When you think, "I want to meet my friends after a long time," what kind of action do you take?
Having lunch at a café, planning a drinking party... If you are able-bodied, it might be possible to gather on the spur of the moment.
However, for people with disabilities, various conditions are necessary to "reunite with friends."
If you have a visual impairment, you need to go to places you are familiar with, if you have a physical disability, you need a place where multiple wheelchairs can gather, and if you require medical care, you also need caregivers...
Still, just like able-bodied people, those with disabilities wish to meet their friends and enjoy leisure time together.
The sightseeing train "Himawari-go," where people with disabilities and medical and welfare professionals or volunteers enjoy a day trip together on a chartered train, provides a day for people with disabilities in Kurashiki City to reunite with friends and travel together.
In 2025, it will operate to Onomichi on May 25 (Sunday).
The author, who has a hearing impairment, boarded as a person with a disability.
What is the "Kurashiki Himawari-go Onomichi Trip"?
The Himawari-go is a chartered train exclusively for people with disabilities that started in Tokyo in 1982.
At that time, barrier-free access to trains and stations was not as widespread as it is today, and traveling by train posed many difficulties for people with disabilities.
In such circumstances, the operation of the "Himawari-go" began, led by people with disabilities, their families, volunteers, and labor unions, and it spread nationwide. In Kurashiki City, the first Himawari-go operated between Kurashiki Station and Hiroshima Station in 1985.
Passengers on the Kurashiki Himawari-go are mainly people with disabilities living, working, or studying in Kurashiki City, along with volunteers who agree with the purpose of the trip, regardless of their place of residence. From the beginning of its operation, it has been based on the idea that "participants, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, are members of a symbiotic society," and both people with disabilities and volunteers pay the same amount for participation.
In 2024, the Kurashiki Himawari-go headed to Himeji Station in Hyogo Prefecture. This year marks the 38th operation, with Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture as the destination.
Over 150 dedicated volunteers!
The highlight of the Kurashiki Himawari-go is undoubtedly the presence of dedicated volunteers.
In 2025, there were participants not only from Kurashiki City but also from Kansai and Nagoya, with over 100 applications for a capacity of 80 people.
People with disabilities were selected by lottery, but it seems that arrangements were made so that all volunteers could board.
In 2025, there were four types of volunteers recruited:
- Assistance Volunteers
Enjoy a day of travel together with those in wheelchairs or with visual impairments - Setup Volunteers
Set up temporary toilets, beds, and diaper changing stations in the train. Must participate from early morning until the end - Recreation Volunteers
Create a fun and relaxed atmosphere with recreational activities such as singing, ventriloquism, puppet shows, and picture-story shows - Recording Volunteers
Capture the day's events in photos and later compile them into a record
A total of 163 volunteers supported the journey on the day.
People of all ages, including beginners who participate every year
Volunteers are welcome, including beginners.
On May 6 (Tuesday), a "Volunteer Training Session" was held where experienced individuals taught how to assist with wheelchairs.
Children in the 4th grade and above, along with their parents, can also participate as parent-child volunteers.
On the day of the event, middle school siblings were actively involved as setup volunteers.
Some participants have become executive committee members after participating as parent-child volunteers, which shows the long-lasting nature of this activity.
The day's events
Among the people with disabilities, the breakdown of those with physical disabilities is as follows:
- Bringing their own wheelchairs (including reclining ones)
- Wheelchair rentals
- Those who require diaper changes
- People with visual impairments
- People with hearing impairments
- Those carrying portable oxygen
- Pacemaker users
In addition, more than 50 people with disabilities participated, including holders of therapeutic education certificates and mental disability health and welfare certificates.
Onomichi City has more facilities such as universal toilets compared to surrounding areas.
However, there are only a handful of universal toilets that can accommodate over 20 wheelchairs and adult diaper changes.
Support is needed for diaper changes, and many participants cannot propel their wheelchairs independently.
I have a hearing impairment, so I have difficulty hearing people's voices due to background noise.
I often give up on participating in group tours organized by travel companies because I can't hear instructions at the meeting place and think I won't enjoy it.
However, on the Kurashiki Himawari-go, there are volunteers and medical staff accompanying us.
With people to push wheelchairs, assist with diaper changes, and volunteers who check if information is conveyed to those with hearing impairments through writing or sign language, I believe I am not the only participant who feels they can go meet friends despite having a disability.
A trip where people with disabilities can spend time with friends and family
On May 25, 2025 (Saturday), when I arrived at the meeting place at the north exit of Kurashiki Station, participants were excitedly reuniting with each other, saying "It's been a while!" in front of the reception desk.
People with disabilities, families of people with disabilities, and members of the same group from previous trips found familiar faces and enjoyed watching the opening ceremony together.
The train cars are randomly assigned, but after arriving in Onomichi, there is free sightseeing, so friends can explore together.
Participants spent their travel time as they pleased with their accompanying family and friends.
Nearly 70 volunteers welcomed us in Onomichi City
Traveling with people with disabilities requires assistance along the way, but assistance is also needed at the destination. Especially in Onomichi, which is a region with many slopes. To head to Senkoji Temple and the Senkoji Observatory, help is necessary.
Therefore, at Senkoji Park, 50 members of the rugby club from Onomichi Gakuen High School participated as volunteers to assist with wheelchair support.
With their athletic builds and refreshing smiles, they provided assistance with wheelchairs on steep slopes.
Initially, support was planned only for Senkoji Park, but participants were charmed by the members who pushed wheelchairs in the shopping district and came to see off the Himawari-go bus at the platform on the way back.
Since it was a hot day, they bought and enjoyed juices and sweets recommended by members living in Onomichi, deepening their bonds with the participants.
The distribution of bento boxes on the day was requested from the Onomichi City Social Welfare Council and the Onomichi City Volunteer Liaison Council.
On the day, the executive committee members tasted the bento boxes on a preliminary visit to Senkoji Park, ordering a feast filled with many side dishes while imagining the faces of the participants with disabilities who join every year.
The volunteers who welcomed us in Onomichi City totaled 76.
Volunteers from both Kurashiki and Onomichi worked together to support the journey.
First-time experiences! A journey filled with hints for future outings
Like me, a person with hearing disabilities who hesitates to join group tours, there were participants who challenged themselves to do things they had not considered attempting due to their disabilities.
If a person with a portable oxygen tank is struggling to climb a slope, how would you approach them?
Would you feel the urge to stop and offer help, or suggest a wheelchair? It can be hard not to be overly concerned.
However, the executive committee members and volunteers of the Kurashiki Himawari-go chose the option to "watch over."
This was because the participants expressed their desire to "walk by themselves."
As a result, participants who made it to both the Senkoji Observatory and Senkoji by themselves had expressions filled with a sense of accomplishment, whispering, "It was fun."
With a medical team on standby nearby, wheelchair rentals could be provided immediately if needed.
Thanks to such thorough preparations, they were able to focus on supporting the participants' wishes while watching over them during the journey.
Additionally, when trying to take the ropeway from Senkoji to the shopping district, they also encountered participants using the wheelchair lift.
Occasionally seen at train stations and public facilities, wheelchair lifts are expensive machines that require significant investment.
Therefore, it is important to let as many people as possible know that there are wheelchair users who utilize these lifts and to convey the significance of their installation.
This journey, being a group tour for people with disabilities, maximally utilized the welfare equipment that has been installed.
The wheelchair user who utilized this lift mentioned that this day was their first experience riding a ropeway.
"I never thought I would ride because I am in a wheelchair, but actually riding it was a completely different experience with a fresh perspective! This is because, when you are in a wheelchair, your line of sight is generally lower compared to able-bodied people. Therefore, experiencing looking down at the town from above, like in a ropeway, was moving," they said, their eyes sparkling.
To maximize the abilities of people with disabilities and the resources of society, it is essential for them to have successful experiences. "Since I could do it during the Kurashiki Himawari-go, I will try again," can lead to applying this to their daily lives, and even those who hesitated on the day may find motivation to try again on personal trips by seeing their peers challenge themselves.
A journey that creates bonds with friends you want to say "See you again"
Encounters during the journey are not just about reunions.
While the Kurashiki Himawari-go has a high percentage of repeat participants, many were also riding for the first time this time.
On the day, volunteers formed groups of two to three for each person with a disability, so there were also groups with members meeting for the first time.
Participants who had slightly stiff expressions on the train to Onomichi gradually relaxed as they ate their bento and explored Onomichi.
Especially in the Onomichi shopping district, there were many spots for food walking, so people with disabilities and volunteers enjoyed juices and sweets while discussing together.
Some groups even went to eat Onomichi ramen, and it seems they spent their time as they pleased.
In some groups, students from Onomichi High School also joined in, and they were happily chatting together.
At the train on the way back and in front of the ticket gate at JR Kurashiki Station, there were scenes of reluctant farewells, and it seems they found "friends they want to meet again next year" as they headed home.
In conclusion
Since I was in charge of photography on the day, I often acted alone, but I was asked, "Did you get to eat something delicious?" and "Did you buy souvenirs?" and was approached with sign language, "You participated last year too," which made me feel like a travel companion.
That alone was enough to make me happy, but as I was about to leave the meeting place, someone tapped me on the shoulder and, when I turned around, they came to say, "See you again next year!"
It felt like I was included among the friends I want to meet again next year, and it was a delightful and heartwarming remark.
The events of the day will be broadcast in a special program on OHK Okayama Broadcasting on June 21, 2025 (Saturday).
The Kurashiki Himawari-go, which allows people with disabilities to travel with peace of mind alongside their friends, was an important day for the people with disabilities in Kurashiki City, who work hard every day in a society where able-bodied individuals are the majority, looking forward to this day.
Kurashiki Himawari-go Onomichi Trip Data
| Name | Kurashiki Himawari-go Onomichi Trip |
|---|---|
| Date | May 25, 2025 (Sunday) From around 8:00 AM to around 6:00 PM |
| Location | Between Kurashiki and Onomichi |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | Adults 3,000 yen, Elementary, Middle, High School, and University Students 2,000 yen (Includes JR fare, facility entrance fee, lunch bento, and insurance fee) |
| Website | Kurashiki Himawari-go Executive Committee |
