Trains with Large Spaces for Baby Strollers, Wheelchairs on the Rise in Tokyo |
By Keiji Ohara / Japan News Staff Writer
7:00 JST, November 30, 2025
More train cars with large open areas are appearing in the Tokyo metropolitan area, allowing passengers with baby strollers or in wheelchairs to board without hesitation.
Seibu Railway Co. was a pioneer in introducing these cars, and Keio Corp. will also begin operating similar cars from early next year.
Parents who often travel with young children have been pleased with the change, as it makes it easier to use trains.
In late October, Keio Corp., the operator of Keio and other lines, held a ceremony to unveil a new model of train car with large open spaces. Miki Fujimoto, a 44-year-old TV personality and the mother of three children aged 5 to 13, took to the stage as a guest speaker and shared her difficult experiences in the past.
“Until recently, other passengers complained and told me to fold up [my stroller],” she said.
Fujimoto said she often traveled by train with her children, pushing a........