Category: Mobility

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 29, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Discrimination Japan Mobility

Sapporo apologizes for lack of consultation before disability driver’s license subsidy cut

It has emerged that Sapporo City has informed disability organisations that it is “impossible” to reverse its decision to abolish, from April, a subsidy of up to ¥100,000 for people with physical disabilities to obtain a driver’s licence, after the city eliminated the programme without first consulting those affected. Disabled People International Japan has expressed concern that the cuts will further restrict the mobility of wheelchair users during the winter months, when snow and ice already make travel difficult.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 26, 2025 Number of comments0
Elderly Mobility Travel Wheelchair

Daihatsu Launches New Electric Wheelchair for Elderly People

Daihatsu Motor Co. put a new electric wheelchair for the elderly on sale on Monday.

The e-Sneaker has already been used on a trial basis at the ongoing World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka. The wheelchair runs at a maximum speed of 6 kilometers per hour and travels 12 kilometers on a single charge. No driver’s license is required to operate the vehicle.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 9, 2025 Number of comments0
Mobility Osaka Kansai Expo 2025 Wheelchair

Futuristic Mobility Scooter for Elderly Demonstrated at Osaka Expo; Automated Operation Eyed

An electric mobility scooter was demonstrated at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo in Osaka on Tuesday 29th July. The Waku Mobi is about 1.7 meters long and about 60 centimeters wide and has a top speed of 20 kph. Reporters were shown the vehicle being remotely controlled in a designated outdoor space at the Expo. It moved slowly for about 50 meters, then navigated an uneven surface and made a smooth turn using its automated control function. The demonstration was part of an exhibition themed on a future in which robots and humans coexist. The vehicle was developed by glafit inc., a startup based in Wakayama.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 7, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan Mobility Technology Wheelchair

Japan startup to sell stair-climbing electric wheelchair in 2026

A Japanese startup will introduce an all-terrain electric wheelchair in 2026 that allows users to climb and descend stairs, and board trains and buses without assistance, with plans to develop a model that can navigate escalators. The wheelchair developed by Lifehub Inc., which normally drives on four wheels on flat surfaces, has caterpillar tracks to negotiate stairs, slopes and uneven ground.