Home to over 2500 cherry blossom trees and listed as one of Japan’s top 100 castles, Hirosaki Castle and the surrounding Hirosaki Park are mostly wheelchair accessible and make for a memorable visit to Japan’s north. Background Information Hirosaki Castle was completed in 1611 but in 1627, the 5-story tenshu (castle tower), was struck by lightning and burned down. It Read more...

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa is fully wheelchair accessible and a great example of the artistic culture of Kanazawa. Background Information Located in the center of Kanazawa, near Kenrokuen Garden, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is focused on works produced since 1980 that “propose new values”. It was designed by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Read more...

The D. T. Suzuki Museum is intended to let visitors learn about the philosophy of D. T. Suzuki and engage in their own contemplation as they move through the wings and gardens. Though a bit far from the bus stop, it is wheelchair accessible. Background Information Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki (1870 – 1966) was a Japanese scholar who wrote many books Read more...

Higashi Chaya District is the largest teahouse district in Kanazawa and has many beautiful buildings to enjoy. However, they are mostly inaccessible to wheelchair users due to steps. Background Information In the Edo period, teahouses were exclusive restaurants where geisha would perform songs and dances for guests, usually in designated districts on the outskirts of cities. Higashi Chaya District, or East Teahouse Read more...

Kanazawa Castle is one of Japan’s many famous Edo-era castles and is mostly accessible to visitors with disabilities. Background Information During the Sengoku Period, over 250 fuedal lords ruled over the many regional domains across Japan. In the 1500s, Maeda Toshie, the fourth son of a minor samurai family entered the service of a powerful warlord and quickly rose in Read more...

Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan and is conveniently located next to Kanazawa Castle. While it is a great place to enjoy a Japanese garden, there certainly are limitations for those with wheelchairs or other mobility challenges. Background Information Kenrokuen, “Six Attributes Garden”, is named after the six attributes of a perfect Read more...

Nikko Toshogu Shrine is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a place nearly every student in Japan visits on school trips. Unfortunately, its registration as a historical site means that the site cannot be altered and is mostly inaccessible to those in wheelchairs or with other mobility challenges. Background Information Located in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Nikko Toshogu Shrine is a Read more...

Visiting Kawagoe makes for a great day trip from Tokyo where you can enjoy a glimpse of the Edo Period. Many of the attractions in the area are wheelchair accessible. Background Information Located under an hour by train from the Tokyo area, Kawagoe can make an excellent trip out of the city. For over 200 years Kawagoe was the storehouse Read more...

Located just off the coast near Kamakura, Enoshima is a small island that offers good seafood and views of Mount Fuji but very limited wheelchair accessibility. Background Information Believed to have created by Benten – goddess of good fortune, wealth, music and knowledge – before subduing a five headed dragon that had been terrorizing the town, Enoshima is a small Read more...

The Hakone Round Course is a popular day trip from Tokyo that allows travelers to enjoy Lake Ashi, lush forest mountains, and a fantastic view of Mount Fuji on clear days. Despite the mountainous location, the Hakone Round Course itself is wheelchair accessible. However, deviating from the course is very difficult in some areas due to very steep roads. Background Read more...

Hakone Open-Air Museum offers a great combination of art and nature, and is mostly accessible to those with special needs. Background Information Opening in 1969, the Hakone Open-Air Museum (or Hakone Choukoku no Mori Bijutsukan) is Japan’s first open-air museum.  The museum has over 1,000 sculptures with about 120 sculptures on permanent display across the huge park.  The collection includes Read more...

Tsuragaoka Hachimangu is one of Kamakura’s defining landmarks, and while it is mostly not wheelchair accessible, it is still worth seeing. Background Information Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is the most important Shinto shrine in the city of Kamakura, and is at the geographical and cultural center of the city of Kamakura. It is the venue of many of Kamakura’s most important festivals Read more...

The MRJ Museum opened in 2017 near Nagoya Airport and is one of three airplane facilities in the world that offer factory tours.  Once on the property, the tour is completely wheelchair accessible. General Information The museum is located on the property of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries where they are currently ramping up production to 10 MRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jet) planes Read more...

Nagoya Castle is the prominent symbol of Nagoya and a popular tourist attraction. The castle keep is being reconstructed, but Honmaru Palace and the grounds are a fully accessible and a great way to spend an afternoon. Background Information Nagoya Castle and surrounding Honmaru Palace and grounds are one of the largest in Japan and a top tourism spot in Read more...

A great place to spend an afternoon out of the hot sun or rain. JR (Japan Rail) has brought many trains out of storage to show the history of train travel in Japan over the last century, right up to the Maglev train. The scale of the museum is outstanding yet quite compact. Background Information The SCMAGLEV and Railway Park Read more...

While Nagoya is well-known as the industrial center of Japan, it also has a number of cultural attractions. The traditional Shirotori Garden is wheelchair accessible and offers some picturesque views and a chance to relax near the central part of the city. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Shirotori Garden is a Japanese-style garden created in the mid 1980s and featured at the World Read more...

Japan’s most sacred site, the Ise Grand Shrine, is located about 1.5 hours south of Nagoya and a beautiful place to visit. While a few key locations are not wheelchair accessible, the shrine has put an effort into helping visitors with disabilities through accessible route maps and rental wheelchairs. Background While commonly referred to as the Ise Grand Shrine, or Read more...

Osaka Castle is a popular attraction in Osaka with an fascinating history. The castle keep is wheelchair accessible, but slow walkers may find the distances a challenge. Background Information Osaka Castle is one of Japan’s most famous landmarks as it played a major role in the final days of the Sengoku Period. Modeled after Oda Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle, Toyotomi Hideyoshi Read more...

Universal Studios Japan is one of the most popular attractions in Osaka and offers excitement, famous characters, rides, shows and more. While it is fairly accessible in general, some of the most popular rides – including Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – are not accessible to guests with mobility difficulties. GENERAL INFORMATION Universal Studios Japan, known as USJ, was opened in Read more...

While the trek is a bit difficult, some travelers with disabilities can visit Gunkanjima in Nagasaki with help from a local organization. Background Information Though it is officially called Hashima, the small mining island off the cost of Nagasaki came to be called Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) because the silhouette of the over-built island looks like a naval battleship.  Its eerie Read more...