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Accessible Travel
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Accessibility Options in Travel to Japan
Japan offers many accessibility-minded accommodations for its citizens and tourists. Two major non-profit organizations can assist you with planning your stay and transportation: Japan Accessible Travel Tourism Center and Accessible Travel Japan. These resources offer extensive lists of accessible hotels, sightseeing destinations, trains, and terminal information. They specialize in providing the best information possible to make your travel safe and pleasant. I encourage you to contact them directly to discuss your travel needs.
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Accessible Japan also has excellent informational resources. It has a list of hotels and accessible access attractions.
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National Welfare Transportation Service Association and Japan Travel Tokyo and Beyond 2020 have helpful websites that show you how to get around from one train station to another. Narita Airport and Haneda Airport websites, provide barrier-free information, including transportation accessibility information.
Recommended Resources
Mobility Information
Go Tokyo provides solutions for the transportation needs of wheelchair users, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with baby strollers traveling in Tokyo.
The Haneda Airport has offered self-driving wheelchairs since 2020. You can read more about it here at Passenger Self Service.
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If you need to rent a wheelchair, crutches, or a vehicle with a ramp/lift for a wheelchair, hand-control, or lift accelerator:
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Weelog for more information and a barrier-free map.
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Melanie is a world traveler and a talented blogger who also happens to be a wheelchair user. She writes about her travel experiences and shares lots of great tips and tricks along her journeys!
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Recommended Resources
Service Dog Information
The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare has a website page that outlines their policies on service dogs that travel from other countries. You can view that page here at: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/care-welfare/welfare-disabilities/assistance_dogs/index.html
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*IMPORTANT*: Japan accommodates many kinds of service dogs as long as they follow a set of rules and guidelines. These important details, such as what types of service dogs (guide dog, mobility service dog, hearing dog) are accepted, import notification requirements, how to bring your service dog to Japan, and more can be viewed here.
Quarantine System for Dogs and Cats
All Dogs and cats imported into Japan must undergo import quarantine inspection.
You can view an overview of this system here.
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If you're from Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Hawaii, and Guam, here.
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If you're from other regions, here.
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Learn more here at the Japanese Service Dog Resource Center
Visually Impaired
If you are visually impaired and have a guide dog, you can read more about the Japan Guide Dog Association here. If you are a graduate of a member organization of the International Guide Dog Federation, The Japan Guide Dog Association is ready to provide you with a Temporary Certificate of Overseas Guide Dog Users valid during your trip to Japan. Click here to see what the JGDA says about visiting Japan with your guide dog.
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Banknote information for the Visually Impaired
In this National Printing Bureau page, you can learn how to distinguish between different banknotes by simply touching them. Each kind of banknote has a unique texture and symbol on the corner.
Medical Information
If you need a doctor or need to bring your medication to Japan from our home country, please visit my "Useful Tip & App" page and look under "Medical Information."
Invisible Disabilities
If you have invisible impediments, such as artificial joints, digestive disorders, etc., Check A Toilet is an excellent restroom database that could come in handy. You can find restroom locations and amenities, such as baby-changing stations, hand-rail types/areas, washing equipment for ostomates, emergency buttons, wheelchair-accessible restrooms, etc. In addition to their website, Check A Toilet has an app to download on your phone for your convenience.
Another great tool for those with invisible disabilities is called Help Mark. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government created this red badge with a white cross and heart in 2012 to make travel more accessible. For people with hidden impediments, or "invisible disabilities," such as prosthetic limbs, artificial joints, internal ailments, and rare diseases, the Help Mark can help you get seated on a crowded train or bus by simply attaching a badge to your belongings.
You can pick up your Help Mark at most city halls throughout Japan; however, the most accessible places are the Toei Subway stations in Tokyo. Most of the Toei Subway stations can give you one except Oshiage, Meguro, Shiroganedai, Shiroganedai Takanawa, or Shinjuku station at Shinjuku Line. Here is the list of places you can obtain in Japanese if you're not close to any Toei Subway lines.
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*Japanese Language Only. We suggest the readers should show it to the hotel clerk for help.
Helpful Devices and Services for Communication
If you need language/translation assistance to communicate well in Japan and discuss your needs throughout your travels, the following translation apps are helpful. You can also purchase or rent a small translation device. I recommend PockeTalk. It can be used practically in 128 countries because it can translate 74 languages into your native tongue without WiFi. This small device is widely used in Japan, such as in emergency rooms, hospitals, schools, and hotels.
If you'd like to explore additional options for translation devices, you can check out this website here.
Pocketalk, pocket WiFi device (portable router), and other valuable devices are available for rental. You have many choices of such rental companies at Narita and Haneda Airports. There are a few examples.
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Omotenashi Guide: Check out this guide to a sound support system that can help you understand announcements by translating them into your language.
Apps:
Recommended Resources for Translation/communication Apps and Rental devices
Professional Translation/Language Assistance for your Travel
If you require a translation service to speak to your travel agency or hotel in Japan, you can use an over-the-phone translation service provided by any of the following companies. As a bonus, some of them can also translate e-mails!
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Trusted Translation: Live phone interpretation service available 24/7
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Day Translations: Live phone interpretation service available 24/7
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​If you would like to leave your travel arrangements to professionals, the following travel agencies are reputable for their knowledge and experience accommodating their customers’ needs.
Additional Travel Care Service Options:
Recommended Resources
Special Needs in Food
Halal
Halal is getting more recognition nowadays in Japan.
You can check out these websites to search for
Halal restaurants, and Mosque/Masjid to find out more.
I have also listed some vegetarian/vegan websites below.
Useful Websites
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Japan National Tourism Organization has this Halal page
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Japan Muslim Guide has excellent info on restaurants, hotels, and places to pray.
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Halal Gourmet has a beautiful app.
Recommended Resources:
Kosher
You can learn about Kosher food in Japan on Chabad Tokyo Japan, and Kosher Japan. Two restaurants that consider themselves to be Kosher restaurants are Chana's Place Tokyo and Kosher Delica. You can learn more about Kosher food in Japan on Chabad Japan’s website here.
Vegetarian/Vegan
If you're a Pescatarian, you will have plenty of dining options for your travels in Japan. It's especially easy to find food in Japan as a pescetarian because we often use fish broth in our food. For all the vegetarians and vegans out there, don't worry -- there are plenty of apps and websites available to discover all of the incredible options.
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Truly Tokyo has an excellent article that suggests 13 vegetarian/vegan dining options in the Tokyo area. It's well researched and is a must-read.
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Vegetarians, check out Truly Tokyo’s1-Day Tokyo Vegetarian Eating Itinerary
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Byfood offers good information about vegetarian options in Tokyo
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Hokkaido has a dedicated page for Vegetarian visitors
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In Asakusa there is a vegan konbini (convenience store)
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Popular Vegan Directory Tool Happy Cow has a phone app you can download
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Zen Buddhism became known and free from meat, fish, or other animal products. While in Japan, I highly recommend trying Shojin Ryori, an extraordinary Buddhist cuisine. Shojin ryori is 100% vegetarian and sometimes vegan, made without killing any living beings and without animal products.
Recommended Resources
Food Allergy & Intolerance
Food Allergy
If you have specific food allergies, check out these websites.
They have helpful information and practical tips.
The best way to avoid trouble is to learn to read food labels
and carry a card explaining your food allergies in Japanese
wherever you go.
You can find bilingual cards on the websites listed below.
Not every restaurant can accommodate your requests,
but you can find places willing to be flexible.
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Savvy Tokyo Allergy Quick Guide in Japan
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Just Hungry: printable cards for communicating dietary restrictions in Japan
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Live Japan Food Allergy guide: How to read food labels
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Surviving Japan: How to identify your food allergen in the menu and food labels
Recommended Resources
In Japan, gluten intolerance and celiac disease awareness isn't very high. Even so, you can find some restaurants that serve gluten-free menus, especially in big cities. If you like sushi, you can bring your non-soy-based sauce called Tamari. If you love bread, you can go to the bakeries that use rice powder instead of wheat. As you would when planning to dine anywhere, take proper precautions and prepare ahead of time to ensure you can enjoy all that Japan’s cuisine has to offer.
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Jodi Ettenberg’s Legal Normad has a great blog about gluten-free cuisine in Japan. She shares her own experience and offers you lots of great tips and advice.
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Chris Rowthorn’s Gluten -Free Tokyo & Kyoto
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Truly Tokyo offers this list of gluten free dining in Tokyo
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Japan Forward has a great guide to gluten-free dining in Tokyo
Recommended Resources
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