‘Elevator at Nagoya Castle!’ Aichi disability groups appeal to Governor to reconsider renovation plans

Written with extracts from The Sankei Shimbun

September 19th 2018

An executive committee made up of a group of people with disabilities based in Aichi prefecture, who are against the policy of Nagoya City not to install an elevator in the castle tower when it is restored with a wooden floor, met on September 19th with Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura, and asked the city to work towards the installation of an elevator.

Six executive committee members, the governor and department manager attended the interview. Executive Committee Yuji Kondo co-chairman responded, “Access to cultural assets is a big challenge for us, we want to support from the prefecture, too,” the governor said, “I would like to hear your opinions.”

The governor who received the request from the executive committee to “work on various directions and cooperate” said that he would like to think about what they can do and to work on it. After the interview, the disability group said “Please accept the thought of the group and ask for more discussion and find a better direction. ”

Nagoya City Mayor, Takashi Kawamura has been waiting for the elevator installation to restore it faithfully to historical facts, and has a policy to devise barrier-free measures with new technologies such as stair lifts.