Icons & Terminology

About icons used on this site

The following are the meanings of icons used for universal info searches and on detail pages for toilets and facilities.

Toilet Types

	Universal (ostomate)		Universal (baby)		Gender specific
	Wheelchair		Baby bed		Ostomate
	24hr		Bidet/automatic flush

Facilities

	Facilities (shrines, temples, art museums, etc.)		Accommodation (ryokans, hotels, etc.)		Stations
	Restaurants/bars

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Icon Explanations

Universal Toilet (Ostomate)

This pictogram denotes a toilet where there is enough room for a wheelchair to be maneuvered, and equipment, such as baby bed and ostomate (description to follow), is installed. At present, these well-equipped toilets can be found in all public facilities and transport facilities, such as rail stations.

Universal Toilet (Baby Facilities)

This pictogram denotes a toilet where there is enough room for a wheelchair to be maneuvered, and equipment, such as baby bed, is installed. As shoppers are the envisaged users, such toilets are installed in shops and stores. Some even have toilets and urinals for small children.

Wheelchair Friendly (Facilities) Toilets

This pictogram denotes a western style toilet with a door opening of 80cm or more (enough for a wheelchair to pass through), and enough space inside for user to move from wheelchair to toilet. It has to be noted that these toilets do not have ostomate facilities or baby beds, etc. Many toilets in private tourist facilities or public toilets built before the enactment of the barrier-free transportation law belong to this category of toilet.

Baby Friendly (Facilities) Toilet

This pictogram denotes a toilet with facilities such as a baby bed (universal bed) for baby diaper changing, etc.
Such facilities are often found some universal toilets, but are now on the increase in conventional women's toilets (and beginning to appear more in men's toilets as well).

Baby bed [* Photo 1 2]

This indicates a fold-away bed used for changing diapers.

Universal bed [* Photo 1 2]

This indicates a fold-away bed that is not just for children but also can be used for adults who have had an accident or suddenly become ill, and temporarily need to lie down.

Baby chair [* Photo 1 2]

This indicates a chair with harness that can be used to secure a baby or child while parent is using toilet.

Supplement: There is a garbage pail for disposing of disposable diapers in the City Zoo.

Ostomate (Facilities) Toilets

This pictogram denotes ostomate (osutomate in Japanese) facilities (an ostomate is a person who has undergone a surgical procedure to create an opening in the body that will be used to discharge waste [colostomy, artificial bladder, etc.]) that are used to dispose waste from ostomate pouches.
There are two types of ostomate toilets in Kyoto dedicated washing unit type and western toilet type.
Also, to make use easier, the installation of accessories such as coat hooks and mirrors and pouch bins is on the increase.

24hr Toilets

This pictogram indicates a universal wheelchair friendly toilet that is open 24 hours a day. (Mostly public toilets, hotel toilet, police box/station toilets and convenience store toilets)

Bidet equipped Toilets

This pictogram denotes a toilet equipped with a warm-water bidet for cleaning up after going to the toilet. The bidet is particularly useful for people who have trouble using their hands, such as people with cerebral palsy or hemiplegia. As this bidet function is convenient and hygienic, many people (young and old) use them in their homes, but because of running costs they are not that common in public toilets, on the whole only being found in some temples, shrines and stores in Kyoto.

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Terminology Explanations

Emergency Button

This denotes a button equipped in universal and wheelchair friendly toilets that can be used to alert people outside about trouble in the toilet. Sometimes in addition to buttons there are string-pull operated switches.

Automatic Flush

This denotes a sensor that reacts when toilet use ends in order to automatically flush the toilet for the user. There are various types of automatic flush, with some reacting to the standing up or sitting down of a user and others that require a hand to be passed over a sensor.

Flush Button

This denotes the button to be pressed to flush the toilet.
There are three main styles: comparatively old style flush valve at rear of toilet, Wall-mounted button (shoe-horn shaped flush valve) and foot-pedal (flush valve type worked by foot)

Toilet Handrails

This denotes a facility equipped with handrails that offer support to anyone who needs to use them. There are various types, which are usually fixed handrails or movable handrails.

Sliding Doors

This is the most common type of door at entrances to wheelchair friendly toilets.

Outward Opening Doors

This type of door is used on conventional toilets and on individual toilet cubicles.

Automatic Doors

Specifically, such doors are installed at the Kyoto National Museum and MOVIX Kyoto cinema complex. The automatic button outside the door can be pressed to open the door and another one inside the toilet pressed to close the door and act as a lock.

Signs

Facility signs [* Photo]

These are pictograms or symbols instantly recognizable worldwide. They can be seen most frequently inside/outside public facilities, with the most common ones being male/female toilet symbols and the wheelchair mark.

Nameplate (shop sign)

This denotes the name of a facility.

Guide-plate

This denotes a map of a neighborhood or a facility layout diagram in a plate design.

Signpost

This denotes an arrow or guidance sign (including pictograms) showing the way to a destination.

Sound Guidance

This denotes sound systems (bleeping, chirping, music, voice) provided in front of toilets and stairs leading to ticket wickets, etc., for the visually impaired. Sometimes such systems are accompanied by maps (guide signs).

Textured Paving Blocks

These yellow uneven blocks come in two types (direction of movement linear blocks and warning punctuating blocks) and are fitted into sidewalks (especially at junctions) and station platforms, etc. Visually impaired people can use the linear blocks to move between points and the punctuating blocks to know when they need to stop (at a zebra crossing or somewhere).

Braille Signs

There are Braille signs in some toilets and other public places. However, nearly of these signs are in Japanese Braille.

Wheelchair Available

There are sometimes wheelchairs available for use inside tourist spots, such as traditional wooden buildings like shrines and temples. Notable examples are Sanjusangendo Temple and Nijo Castle.

Elevators

In Kyoto, notably, elevators are installed in many rail stations, etc., for ease of movement between floors to and from ticket barriers and platforms. However, as elevators are usually situated at particular entrances, it is best to check where they are in advance.
Reference: In the toilet information section, elevator positions are given as the points on the compass or central, etc. Also, in some stations, there will be a sign showing the way to an elevator that goes up to street level.

Slope (incline)

This usually denotes a ramp that has been installed on steps to enable wheelchair access. Broadly speaking there are three types of slopes, very gentle ones (with 5% incline), public facility ones (5% to 8% incline) and steeper ones that require assistance.

Unevenness (Step)

This denotes a step up or down like a kerb or low obstacles like door sills, etc. Wheelchair users can often negotiate steps or unevenness of about 2cm by themselves; so, the unevenness mentioned on this homepage usually refers to an obstacle that will require assistance to negotiate.

Graveled (road) surfaces

In keeping with the historic views in many tourist sites in Kyoto, the paths and roads in the grounds of large temples and shrines, etc., are graveled (fine gravel of 5mm or less), which prevents muddiness, but restricts wheelchair movement. Therefore, to make movement easier around the large grounds of Nijo Castle, the castle provides power-assisted wheelchairs.

Natural Ground Surfaces of Dirt and Wood as well as Wooden Floors (universal tourism manners in traditional buildings and gardens)

In Kyoto, a city with many World Heritage sites and cultural sites, careful consideration of wheelchair usage has been given to ensure that both tourists and tourism providers are happy. Therefore, even when wheelchairs are allowed access to historical sites, always remember to wipe wheels clean and take care in moving about. Even on the courses introduced on this homepage there are places (narrows garden paths, irregular steps, stepping stones, fragile wooden corridors, etc.) where wheelchairs cannot or are not allowed to go. So, if there is something you really want to see, you may have to leave your wheelchair and be helped/carried to the place you want to go. In such cases, it is advisable to contact the tourist site manager in advance to check feasibility.

Stone Paving Slab Surfaces

This kind of paving is often used at entrances to tourist sites, and the grounds shrines and temples. Moreover, paving stones and Kyoto are synonymous. For wheelchair users, the problem with paving stones is sometimes the gaps between the stones, which can trap wheelchair wheels, so be careful.

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