Second time living here, but it's relatively unchanged maybe a bit worse now. You can go to Autobacs or any store and buy the blue square "wheelchair" sticker and slap it on your car and go park in a handicapped space. And the people I see doing it are pretty much, not handicapped.
Now, before everyone jumps on me for my observed behavior, if you are legitimately handicapped, you can get the red placard that allows you to park there with zero issue. I have zero issues with these. Now I also see some older folks with the clover leaf or the "gigi" sticker and think well, they are really old so meh. When someone is well into their 80's, meh. But I see a lot of 20-30 year olds that "appear" to have nothing wrong (no placard) using the spots when someone who really is handicapped could use them.
If you really are, do the paperwork and get the real placard. Does this happen in other parts of Japan?
/end of rant.
by Joey_iroc