Whoever said "It's a jungle out there" must have been talking about Tokyo. Or perhaps it's more of a gigantic maze, with buildings squashed together, and stations with stairs and escalators going in every direction -- all filled with crowds of irritated people.

It's rather frightening if you don't know your way around, which must be why guidebooks are a big thing in Tokyo. There are guidebooks for restaurants, shops, amusement parks -- you name it. However, these books, which are based principally on quality and price, not accessibility, are of little use to those who are physically disabled.

It is estimated that in Tokyo alone, 33,100 out of a population of 12 million (about 0.3 percent) are registered-disabled wheelchair-users. Although it has taken a long time to address the needs of these people, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, ward offices and the Red Cross have recently published guidebooks providing the physically disabled with detailed information on getting around Tokyo.

The metro government's Social Welfare Bureau put out a handbook on public transportation in Tokyo. "There are about 680 stations in Tokyo, and to our surprise, many of them had added barrier-free elevators, slopes and such to help the disabled to get from the ticket gate to the platform," says Isao Matsumoto, an official at the bureau. "But there was one thing missing -- access into the station itself from ground level. Hopefully, that will be the next step in transforming Tokyo into a barrier-free environment."

Although the metro government guidebook covers most of the necessary transport information, it doesn't give any tips as to where traveling wheelchair-users might like to go.

Office J.B., a freelance publishing company, spotted a gap in the market and created a magazine-style leisure guidebook for wheelchair-users.

"Due to the budget constraints of the wards and the government, the guides they produce are quite basic with no photographs," says Office J.B. employee Yukio Iida. "We wanted to create something colorful and informative."

With this goal, they traveled around Tokyo and Yokohama, sometimes in wheelchairs, going in and out of restaurants, department stores and amusement parks. "To our disappointment, many of the buildings were not barrier-free," says Iida. "But to compensate, the employees, especially younger ones, were very cheerful and helpful. This is perhaps due to the fact that prejudice about the disabled is gradually decreasing as, through education and the media, we understand more about their situation."

This may be true, but some wheelchair-users may need to tackle their own mental obstacles, too. "These people need to be given the opportunity to go out," says Masahiko Ito, a member of the Red Cross Language Service Volunteers. "There is an exchange program between Japan and Britain for physically disabled people sponsored by the Red Cross. We took 10 wheelchair-users, all in their 20s, and they had the time of their lives. They had never been abroad before, but through this experience they've developed the courage to go beyond their familiar world and into unknown territory."

The Red Cross Language Service Volunteers first published English-language guidebooks for disabled visitors to Japan in 1977. Then, as the publishers realized the guidebooks would be of use to residents too, they went bilingual in 1996.

"There have been massive changes in the structure of buildings and stations in the past 10 years," says Ito, "but there is still a lot of room for improvement because, at this stage, wheelchair-users still cannot live completely on their own. In order for this to be possible, we must reconstruct not just the buildings, but also our attitudes toward the disabled. When we overcome that hurdle, we will be able to say that Tokyo is completely barrier-free."

The following are some guidebooks to barrier-free Tokyo:

Barrier Free Map of Tokyo

Published this year by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, this guide covers all public transportation (trains, buses and taxis) in Tokyo. It details all stations in Tokyo; lists buses with entry slopes, or low floors with no steps; lists taxi companies with car lifts or revolving seats; and maps the layout of Haneda Airport.

It can be bought for 960 yen on the 3rd floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building, or ordered at any large bookstore.

Kurumaisu Odekake Guide (Town Guide for Wheelchair-users)

Published last year by Office J.B. and Futabasha, this full-color book is a guide to all leisure spots in Tokyo and Yokohama. Included are comprehensive entries for Tokyo Disneyland, Odaiba, gourmet restaurants and major department stores.

It can be bought or ordered at any major bookstore for 1,600 yen.

Accessible Tokyo

Published this year by the Red Cross Language Service Volunteers, this is the only guide so far that has been written in both Japanese and English. Inside is all the information necessary for disabled visitors to Tokyo, both foreign and Japanese, including a list of hotels, museums, theaters and stations.

It is free of charge and can be ordered by post, fax or e-mail. For further information, contact the Japan Red Cross Society at (03) 3432-5507 or e-mail [email protected]

Shinjuku Yasashii Machi Guide Map (Shinjuku Town Guide)

Published by the Social Welfare Department of the Shinjuku Ward Office in 1999, this guide includes maps of Shinjuku Ward and details its public facilities such as parks, libraries, public lavatories and social welfare centers.

It is free of charge and can be picked up at the Shinjuku Ward Office and its branch offices.

Similar pamphlets are available at the ward offices of Chiyoda, Chuo, Bunkyo, Suginami and Adachi wards. Other areas, including Minato, Nerima and Katsushika wards, are in the process of compiling guides. For further information, contact the relevant ward office.