Barrier-Free Map: Charting the way toward a more accessible Ueno

A new initiative called the Barrier-Free Map seeks to ensure that everyone is able to smoothly access all the world-class parks and cultural institutions available in Ueno. Created by Implementation Committee for New Concept “Ueno, a Global Capital of Culture”, the map indicates recommended routes from train stations to sites around the neighborhood, with detailed information on road conditions and steep slopes to help wheelchair-bound visitors and others plan their trip in advance. We caught up with the team involved in the map’s development as they performed a “route check,” a meticulous and important task that is breaking down barriers in Ueno.

A guide for wheelchair users, by wheelchair users

The Ueno Barrier-Free Map is an indispensable resource that aims to provide stress-free access to wheelchair users, stroller-toting parents, and everyone else who visits the Ueno area. In addition to barrier-free facilities — including elevators, wheelchair-friendly parking lots, and accessible restrooms — the map also highlights the most convenient routes from train stations to each of the many cultural facilities and other destinations in Ueno. For even more convenience, a dedicated team has been working to annotate the user-friendly map with notes on staircases, bumps, unpaved stretches of road, and prohibitively steep inclines, to create a comprehensive guide to all the routes that can be traversed by wheelchair.

The Ueno Barrier-Free Map aims to serve as a practicable source of information created by wheelchair users, for wheelchair users. That’s why the map developers have enlisted the help of the universal design consultants at Mirairo Inc.

Mirairo is on a mission to transform both environments and minds, leveraging the experience and knowhow of their physically disabled consultants to create a more conducive and inclusive society for all.

The Ueno Barrier-Free Map project is a team effort between designer Takahisa Fujita, a wheelchair user who identifies routes and real-life accessibility conditions, and director Sayumi Mizuno, who applies information relayed by Fujita to the finished map.

To better understand how they go about collecting all the data needed to update their barrier-free map, we accompanied the duo from Ueno-Hirokoji Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line to the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan as they surveyed the pedestrian walkways around JR Ueno Station and checked in on the Tokyo National Museum’s garden.

Searching for the shortest route to a destination

“The Barrier-Free Map is an important source of information, such as the shortest and flattest route to a destination for wheelchair users. When identifying these routes, we scrutinize the steepness of streets, identify obstructions, and note the length of slopes, as well as the locations and operating hours of elevators. There are many slopes and bumpy grade differences that people tend to overlook when walking. But for people in wheelchairs, these inconsistencies become obstructions that are very tiring to clear,” said Fujita.

Fujita pointed out pedestrian crosswalks in particular. There is always a height differential where the road meets the sidewalk, not to mention frequent manholes and sharp inclines for rainwater runoff. When accompanying Fujita, we saw the profusion of obstacles on the streets come into stark relief.

The team travelled back and forth across the same pedestrian crossing, taking photos and collecting precise data to pinpoint the absolute best possible route through the intersection. They explained that the photos are also a very important tool.

“Your perspective is different when you’re sitting in a wheelchair. Someone who’s standing might have no problem seeing elevators, train station ticket gates, and signs showing the entrances to museums. But these things might not be visible from a wheelchair. That’s why we make a point of using photos taken from the eye level of a wheelchair-user. We’re very careful to ensure that people will be able to arrive at their destination without getting lost,” said Mizuno.

The need for such photos was underscored by Ueno-Hirokoji Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, the oldest line in the sprawling Tokyo Metro system. Although Tokyo Metro has been retrofitting their stations for greater accessibility, the smoothest route is also often the most roundabout, requiring a long detour. By having this information in advance, travelers can save significant time and energy.

For example, an elevator at Ueno-Hirokoji Station was still under construction when we visited. The only way to reach the Asakusa-bound platform was to travel over the regular staircase in a wheelchair lift called the ESCAL.

Fujita strapped in for the survey’s sake, traveling up and down to check the ceiling clearance and the number of station staff needed to operate the lift. By interviewing a station attendant, he and Mizuno also discovered an alternative route to access the Asakusa-bound platform without using the ESCAL. It turns out that wheelchair users could simply disembark at the next train station, which provides a straight shot to the opposing platform. Although a bit time-consuming, the route saves the hassle of using the ESCAL.

Universal design for all

After completing the 30-minute survey of the station, the team set off for the day’s final destination: the Tokyo National Museum. Specifically, Fujita and Mizuno were on a mission to check out the accessibility of the Museum Garden to the north of the Honkan（Japanese Gallery）. Although the garden is included in the price of admission to the museum, it remains something of a well-kept secret. On the day they visited, the garden was closed for construction. Fujita thoroughly checked the width and angle of incline of the access routes, and shared his observations with the museum staff member who guided us.

As Fujita explained: “Knowing the smoothest routes to your destination gives you the confidence to be more proactive and get out of the house more. But this sort of detailed information is lacking in conventional maps. By actually traveling the routes ourselves, we’re able to improve maps with helpful information that can actually be used. Plus, we’re able to directly inform the museums and train stations about our findings, which helps them improve their accessibility. It’s a win-win. If universal design becomes more widespread, the world will become a more convenient place for everyone. It will make life easier not only wheelchair users like myself, but people with baby strollers, people with chronic illnesses, and even people who don’t have disabilities. I plan to keep working to make sure this information becomes more readily available to everyone who can use it.”

Text: Naoko Tsunoda (Fillmore East)
Photos: Takuma Imamura