On June 30, 2020, it was announced that Kanagawa Prefecture, Odawara City, Hakone Town, and Oiso Town have been registered as “Host Towns of the Harmonious and Inclusive society” to host the pre-games training camps for Eritrea, Bhutan, and Myanmar for the Tokyo Paralympics to be held in 2021.
“Host Towns of the Harmonious and Inclusive society" promotes realization of an inclusive society as the legacy of the Paralympic Games, including the creation of a “barrier-free spirit" and “universal design city”.
Responding to this, the four municipalities will collaborate with each other in hosting the pre-games camps, and will hold open practice sessions, para-sport experience sessions, and other exchange programs with local residents.
In cooperation with an NPO, Odawara City will host “Scramble Dance Project” in which people with or without disabilities recognize each other's individuality and create a dance performance together. Hakone town will purchase boccia and goal ball equipment for elementary and junior high schools. Those will be used in classes and recreation time. In Oiso Town, during the week for people with disabilities, leaflets about barrier free will be distributed in the town as the educational activity to promote the idea of “barrier-free spirit".
As a part of these efforts to realize an inclusive society, FGC donated a wheelchair for Kesete, the first male marathon runner of wheelchair in Eritrea, who is aiming to compete in the Paralympics. (Please click here to read the article.) SEISA University also offers the class to experience the condition of people with disabilities through the inclusive sports.
