Accessibility in Fukushima

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• Barrier-Free Center

Aizu-Wakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture is full of amazing sights that are sure to charm any world traveler. But for wheelchair- or cane-users, the thought of seeing all of those sights might cause concern. It’s difficult to know which facilities offer accessibility and access unless you know a local. Thankfully, the Fukushima Barrier-Free Tour Center is your local friend and will make sure that you don’t worry any longer.

Fukushima Barrier-Free Tour Center at Fukushima Station’s west exit offers services to travelers with disabilities so that they can enjoy their time in Fukushima to the fullest. Visit their easy-to-find office and receive information about bus routes and tourist spots in English before you leave to visit them. Wonder no more about ramps, handrails, or other accessibility questions with these tailor-made itineraries. Watch the guesswork disappear from your visit to Aizu-Wakamatsu thanks to the helpful services and information at the Fukushima Barrier-free Tour Center.

Example Itinerary

Visit some of the best spots in the Aizu-Wakamatsu area with this itinerary that gives you all the accessibility information you could want. Aizu-Wakamatsu is famous for its beautiful nature but just as much so for the relics of Japan’s past that you can see wonderfully preserved. While all three of these amazing places can be visited in one day, you’ll want ample time to ensure that you can visit them at your leisure.

The three places on this itinerary will give you a taste of the best that Aizu-Wakamatsu has to offer. Tour Tsurugajo Castle, the famous red-roofed castle of Fukushima, and its beautiful garden and grounds; then move on to Aizu Bukeyashiki, an authentic and preserved samurai household with over twenty rooms; finally, get a spot of shopping and sightseeing done on Nanokamachi Street.

	Tsurugajo Castle Tsurugajo Castle is the only red-tiled roofed castle in Japan. The famed and tragic Byakkotai saw the same iconic roof during the days of the Boshin War. Visit the Rinkaku Tea Rooms on the castle grounds to experience traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Inside the castle, you can see relics of the Tokugawa Shogunate, such as swords and armor. The castle gardens themselves are best enjoyed during spring or autumn. Accessibility tips Access to the castle grounds is easy thanks to taxis, which will drive you to the very front road leading to the estate. The gardens, café, and grounds surrounding the castle have paved areas, easy for wheelchair use. There is no wheelchair access inside the castle and the interior requires walking several flights of stairs, however, handrails are installed. More barrier-free info More about Tsurugajo Castle
	Aizu Bukeyashiki Aizu Bukeyashiki is a historical and open-air museum where visitors can learn about the history of Aizu. Tour the twenty-eight rooms of this expansive house and its sprawling gardens, best enjoyed in spring or autumn, to see how the reigning class lived. If you have the time, be sure to take part in one of their experience workshops. Accessibility tips Wheelchair access to the main grounds is via the gift shop to the right of the parking lot. Wheelchair-users are unable to tour the inside of the house, keeping only to the gardens. The majority of the castle tour consists of flat grounds, however, there are several step-ups to enter the auxiliary buildings. There are about 20 stairs necessary to enter the kitchen building tour, without a handrail. More barrier-free infoMore about Aizu Bukeyashiki
	Nanokamachi-dori Street Nanokamachi-dori Street is close to Omachi street corner, and with the Western-style buildings in the area, visitors can immerse themselves in nostalgia for the Taisho period (1912-1926). Enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere with traditional Japanese-style storehouses and wooden townhouses. Nearby, you can even visit an authentic sake brewery, Suehiro Sake Brewery. Accessibility tips The sidewalks of the main road are well-paved and wide enough for wheelchair access. Shops along Nanokamachi-dori Street are far spaced. You may need to travel long distances to visit everything. As you travel from the main road, access will become narrower—a taxi is recommended for distant locations. More about Nanokamachi-dori Street

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