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Nov 2, 2026 Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Real estate Under consideration (not final)

MLIT to hold the 10th follow-up meeting on building design standards on November 11, covering small buildings and shop interiorsA meeting will be held on making the inside of shops easier to use

On November 2, MLIT announced that it will hold the 10th follow-up meeting on the design standards for buildings that take into account smooth movement by the elderly, people with disabilities and others, on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The agenda covers progress made so far on making buildings barrier-free, steps toward barrier-free small buildings and shop interiors, and steps toward barrier-free high schools. The meeting can be observed online, and those wishing to do so must apply by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 9.

Published schedule
  1. November 2, 2026Holding of the meeting announced
  2. 5:00 p.m., November 9, 2026Deadline to apply to observe online
  3. November 11, 2026, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.The 10th follow-up meeting

Key points

  • The meeting is the 10th follow-up meeting on design standards for buildings that take into account smooth movement by the elderly, people with disabilities and others
  • It will be held on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • The agenda covers progress to date, steps toward barrier-free small buildings and shop interiors, and steps toward barrier-free high schools
  • Those wishing to observe the meeting online must apply by email by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 9
Who is affected: Operators of small shops and offices, and property owners and design staff planning to renovate or build a shop

What to do in practice

  • If you want to follow the direction of the discussion on barrier-free shop interiors, apply to observe by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 9
  • If you are planning a renovation or new build, share with your designer that the design standards may be revised in future
Note: This article is notice of a meeting being held. It does not mean that any change to standards or obligations has been decided. What conclusions the meeting will reach, and how the design standards or rules might change, is not known at this point. Please check the issuing body for details.

Making buildings and shops easy to use for people in wheelchairs or people who cannot see well is called barrier-free design. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will hold a meeting on November 11 to discuss the guidance used when designing buildings. This time the topics are small buildings, the inside of shops, and barrier-free high schools. Anyone who applies can watch the meeting online.

Topics of this meeting
  • Applies: What has been done so far
  • Applies: Barrier-free design in small buildings and inside shops
  • Applies: Barrier-free design in high schools

Points

  • On November 11 a meeting will be held about barrier-free buildings
  • This time the topics are small buildings, the inside of shops, and high schools
  • Anyone who wants to watch online must apply by 5 p.m. on November 9
For example: If there is a step at the entrance of a shop, a wheelchair cannot get in. Making the entrance a gentle slope, or making aisles wider, is barrier-free design.

What the words mean

Barrier-free
Removing steps, narrow aisles and other obstacles so that anyone can use a place easily
Observing a meeting
Watching and listening to how a discussion goes
Sources (official)
Checked against the source on: Nov 3, 2026

This article previews items that are still under consideration or only requested. Whether they will be adopted, and whether the content or timing will change, is not final. Please check the official source again once a decision is made.

This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.

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