Japan eyes wheelchair accessible bullet train
The new guidelines will call on bullet train operators to secure a spacious area in each train where several people in wheelchairs could stay side by side.
Category: Travel
Tokyo bus operator ordered to pay damages after disabled man injured
A summary court ordered a Tokyo-based bus operator to pay 330,000 yen in compensation to a man with disabilities after a bus driver departed from a stop before he was seated, resulting in him falling over and getting injured.
Elderly responsible for 14.4% of fatal road accidents in Japan in 2019
The number of fatal accidents caused by drivers aged 75 or older fell to 401 in Japan in 2019, accounting for 14.4 percent of the total, slightly lower than a record high seen the previous year, police data showed Thursday.
Japan’s Transport Ministry plans to make Barrier-Free Services on Public Transport Mandatory
The ministry plans to make public transportation easily accessible to those with disabilities and the elderly by having the operators of taxis, buses and trains master how to use barrier-free equipment, such as slope boards for wheelchair users. A bill to revise a law on promoting the smooth transportation of elderly and disabled people will be submitted at the ordinary session of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, to be convened Monday.
Visually Impaired man falls on to tracks at JR Nippori Station, killed by train
In the early morning of January 11, a 53-year-old visually impaired man fell off his platform at JR Nippori Station in Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, and was killed by a train.
Can’t wheelchair users make same-day bullet train seat reservations? [Mainichi Shimbun Opinion Article]
The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the barriers wheelchair users can face on Japan’s shinkansen bullet train system.
Japan Panel Proposes Driving Skills Test for Elderly
A panel of experts called on Japan’s National Police Agency on Thursday to introduce a system under which elderly drivers at high risk of causing accidents need to pass a driving skills test in order to renew their licenses.
Despite concerns about access from disability groups, new JR Station to have AI guide robot and ‘unstaffed’ convenience store
JR East hopes to make the Takanawa Gateway Station on its Yamanote Line a model for its future stations with cutting-edge technologies, but disability action groups in Japan have voiced concerns about ‘unstaffed’ stations before.
Japan’s Transport Minister calls current bullet train booking system for wheelchair users “outrageous”, to set up study group to improve accessibility
“According to the rail companies, space for one or two wheelchairs is available on each bullet train. Users are requested to reserve them by telephone or at JR counters at least two days before boarding, in principle. At the committee meeting, Akaba called the system “outrageous.”“
Self-Driving Wheelchairs Tested at Haneda Airport
“Trials have begun at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda to introduce next generation self-driving electric wheelchairs for helping elderly and other people move more easily to boarding gates after checking in.”
Barrier Free Japan 