Often I will see people in wheelchairs parked outside of shops uncomfortably waiting for something or other. What I have discovered is that, because the shops are narrow and won't accommodate their chairs, they either have to have someone go into the shop and buy something for them, or ask the shopkeepers themselves to bring out what they want. There's a man who lives close to me who lost his legs and he goes to the local 99 yen shop to buy food. To accomplish this, he has to ask the clerk to bring things out and show him them so he can decide what to buy. What is more, many of the public transportation facilities are not designed for people who can't climb copious numbers of stairs; the older subway stations in particular are bad for both the elderly and handicapped.
I won't miss this lack of accommodation of people with disabilities in light of the fact that Japan has the wealth and capability to put the necessary technology and structures in place to help them.
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