As deputy chief of the Japanese delegation at the Sydney Paralympic Games this summer, Tsunenobu Wakana was impressed with the handicapped-friendly facilities and transportation system.
However, when asked about accessibility in the Australian city in general, Wakana, the secretary general of the Japan Paralympic Committee, said: "I think Japan has a more advanced barrier-free infrastructure -- at least in terms of hardware."
That may come as a surprise to many who have long criticized Japan as a barrier-full country, where people with physical handicaps face great difficulty when they wish to use public transportation or other facilities. However, Wakana is quick to acknowledge that Japan has a long way to go, and says that the biggest obstacles may not be infrastructural, but societal.