Group Description
Looking to travel to Japan and need accessibility information? Join our group discussion on accessible travel in Japan and discover the best tips and tricks.
The Japan group is a community of travelers who are passionate about exploring Japan and sharing their experiences with others. This group is dedicated to discussing all aspects of accessible travel in Japan, including accommodations, transportation, tourist attractions, and cultural experiences, as well as links to accessible travel companies and organizations.
Whether you have been here a million times or planning your first visit, the Japan group is a welcoming community that offers support and encouragement for travelers of all abilities. By sharing their experiences and knowledge, members of the group are helping to make travel in Japan more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Reply To: Getting to Shirakawa-go in a Wheelchair
Josh, if you *can* get to Shirakawa-go or Ainokura without breaking the bank (!) I can thoroughly recommend both.
Shirakawa-go certainly is well worth a visit even if you cannot get into some of the buildings. There’s a reasonably well-pathed circuit you can take that uses a bridge to cross the river to the other side of the valley and the village.
Maybe worth calling the local tourism office to see if they can advise on an accessible service or even just ask if they can put you in touch with someone willing to assist you with a suitable vehicle and you can offer to pay them for their trouble?
In physical size Ainokura is tiny in comparison with Shirakawa-go – only 22 homes – most of which are working farms. A couple are open as minshuku though. I shot this video in the village at dusk in winter a few years back when we stayed there:
https://www.therealjapan.com/walking-around-ainokura-village-gokayama/