’ll inform staff at your arrival stop and someone will be there to place a slope when exiting subway.
