Toyota App Locates Accessible Restrooms in Japan

• By Laurie Watanabe
• May 14, 2015

If you are driving in Japan and are in need of a nearby public otearai – also known as a restroom – a new app from Toyota could help.

The app helps users find accessible restrooms that can be easier to navigate for wheelchair users and others with mobility issues. In fact, the app could also help travelers to compare and choose driving routes ahead of time by pointing out the number and locations of accessible bathrooms available along the journey.

The Restroom Finder app provides detailed mobility-related information on public bathrooms, including when the restrooms are open, the location of restrooms within the facilities, and how easily the restrooms can be accessed from parking areas (including parking areas for disabled drivers/passengers and regular parking areas).

The app goes into even greater detail about the restroom facilities themselves. Need to know how many entrance steps there are, the slope of the entrance ramp, whether or not there’s an automatic door, or the width of the entrance? This app has you covered. It will also give information on the presence or absence of handrails, facilities for people who have had ostomy surgery, bidets, diaper-changing tables and emergency call buttons.

Restrooms listed in the app are located at rest and service areas along highways and public roads, or at Toyota dealerships (“Welcab Stations”) that sell or work with accessible vehicles.

The app currently covers the Tokai region prefectures of Aichi, Gifu and Mie, and can filter search results according to the user’s needs.

The app launches May 21 and works with Toyota T-Connect and Lexus G-Link telematics systems.