Tokyo’s hosting of the 2025 Deaflympics has delivered a significant boost to Japan’s accessible tourism capabilities, with organisers and travel trade representatives pointing to lasting improvements in infrastructure, training and visitor experience.
Held November 15-26, 2025, the international multi-sport event for deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes welcomed 3,000 competitors from 75 countries, alongside thousands of officials, coaches and spectators.
Nakamura: we believe the Deaflympics will serve as a turning point to make Japan a truly deaf-friendly travel destination nationwide
In preparation for the Games, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government intensified efforts to make the capital a more accessible destination. Governor Yuriko Koike had described the event as “an opportunity to promote barrier-free access to public facilities”.
By the opening ceremony, light-based warning devices had been installed at six metropolitan government facilities, including Komazawa Olympic Park, and in more than 660 toilets, changing rooms and other spaces across Tokyo. Another 40 locations, including sports facilities and libraries, were fitted with systems that convert speech into text and display it on screens.
Subsidies were also provided for training in international sign language, which serves as a lingua franca, to facilitate communication with inbound visitors.
These initiatives were designed to enhance the visitor experience during and after the event, amid a rising number of deaf and hard-of-hearing inbound travellers to Japan.
“We have seen steady growth in demand for our tours in recent years, particularly from the US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Taiwan and South Korea,” said Miyu Nakamura, founder of Japan Sign Travel, which provides tours to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. “Many deaf travellers are seeking sign-language-accessible, culturally immersive experiences rather than typical sightseeing tours.”
Today’s deaf travellers to Tokyo are benefiting from barrier-free and inclusive initiatives implemented under the Tokyo 2020 Accessibility Guidelines, created in conjunction with the Olympic and Paralympic Games held in 2021.
“Tokyo is gradually becoming more accessible, with major hotels, museums and transportation hubs introducing visual alert systems, such as vibration alarms, and staff receiving basic sign language training,” said Nakamura.
Lily Yu of Deaf Journey Media agreed that in major cities such as Tokyo, train stations tend to feature clear signage and digital screens, which “reduce reliance on audio announcements and help deaf travellers navigate independently”.
However, transportation announcements on some trains and buses still “rely heavily on sound”, which can “cause confusion, missed stops or delays” for deaf travellers, Yu said, adding that “expanding real-time visual alerts, flashing notifications and multilingual captions would significantly improve navigation and reduce stress”.
More also needs to be done in regional areas to create a welcoming environment for deaf visitors.
“Regional cities and smaller attractions often rely on volunteer interpreters or written communication,” said Nakamura, adding that Japan Sign Travel aims to address these gaps by training local guides, producing sign-language video signage and collaborating with deaf-owned businesses nationwide.
During the Deaflympics, the company provided tours that combined sports spectating with local sightseeing near event venues, including in Fukushima, host of the soccer event, and Shizuoka, host of the cycling event. Its aim was to maximise the “significant increase” in bookings related to the Deaflympics.
Travel representatives across Japan had anticipated a rise in deaf visitors around the Games period, with Nakamura noting that many travellers planned to extend their stay to experience Japan’s cultural offerings.
New Zealand-based company Deaf Adventures offered a Heart of Japan 10-day tour beginning after the closing ceremony, visiting Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nagoya and Kanazawa. An optional seven-day extension included Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto and Kagoshima.
With increased awareness and support, the Deaflympics are expected to help usher in lasting accessibility improvements in Japan for both deaf residents and travellers, according to the travel trade.
“Hosting the Deaflympics is a landmark opportunity for Japan to improve accessibility on a national scale,” said Yu.
“We believe the Deaflympics will serve as a turning point to make Japan a truly deaf-friendly travel destination nationwide,” added Nakamura.
AloJapan.com