Share of barrier-free transport modes in Japan 2023, by type

As of March 2023, all passenger airplanes in Japan's fleet were designated as barrier-free, making it the first type of public transport to fully achieve this. Other types of transport vehicles remain to achieve barrier-free status fully, but improvements on all transport modes are in progress. Airplanes (for passengers) and passenger ships carry the lowest and second-lowest passenger volume, as most of the public transport relies on railroad vehicles, especially in metropolitan areas.

Barrier-free public transport facilities

Next to vehicles, transport facilities are also crucial to enable barrier-free public transportation. Depending on the type of barrier-free measure, transport facilities with high passenger traffic are well-equipped. As most of the public transport relies on railroad vehicles, especially in metropolitan areas, the promotion of barrier-free railway infrastructure is essential to achieving a barrier-free society. Japan’s largest private railway companies have already implemented certain measures to a high degree, such as securing a passage for wheelchair users. Other aspects, such as providing accessible toilets, still have room for improvement. JR-operated railways have also broadly implemented measures to assist mobility-impaired people at railroad stations. However, the available data only covers public transport facilities that are above an average of 2,000-person traffic volume per day threshold.

Barrier-free measures for road vehicles

Efforts to dismantle barriers for physically impaired people have also been progressing for road passenger traffic. For instance, the number of universal taxis that are wheelchair accessible and have transfer aids, such as rotating seats, has increased over the past few years considerably. The government plans to have around 90,000 such vehicles by the end of 2025. The same upward trend can be observed for non-step buses that facilitate the utilization by people in wheelchairs and other mobility-impaired individuals.