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- July 20, 2019 at 4:06 am #5552
kd88ParticipantHi! I’m interested in taking a water bus/cruise from Odaiba to Asakusa. Has anyone attempted this using a wheelchair? Are there certain lines or ships that work better than others? I’d also be interested to hear if anyone has found an accessible dinner cruise option! Thanks!
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- July 20, 2019 at 7:16 pm #5555
accessible-japanAdministratorHello,
I rode on the Himiko ship a number of years ago and you can ride the boat, but are restricted as to where you can go (it seems to be the same for the other boats as well). You board via a ramp like on a train but once aboard there are steps up or down to seats and tables but wheelchair users are restricted to a smaller deck area.
Interestingly, the FAQ on the English page (http://www.suijobus.co.jp/en/qa/) just says that “Yes, all of our vessels are wheelchair accessible” but the Japanese FAQ (https://www.suijobus.co.jp/qa/) says that not all stops are fully accessible due to changes in the tide (making the ramp to steep).
I believe that Asakusa and Odaiba are fine though since they are the major stops.
I tried to call but they have discontinued their phone service and direct people to their contact form: http://www.suijobus.co.jp/contact/
Here is another wheelchai user’s experience (in Japanese): http://wheelchairtext.net/life/1124/
I put it in my calendar to ride it, but I won’t be able to get there until August 10th…
- August 12, 2019 at 1:20 pm #5693
accessible-japanAdministratorHello,
I rode the Emeraldas this weekend.
Asakusa pier and Odaiba pier are both fully accessible and have accessible bathrooms. The boarding is easy, though the slope of the ramp does change depending on the tides. There is an accessible toilet on board.
unfortunately, there are steps into the main area of the boat, and the roof only has steps, so you are restricted to the back half of the boat…
Here are some pictures:
If you have any specific questions, let me know!
- August 12, 2019 at 1:37 pm #5694
kd88MemberThank you for checking this out, it looks really nice and is now on my list!
- November 7, 2019 at 8:48 pm #6045
japantravelbugMemberI just spent last weekend asking staff questions about accessibility, unfortunately I had quite limited time to snap photos. Was told that the three flagships were all wheelchair accessible (and contrary to some info online, the Emeraldas DOES have a VERY large, upscale accessible bathroom very near the wheelchair seating.
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