In Kawasaki, Japan, the Tyoko Inn was a little over a block away from the train station in a popular area for shopping and dining. Kawasaki is just over a bridge from Tokyo. Only one entrance into the hotel exists and has automatic doors that on occasion need to be opened with a push of a button. A handicapped parking spot is just outside this door. The check-in counter had a lowered shelf accessible to sign papers. The staff’s English was super limited but we were able to communicate what we needed to. At the Tyoko Inn, a “green stay” option consists of the room not being made up and the sheets washed during the stay; fresh towels may still be provided. If you choose this you can save 5% off your stay. Also available during your stay are in-room massages which someone at the front desk will arrange. The prices were super reasonable and remember tips are not accepted.
What was very helpful and convenient was the use of a computer in the hotel lobby. Three computers are available for use as long as one wishes; no fee is required. Tyoko Inn also allows the printing of up to five pages for free. The computers are at a desk designed for those that can stand but one computer has an adjustable screen that you move to see better but will still have to reach up for the keyboard. Every morning from 7am to 10:30am the hotel offers a complimentary Japanese breakfast buffet in the lobby. Around the corner from where breakfast takes place and across from the elevators are a couple of stacked coin-operated washing machines. Some may have issues reaching the dryer but get assistance from some at the front desk if needed for this or reading directions.
Accessible Room
The majority of Tyoko Inns only have one wheelchair accessible room. I stayed in room #202 on the second floor. Two elevators are located in the lobby and one is marked priority for wheelchair users. The elevators are small, basically the size of a cargo lift, but it does the job. Room #202 had a lowered peephole and a wide door. The door is opened with a key that then needs to be placed in the key holder by the door to turn on the lights and room temperature controls are lowered within reach. Behind the door is a rack to hang bags and clothes on. On either side of the short hallway are two doors that slide open with a long, wide handle, lowered lock, and no gap. One of these rooms has a toilet and sink while the other is a bathtub and a roll-in shower.
The bathtub and roll-in shower is one of the most brilliant accessible designs I’ve seen. Normally one has to choose between the two but in this case, you don’t. The hotel provides a padded showerchair. The handheld shower nozzle is within reach as well as a grab-bar. The soap, shampoo, and conditioner come on a portable tray so you can place them where it’s convenient. To prevent water from leaking out of the room a drain is set up near the showerhead and at the front of the door. This room had twin beds aligning opposite walls, maximizing the space in between. A desk was at the head of the beds in the middle with a refrigerator, humidifier, and teapot. Over the right bed was a flat-screen television. The bed is lower and firmer than what is commonly experienced in the U.S.
