We are trying to plan a vacation for September. We have never been to Japan. Marty really wants to go there. He is a great Japanese cook. Has anyone gone to Japan recently with a tour company?
I don't know how he is going to manage the walking
but I am tired of telling him that.

Before moving to New York, my son lived and worked in Tokyo for five years, so naturally I had to visit him - twice! I stayed in his apartment so wasn't involved in a tour company except for taking day trips. I loved what I saw.

At the time, I needed a hip replacement and found walking a bit of a chore, especially up the stairs from the underground but if you go with a tour company, this probably won't be a problem. Taxis are very expensive. Japan is not 'disabled friendly' in that there are not a lot of places to sit and 'collapse' but again going with a tour company, they cater for all ages. I do remember when doing the tour through the Palace Gardens, wondering how I was going to keep up - the guide set such a cracking pace!

Tokyo is a vibrant city and the night lights of the Ginza was how I had always imagined Times Square to be - sorry guys but Times Square is so much smaller! They're funny in that everything they have has to be bigger than the original - Tokyo Tower is taller than the Eiffel Tower.

Mount Fuji is a must, but like all scenery, manages to disappear from time to time. I went in April and took a day trip and wasn't disappointed. It was magic. My husband visited later in the year and didn't see it at all. I was also lucky enough to see all the cherry blossoms which are really beautiful but of course they can only be seen for about two weeks in spring.

Kyoto is a must - more traditional and I also found the people more friendly. The Golden Temple was a sight worth seeing. There you can still see some women in traditional dress.

I also went to Hiroshema which was really worth it and included a trip in the fastest bullet train - another experience I loved.

I don't know if you needed advice on what to see or if your question was purely about a tour company but if you want to know what else I did, please ask.

Thank you so much for your comments. We are more interested in smaller scenic areas than we are in Tokyo. We like scenery and Japanese food.I am just concerned that he can not keep up on a tour.We really feel that we should go on one instead of striking out on our own. We see so much more that way. We also like meeting the other people on the tour.

I think that we should go on the World cruise. Marty could rest up between excursions.

Bette, I think that's a great idea. Just run it by Marty and let us know. Tell him it is filling quickly!

Bette, I don't know how restricted Marty is but if he can manage it, Japan is really worth seeing.

Don't write off Tokyo as it has a lot to offer - beautiful Japanese Gardens and the fish market is an experience not to miss. I took full day trips from Tokyo which could be an idea as that way you're not packing up each night. The food in Tokyo is fantastic.

If you decide you do want to go, let me know and I'll ask Michael for suggestions. He organised our trip to Kyoto and Hiroshema. There was one tour I went on (can't remember which one) but it stopped at a type of health resort in the countryside and let people off and then another tour picked them a couple of days later.

I know it can't compete with a world cruise and obviously it's no good if Marty can't get around at all but I really enjoyed Japan and wished I could have seen more.

Bette,
I found this on Tauck "Japan by Land & Sea",
Unfortunately it seems to only be offered in May.
Japan By Land & Sea

The problem with Japan is that it does require a lot of walking for most places. Hmmmm.

Masaki

What is a lot? We went to Monterey this weekend. He could go about a block walking very slowly of course.At the Aquarium he used his scooter so it was no problem. Marty has always wanted to go to Japan because he loves the culture and food so much.We just don't know what to do.We got some tour books but they all say extensive walking

I went to a travel expo on Saturday and thought of you both. I found some Japan specialists and wonder if you've looked on the web at www.jalpak.com which is the US section of the company. I phoned the people at our local office (very Japanese who said I talked too fast) but they thought that as long as Marty wasn't completely disabled, a normal escorted tour might be OK. On most of their tours, you have to look after yourself. Perhaps you could phone your local office and hopefully they may have some suggestions. A lot of the optional tours include walking plus stairs (I can vouch for both). Would Marty consider a wheelchair?

I do know that unfortunatley Japan is not a destination for the disabled but if it's something he really wants to do, would you consider flying into Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshema and taking day trips plus a taxi or two? The bullet train is ideal (very expensive) and I know we encountered stairs when we went on it but maybe they have a lift.

Do you have a Japanese tourist agency over there who could help?

Hope you can work something out.

A lot meaning that for many of the tourist destinations, you'd be walking at least a block or so (and that's if you get dropped off at the door of the attraction - there's a whole level of walking just to get there). Forget public transportation - most would require extensive walking and probably stairs (some of the biggest train stations will have elevators but most do not). Japan is horrendously equipped for disabled people. A tour may be different if it's a bus but not sure. I'd talk to a travel agency that's experienced with Japan and disabilities and see what they recommend.

Masaki

You all are so wonderful. This board is the best place to go for advice.We plan to go in September if we go. The reason that I was trying to decide now is that I wanted to use frequent flier miles if I could.
We are in San Francisco and Marty went to Japantown to see what he could find out. The agency gave him a suggeted tour.He had told her about his phyusical problems and he was walking with a cane. At the bottom of the suggested tour was printed the statement that there was extensive walking and that you should be in good physical condition.Lee,I had contacted Japan airlines and have some material coming from them. I have also checked it out on the internet.
I keep saying that a cruise would be a good idea and then he could decide if he could go back. The Mariner has a good one.

Bette - I think a cruise would be a good way to go initially - the cruise staff will have extensive experience dealing with people that are mobility impaired and will have good recommendations for tours that are doable.

Masaki