What is the New Barrier-Free Law? A Clear Explanation of the 2025 Amendments!

Are you familiar with the "New Barrier-Free Law"?

Following its initial amendment in 2020, it was further revised in June 2025. Many of you might have heard the name or have a vague understanding of it, as it has been frequently covered in the news.

This time, we will explain the New Barrier-Free Law, which is often not well understood as a legal matter.

If you want to know more about what barrier-free means, please read this.

Reference:

1. Difference Between the Barrier-Free Law and the New Barrier-Free Law

While the names "Barrier-Free Law" and "New Barrier-Free Law" differ slightly, they essentially refer to the same legislation.

Generally, the "New Barrier-Free Law" refers to the "Act on Promotion of Smooth Transportation, etc. of Elderly Persons, Disabled Persons, etc." enacted in 2006, commonly known as the Barrier-Free Law. This new law was established by integrating and strengthening several existing related laws and serves as a crucial legal framework for barrier-free initiatives.

2. What Does the June 2025 Amendment to the Barrier-Free Law Entail?

From June 1, 2025, the "Act on Promotion of Smooth Transportation, etc. of Elderly Persons, Disabled Persons, etc. (Barrier-Free Law)" was amended to strengthen standards for facilities frequently used in daily life. New practical standards have been introduced, particularly concerning "toilets," "parking lots," and "theater seating."

The purpose of this amendment is to ensure that everyone, including wheelchair users, can use facilities safely and comfortably. It is not merely about strengthening installation obligations but about transitioning to a "true universal design" that fits the realities on the ground.

We have summarized the key points of the Barrier-Free Law amendment in a table.

This amendment is not just about increasing facilities. It aims to create spaces where everyone can live authentically.

• Having a toilet on each floor for wheelchair users
• Ensuring priority parking spaces are nearby when parking
• Allowing families to watch performances together in theaters
  

By establishing these "norms," the realization of a barrier-free society becomes possible.

3. What is the New Barrier-Free Law?

3-1. Purpose of the Law

The legal text of the New Barrier-Free Law states, "The purpose is to promote the improvement of convenience and safety in the movement and use of facilities by the elderly and disabled, thereby contributing to the enhancement of public welfare."

In other words, the goal is to enhance physical and mental convenience and safety by promoting barrier-free access in transportation and buildings.

Originally, the New Barrier-Free Law was enacted in 2006 by integrating the "Heart Building Law" (which mandates barrier-free access in buildings used by unspecified and numerous people, such as hospitals and department stores) and the "Transportation Barrier-Free Law" (which mandates barrier-free access in public transportation like trains and buses).

3-2. Basic Policies

① Significance and Goals of Barrier-Free Initiatives
The significance of barrier-free initiatives is proposed in the following three points.

• Realizing development based on the concept of universal design, which means "accessible, usable, and convenient for everyone, everywhere"
• Targeting not only physically disabled individuals but also all disabled persons, including those with intellectual, mental, and developmental disabilities
• Incorporating the opinions of the elderly and disabled

Additionally, numerical targets such as making 30% of buses non-step and having approximately 18,000 welfare taxis are set.

② Measures to be Taken by Facility Managers
Owners of transportation and building facilities are required to appropriately conduct planned training and manual development for staff education.

③ Formulation of Basic Plans by Municipalities
Municipalities are required to establish basic plans to promote initiatives, specifying key areas and timelines for implementation.

④ Others
The public is encouraged to understand and cooperate in promoting barrier-free initiatives.

Based on these basic policies, the government has established the mandatory standards introduced in the next section.

Reference: Explanation of the New Barrier-Free Law｜Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

4. Standards Mandated by the New Barrier-Free Law

When constructing new facilities, compliance with each standard is mandatory. For existing facilities, there is an obligation to make efforts.

4-1. Public Transportation

Stations (Train, Bus, Ship, Airplane)
・Eliminate height differences between station entrances and platforms using elevators or ramps.
・Ensure passageways wide enough for wheelchairs.
・Minimize gaps between platforms and vehicles. If gaps or steps are large, provide at least one facility for smooth boarding and alighting for wheelchair users.
・Install platform doors, movable platform fences, and other facilities to prevent falls for visually impaired individuals.
・Provide lighting on passageways and platforms.
・Ensure elevators, escalators, toilets, and ticket machines are easily accessible for the elderly and disabled.
・Install blocks for guiding visually impaired individuals and facilities providing visual and auditory information.
・Place signs conforming to JIS standards near major facilities like elevators and toilets.
・Provide writing tools at ticket sales and information counters, and indicate their availability.

Vehicles (Train, Bus, Ship, Airplane)
・Equip trains, buses, ships, and airplanes with facilities providing visual and auditory information.
・Install wheelchair spaces on trains, buses, and ships.
・Ensure train and ship toilets are easily accessible for the elderly and disabled.

Railway Vehicles
・Implement measures to prevent passengers from falling from platforms at train connections.
・Display vehicle numbers in both text and braille.

Buses
・Use low-floor buses (non-step, one-step level).
・Provide writing tools and indicate their availability.

5. Key Support Measures under the New Barrier-Free Law

5-1. Subsidies

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism provides various subsidies under the new Barrier-Free Law.

For example, there is the "Subsidy for the Installation of Public Transport Accessibility Equipment (Barrier-Free Subsidy)" which supports the purchase of non-step buses.

Reference: Non-Step Bus Report as of March 3, 2012 | Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

5-2. Policy Loans

There are also support measures offering low-interest loans.

The "People-Friendly Building Development Project" provides an interest-free loan system for the construction of specific facilities such as corridors, stairs, and elevators in certified buildings.

Reference: People-Friendly Building (Heartful Building) Development Project | Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

5-3. Tax System

Not only building owners but also individuals can receive special tax measures.

Under the "Tax System for Promoting Barrier-Free Home Renovations," if certain barrier-free renovations are made to a home, a certain amount of income tax is deducted.

Reference: Special Measures for Barrier-Free Renovations | Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

By formulating subsidies, policy loans, and tax systems, the government is promoting barrier-free initiatives.

There are many other subsidies available, so if you're interested, please do your own research.

For more details on creating a barrier-free home, check out Ayumi's article here.

Reference:

6. About the Revised Barrier-Free Law in 2020

6-1. Background and Past Challenges of the Revision

The Barrier-Free Law was revised in 2020. Fourteen years had passed since its enactment in 2006, revealing various challenges.

① Inadequate response to both hardware and software aspects of barrier-free measures.

In addition to hardware aspects like barrier-free facility development, software aspects such as educating station staff on appropriate interactions with the elderly and disabled, and support responses have not progressed sufficiently.

② Significant regional disparities in promoting barrier-free measures.

The basic concept, which is the basic plan of municipalities, has not progressed as expected.

According to a 2016 survey, only 288 out of 1,735 municipalities (16.6%) had formulated a basic concept. Furthermore, most of these (275 out of 288) were municipalities with passenger facilities serving over 3,000 people per day, with little progress in regions serving fewer passengers.

Reference: Survey on Basic Concept Development Plans (Summary of Survey Results as of the end of March 2016 (Published February 1, 2017)) | Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

③ Issues with ease of use.

The most crucial aspect of the Barrier-Free Law is ease of use.

Over approximately 20 years of implementation, the following ease-of-use issues have emerged.

• Despite aiming to become a tourism-oriented country, charter buses and sightseeing boats have not been made barrier-free.
• There is a lack of proactive information provision about barrier-free measures.
• There is insufficient evaluation and participation by people with disabilities in barrier-free initiatives.

6-2. Establishment of Basic Principles

Typically, laws do not set basic principles. However, this revision introduces new basic principles such as "realization of a symbiotic society" and "elimination of social barriers."

6-3. Promotion of Integrated Efforts by Public Transport Operators for Both Hardware and Software

In addition to hardware measures like facility barrier-free development, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will newly create a menu of software measures, including how operators should conduct customer service and training. Operators must also develop plans for both hardware and software and regularly publish and report on their initiatives.

6-4. Strengthening Regional Efforts for Barrier-Free Urban Development

A master plan system (a preliminary stage to the basic concept) has been established for municipalities to set barrier-free policies.

This includes coordination in councils, support from prefectures, and assistance with system development costs.

6-5. Enhancing Various Measures for Greater Ease of Use

By increasing the number of barrier-free facilities and providing information and evaluations, the following measures have been added to aim for greater ease of use.

• Mandatory compliance with barrier-free standards when introducing charter buses and sightseeing boats.
• Newly established effort obligation to provide information on barrier-free buildings, etc.
• Government-led meetings to evaluate implementation content with participation from people with disabilities.
  
  

7. Goals Based on the Barrier-Free Law by the End of 2025

Following the revision, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism set goals for the end of 2025.
Here is a summary of each goal.

・Passenger Facilities (Railway Stations, Bus Terminals, Passenger Ship Terminals, Airports)
Installation of signs using text, voice, and pictograms for operational information.

・Railway Stations, Bus Terminals
Facilities with an average of 3,000 users/day or more, and facilities with 2,000 to 3,000 users/day designated as life-related facilities in the basic concept, will be made barrier-free in principle.

※ Life-related facilities in the basic concept... Passenger facilities, government offices, welfare facilities, and other facilities used by the elderly and disabled in daily or social life (Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 21 of the Act)

Life-related facilities (facilities used by the elderly and disabled in daily or social life, including passenger facilities, government offices, welfare facilities, and other facilities).

Source: Act on Promotion of Smooth Transportation, etc. of Elderly Persons, Disabled Persons, etc. (Act No. 91 of 2006) | Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Passenger Ship Terminals, Airports
・Facilities with an average of 2,000 users/day or more will be made barrier-free in principle.