Tour highlights

This 7-day special barrier-free tour is designed to allow wheelchair users and elderly guests to fully experience the charms of Japan at their own pace, safely and comfortably. We guarantee a truly relaxing and blissful trip for families and caregivers alike.

• A completely barrier-free route

  For long-distance travel, we use wheelchair-accessible seats on the Shinkansen, and for travel between cities and from stations and airports, we generally use door-to-door transportation in dedicated nursing care taxis (specialized vehicles) to reduce physical strain.

• The contrast between ancient and modern cities

   It covers the highlights of Japan, from the sophisticated cityscape of Tokyo to the history and food culture of Kyoto and Osaka.

• Carefully selected accommodations with excellent accessibility

  Each accommodation is carefully selected to include only the best hotels directly connected to the station, fully flat spaces for wheelchair access, and accessible toilets.

Itinerary

Day 1 ~ Day 3 & Day 7 Stay in Tokyo

Although it is one of the world's largest cities, it is also one of the most barrier-free areas in Japan. All Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway stations are equipped with elevators, and station staff can assist wheelchair users in getting on and off the trains.

Tokyo Skytree is the first recommended spot. It is directly connected to Oshiage Station and is completely barrier-free, with wheelchair-only elevators between the observation decks and a sloped observation corridor. Multi-function restrooms are also available on each floor. At the foot of the tower, Tokyo Solamachi has 310 stores for shopping and you can also enjoy the Sumida Aquarium, so you can spend the whole day there, whatever the weather. At Nakamise Street in Asakusa, wheelchairs are available for rental in front of the Kaminarimon Gate, and the grounds are mostly flat. The Kabukiza Theatre, directly connected to Higashi-Ginza Station, has a wheelchair space, allowing you to enjoy the spectacular performances from a seated position.

Check here for information on barrier-free access in Tokyo!

Accessible Hotels in Tokyo: Hotel Metropolitan

Hotel Metropolitan offers a sophisticated space that will help you escape the hustle and bustle of the city and heartwarming hospitality. Located just a three-minute walk from the west exit of Ikebukuro Station, the hotel's calm, luxurious atmosphere unfolds as soon as you step inside. The hotel boasts a variety of directly managed restaurants serving Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine, allowing you to enjoy authentic gourmet cuisine without leaving the hotel on days when travel is tiring. The panoramic cityscape from the upper floors will also become a wonderful memory of your trip. The hotel also boasts exceptional accessibility, featuring a fully flat, barrier-free design with no steps from the entrance to the lobby and guest rooms. This allows for smooth movement even for wheelchair users and elderly guests. The spacious universal rooms feature bathrooms with handrails and ample space for wheelchairs to turn around. The staff are also highly hospitable, providing discreet and attentive support for situations requiring assistance.

Day 3 ~ Day 5 Stay in Kyoto

The thousand-year-old capital boasts a landscape of temples, shrines, gardens, and traditional townhouses. It is a center of Japanese culture that continues to attract travelers from all over the world. However, for wheelchair users, there are some hurdles to overcome, such as old stone pavement, stairs at temples and shrines, and narrow alleys.

The area around Kyoto Station Building is relatively barrier-free. The commercial areas directly connected to the station, such as Kyoto Tower, the Porta underground shopping mall, and Isetan, are easily accessible. Among temples and shrines, Nijo Castle has paved the main passageways within its grounds and also installed ramps. Ninomaru Palace is wheelchair accessible, and those with a disability certificate can enter for free with their disability certificate, along with one caregiver. The approach and grounds of Byodoin Temple's Phoenix Hall are relatively flat, and the Hoshokan Museum is equipped with an elevator. In the Arashiyama area, the roads from Togetsukyo Bridge to the bamboo forest path are wide, but caution is advised during busy times. Car 5 of the trolley train is barrier-free.

Taxis are an overwhelmingly easier means of transportation than city buses. Enjoy Kyoto in a barrier-free environment with optional tours using a care taxi.

Check here for information on barrier-free access in Kyoto!

Barrier-free hotel in Kyoto: Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Hachijoguchi

Located just a four-minute walk from Kyoto Station's Hachijo Exit, Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Hachijoguchi boasts unparalleled convenience. The hotel evokes the atmosphere of the ancient capital while featuring a modern and functional design. With a wide selection of restaurants and souvenir shops in the surrounding area, you can quickly experience the charm of Kyoto even after a long journey. The hotel's greatest appeal is its high level of accessibility. From the automatic entrance doors to the front desk and guest rooms, a completely barrier-free route is guaranteed, allowing guests using wheelchairs or canes to move around without stress. The recommended universal rooms not only offer ample space for easy wheelchair movement, but also feature sliding doors, sinks adjusted to a comfortable height, and bathrooms with safety grab bars. The road from the station is flat and the sidewalks are wide and well-maintained, making this the perfect base for enjoying Kyoto's shrines and temples while conserving your energy.

Day 5 ~ Day 6 Stay in Osaka

Osaka, the city of gourmet food, is a city where wheelchair users can enjoy food and laughter to their heart's content. All Osaka Metro stations are equipped with elevators, and major stations are equipped with wide ticket gates that are wheelchair accessible. Large commercial facilities around Osaka Station, such as Grand Front Osaka, Lucua, and Namba Parks, are all barrier-free, allowing you to enjoy gourmet food and shopping without stress.

Osaka Castle Park's vast grounds are laid out flat, making it ideal for strolling in a wheelchair. The castle tower can be accessed by elevator to the top floor (the 7th floor, one floor below the 8th floor observation deck), offering a panoramic view of the city of Osaka (though the last staircase to the top floor is wheelchair accessible). A disability certificate is available for the person with a disability and one caregiver free of charge. The Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi areas have wide, relatively flat sidewalks, allowing you to enjoy takoyaki and kushikatsu while walking around at wheelchair level. However, it can get very crowded on weekends, so we recommend visiting on weekdays.

The Shinsekai/Tsutenkaku area has a charming retro atmosphere, and the Tsutenkaku observation deck can be accessed by elevator. Many of the kushikatsu restaurants in the area also have wheelchair access on the first floor, allowing you to fully enjoy Osaka's deep food culture.

Check here for information on barrier-free access in Osaka!

Barrier-free hotel in Osaka: Mitsui Garden Hotel Osaka Premier

Located in the beautiful Nakanoshima area, a symbol of Osaka's aquatic metropolis, Mitsui Garden Hotel Osaka Premier is a premium hotel highly acclaimed for its high-quality hospitality and sophisticated spatial design, including repeated appearances in the Michelin Guide. Despite its central location, the hotel offers tranquility and serenity. The large public bath on the top floor overlooking the garden (wheelchair access available upon request) is a popular and exquisite space for relieving travel fatigue. Accessibility has been thoroughly considered, with the hotel featuring a flat, step-free layout, wheelchair-accessible elevators, and multi-purpose restrooms. Barrier-free guest rooms feature spacious layouts that carefully consider wheelchair access, and emergency call buttons, handrails in the bathrooms, and other features ensure the safety of elderly and disabled guests. The breakfast restaurant also features wide aisles, ensuring a comfortable stay in Osaka.

Examples of available care taxis

Our partners are "travel professionals" who provide more than just transportation.

English-speaking, certified care driver accompanies

Your tour will be handled by experienced drivers who hold qualifications as certified care workers, travel helpers, and tour conductors (both domestic and international). They can communicate smoothly in English, and you can rest assured that they will also provide toilet assistance and care at your accommodation. (*) We will also propose flexible courses not found in guidebooks, tailored to your physical condition and interests.

*The range of services available varies depending on your physical condition and weight, so please consult us in advance.

Comfortable travel space

Our vehicles are Toyota VOXYs (with ramps), allowing for smooth boarding and disembarking while remaining in a wheelchair. Even if you are using a large, imported wheelchair, we will confirm the dimensions in advance and suggest the optimal boarding method. Child seats are also available for families with children.

How to board the Shinkansen in a wheelchair

Japan's Shinkansen trains are designed to be extremely safe and wheelchair-friendly. We will do our best to help you overcome any concerns you may have about language barriers or differences in the system, so that you can enjoy your trip with peace of mind.

1. We will handle all the troublesome ticket arrangements for you.

When reserving a wheelchair-accessible seat on a Japanese Shinkansen train, it is often necessary to go through a dedicated website or deal directly with the ticket counter at the station, which can be a major hassle (hurdle) for foreign travelers.

We handle all the complicated and tedious ticket reservation and purchase procedures for you. Simply tell us your desired date, time and destination, and you can secure your seat stress-free.

2. Full support from station staff for a smooth boarding experience

The service of Japanese railway staff is world-class, and station staff will provide specialized assistance to wheelchair users when boarding trains.

Reliable system

• Not only will station staff guide you from the ticket gate to the platform, but they will also set up a special ramp (crossing board) for passengers to board and disembark . This allows passengers to move smoothly and safely onto the train without having to worry about the gap between the train and the platform.

3. Enjoy a safe and relaxing journey with our "wheelchair-specific seats"

Shinkansen trains are equipped with special spaces and seats where passengers can comfortably board or transfer from their wheelchairs.

Accessible toilets available

The Shinkansen is also equipped with spacious multi-purpose toilets (barrier-free toilets) located close to the wheelchair spaces, allowing you to enjoy a relaxing and comfortable journey even when traveling at a leisurely pace.

Enjoy safe and barrier-free travel with Flat Travel!

Have you given up on traveling because of age or physical concerns? Flat Travel offers barrier-free travel that can be enjoyed with peace of mind by people who require care, the elderly, and their families.

We provide total support from pre-departure preparations to returning home, tailored to each customer's physical condition and requests.

• Barrier-free planning (free of charge)

  We create plans that take into account detailed barrier-free information that you won't find on general travel sites, such as steps along the route, the location of wheelchair-accessible toilets, and the shape of hotel beds and baths. We also adjust the frequency of breaks and travel times to minimize strain on your body.

• Accompanying a "travel helper" with nursing and care qualifications

  Experienced caregivers and nurses will accompany you on your trip. They will provide specialized care, such as assistance with transferring to a wheelchair, bathing and toileting, and meal support. This will reduce the burden on your family and ensure a safe and comfortable trip.

• 24-hour medical support system

  In case you become unwell or experience any problems during your trip, we have a system in place where you can consult with doctors and nurses 24 hours a day free of charge. You can rest assured knowing that we have expert backup to deal with any problems with medical equipment or make decisions in emergencies.

Disclaimer

Before applying for this tour, please be sure to confirm and agree to the following:

1. Tour contract type (scope of arrangements)

This tour package only includes accommodation and transportation between accommodations (transportation by care taxi, etc.). Other local sightseeing tours, activities, meals, and other services are all optional (separate contract, separate fee).

2. Arranging and changing accommodation and vehicle reservations

Accommodation facilities and nursing care taxis will be arranged based on availability at the time of application. Availability is constantly changing, so if the requested accommodation is fully booked or full, we may be unable to accommodate your request and may ask you to change to a facility or vehicle of an equivalent class, or we may be unable to arrange the accommodation at all. Please note that the nursing care taxi we arrange may not necessarily be the same vehicle or model as the one in the reference photo.

3. Scope of work and skills of care taxis

The primary purpose of the nursing care taxis we arrange is to "transport customers safely."

• Services included: General assistance with getting in and out of the vehicle, safe operation

• Services not included:

  Physical care other than boarding and disembarking (eating, toileting, etc.), medical care, detailed local tourist guide

  Please note that while some nursing care taxis may be able to provide English support or simple guides, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to arrange (assign) a vehicle and driver that can accommodate these needs, depending on the reservation situation, etc.

• Responsibility for illness and trouble during the trip

  We offer travel insurance and 24-hour medical consultation support in case you become ill or experience any other unforeseen circumstances during your trip.

  However, providing this support does not mean that we will bear any legal responsibility for such situations. All responsibility for illness, injury, accidents, or other troubles that occur during the trip rests solely with the traveler, and we cannot be held liable for any damages. Please be sure to take care of your own health and safety before participating.

Important Notes