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Shrine at Izumo Taisha with famous twisted sacred straw braids

An Accessible Journey to Shimane, Home of Japanese Mythology

Recently, I (Accessible Japan’s founder, Josh Grisdale) had the opportunity to visit Shimane as part of a trial run for future accessible tour to the area. The tour was operated by Miki Tourist, a Japanese travel agency that was awarded a grant to produce the tour by the Japanese Tourism Association’s Barrier-free Tourism Promotion Committee.* Day 1 One of the biggest challenges to visiting Shimane for most visitors to Japan is getting there in the Read more…

By accessible-japan, 3 weeksNovember 7, 2022 ago

Nihonbashi, Inclusion and Technology

By: Justin Schroth Most of us living with a disability know one thing that can reshape our world, Technology. The most obvious may be wheelchairs, hearing aids, or prosthetic limbs to name a few. They impact the way many of us live our life, giving us greater access to everyday needs. So, it is no surprise that with technological advancements comes new tech that will allow more people to be included in activities that were Read more…

By accessible-japan, 1 yearOctober 28, 2021 ago

Tokyo 2020 Multi-Access with Multi-Lingual

By Justin Schroth The Olympics has been hosted by many countries around the world and one common issue is access to information for those who do not understand the hosts native language. Often this means displays and announcements must be presented in many multiple languages or in a language like English that is often used around the globe. Nevertheless, the access is often not perfect, especially for those living with hearing or visual impairments who Read more…

By accessible-japan, 2 yearsApril 29, 2021 ago

Aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011

Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the Disabled

10 years has passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. While many news sources are focusing on this story at this time, there is a fact that often slips through the cracks – the number of disabled people who died was 25% the death toll*. The first image to come to mind is likely that of those with physical disabilities not being able to escape in time, but that is not the only Read more…

By accessible-japan, 2 yearsMarch 11, 2021 ago

An Accessible Tour of Kochi

By Sarah Nishina Kochi is located on the island of Shikoku and is the prefectural capital. Kochi is blessed with beautiful nature, sparkling oceans, clear rivers and deep green forests which cover around 85% of the land. It is home to many of the temples on the world famous Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage. Day One First stop on the tour is the Chikurinji Temple, the thirty first temple on the pilgrimage. On entering the grounds Read more…

By accessible-japan, 2 yearsFebruary 2, 2021 ago

Bringing a Pet or Service Animal to Japan

By Erin Himeno For many people, animals are part of the family. Especially for those who require service animals, the issue of travelling with your helper is a major one. In this article, I discuss how to bring your service animal or service animal to Japan. I’ll be explaining the process as described on Japan’s official Animal Quarantine Service website. This information is updated and accurate as of November 2020. Important note: Due to coronavirus Read more…

By accessible-japan, 2 yearsNovember 30, 2020 ago