Tatsuya Miyo says meeting people is the hidden treasure of travelling abroad on his wheelchair.
Born in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1988, Miyo, who has relied on a wheelchair since his motorbike accident in 2006, now gives lectures and writes articles about travel for wheelchair users, while advising on wheelchair-user tours at a major tourist company.
Miyo, 31, recently spoke to Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Ai Murakami about his travels and motivation.
The following is an excerpt from the interview.
In the summer of 2017, I set off alone on an around-the-world trip on my wheelchair. I traveled around 23 countries in nine months and went to many famous sightseeing spots. But what I recall now is not the beautiful scenery, it's the people I encountered along the way, the people I met because of my wheelchair.
When I was 18, I collided with a car while riding my motorbike. I broke my neck, and some paralysis still remains in my limbs. There was a time after the accident when I withdrew from society, but little by little I reconnected after discovering wheelchair basketball, and getting a job at a temp agency thanks to one of basketball teammates.
Hawaii was the destination for my first overseas trip, which I dared to experience by myself at the recommendation of colleagues. I was overwhelmed with concern, but the streets and shops in Hawaii were very wheelchair-friendly, and local people weren't bothered by my wheelchair. It felt like the world suddenly opened up, and I developed the desire to see more of it with my own eyes.
I couldn't suppress my feelings after returning to Japan, so I quit my job and stayed in Los Angeles for one and half months, then Australia for about six months. It was fun, but it dawned on me, if I could share my travel experiences, then more wheelchair users would find it easier to travel abroad. Therefore, I decided to embark on an around-the-world trip.
Traveling alone on a wheelchair was tough and there were times when I couldn't enter a hotel because of a step, or couldn't move in a long-distance train because the aisle was too narrow.
When I was struggling because one of the front wheels on my wheelchair came off in Florence, Italy, a local went in search of tools and came back to help. At the Parthenon in Athens, the wheelchair lift on the stairs was out of order, so some local men carried me up the stairs on my wheelchair. I met them because I was traveling on a wheelchair. The places where I met such people left particularly strong impressions in my mind.
Now I give lectures and write articles about travelling on a wheelchair. I hope that my work will encourage those hesitating to take up the challenge of making the first step.
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