Not too long ago, domestic media organizations would rarely have anything negative to say about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but as the actual games draw nearer, there's been a greater willingness to find fault with preparations and even raise a bit of alarm. Everything from Tokyo's deadly summertime heat to the out-of-control budget is now up for discussion.
The most pointed criticism has probably been in the area of services for visitors with disabilities. The organizers vowed to make everything as barrier-free as possible so that people with disabilities can attend and participate in the games freely, but it’s already generally accepted that few restaurants and hotel rooms in Tokyo are truly barrier-free. An even more pressing worry is transportation.
A preview of this problem was provided in an article written by Keitaro Tanaka for Gendai Business on Jan. 10. In the piece, Tanaka describes an incident he witnessed at a taxi stand outside an unnamed JR station in Tokyo around midnight in November 2018. A man in an electric wheelchair and his female companion were trying to catch a cab and, eventually, one of the new JPN Taxis arrived.