In October 2017, the Japan Sport Council (JSC), the Netherlands Olympic
Committee * Netherlands Sport Federation (NOC*NSF) and three municipals
in Tokyo (Adachi City, Edogawa City, Nishitokyo City) agreed to cooperate
in order to take the opportunity of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic
Games, to promote an inclusive society through parasports.
The Game Changer Project (GCP), the product of the agreement of the five
parties, was successful carried out during FY2017-FY2021, and provided
plentiful insights, inspiration and experience among everyone involved.
We would like to share these lessons with those who work in the community
sports sector. It could be local policy makers, sports programme officers,
NPO staff or students. This guidebook is designed to help them when theyplan, implement and access their projects.
This book is a translation of the same guide originally written in Japanese.
The findings in this guidebook are the result of applying ideas and learnings
from our Dutch partners to the Japanese context. Consequently, there
may be parts that depend on and are unique to the Japanese culture
and society. However, the authors (i.e. us) hope that it will still serve as areference for projects in other countries.

A case study ofGame Changer project 2017-2021
on Parasports & Social Inclusion
in Japan

CONTENTS■ Introduction“Parasports and social inclusion”- Why now ?
1. Social inclusion of people with disabilities

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9

2. The state of sports for people with disabilities in Japan

10

3.“Integration”and“ inclusion”in sports globally

12・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

4. Parasports promotion and moves toward realization of
an inclusive society

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I Necessary preparation
1. Where to begin?

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2. What kind of budget and resources are necessary ?

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3. What is the key to producing outcomes?

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4. What poses challenges and obstacles ?

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II Considering issues based on examples
1. From the standpoint of implementing sports for people with disabilities,
how do you view people with disabilities ?

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2. Initiatives for people with disabilities who engage in(want to engage in) sports

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3. Initiatives for people with disabilities who are not engaged in(do not want to engage in) sports

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38

4. Turning initiatives related to the Game Changer Project into new projects,
and behind the scenes of developing new initiatives

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41

5. Initiatives and standpoints of local government sport administrators aimed
at realizing an inclusive society through sports

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4

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III Initiative checklist
1. Know the current situation

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2. Create medium-term and long-term goals and plans

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53
55

3. Listen to what people with disabilities have to say(consultation / cooperation with related departments)

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56

4. Share knowledge (workshops, qualification acquisition,
appointment of specialists, etc.)

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58

5. Increase the number of diverse opportunities (events, clubs, seminars,
dispatch of coaches, independent activities, etc.)

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60

6. Create structures (cross-disciplinary meetings, consultation desks
and concierges, government specialists)

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61

7. Measure results (look at change compared to the baseline:
Numerical indicators, logic models, stakeholder mapping, opinions ofresidents and stakeholders, symbolic anecdotes and stories)

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IV About the Game Changer Project
1. What is the Game Changer Project?

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2. Summary of initiatives

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71
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3. Lessons from the Game Changer Project

75

Transitions of the Game Changer Project79

Resources

84

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References

・ ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Final message

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

5

86
87

6

Introduction

Introduction“Parasports and social inclusion” - Why now?

Remarks / memo

1. Social inclusion of people with disabilities■ From separation to integration, then inclusion
Social inclusion is a concept which has come into use in the areasof social welfare, the labor market, and education for people withdisabilities. It is the idea of protecting all people from loneliness, isolation,
exclusion, and conflict, and including and supporting them as membersof society, in order to help them achieve healthy and cultural lifestyles.
For example, regarding securing educational opportunities for children
with disabilities, formally, overseas as well as in Japan, children withdisabilities were separated from the rest and given "separate education"in which the children were taught special content. Eventually, althoughseparate educational content for children with and without disabilities
was maintained, children were taught using "integrated education," which
values all children receiving education in the same place. In recent
years this "integration" has proceeded a step further, and the conceptof "inclusive education" is spreading. "Inclusive education" aims not tosimply separate educational content based on the presence or absenceof disabilities, but rather to allow each child to be able to receive an
education that suits his or her development and needs in a place very
close by, without having to go to a special place far away.1■ Including minorities in society
In the West, the harmful effects of social exclusion of people withdisabilities and socioeconomically disadvantaged people in areas liketraditional employment schemes and the way local communities functioned,came to light in the 1980s. And in recent years, the question of how
to deal with the rapid increase in immigrants and refugees who crossnational borders has become an urgent issue. The acceptance of not
only people with disabilities but also society's minorities into companies
and society have long been debated in Japan too. For example, in theplan for how the Olympic Park of the 2012 London Olympics in GreatBritain would be used after the Olympics, people with disabilities wereinvolved from an early stage in important decision-making processes. It
is said that this made the facility’s transition from“competition mode”to“legacy mode”a smooth one.2

1

From page 60 of“Supōtsu tantousha ni nattara yomu hon Chihou gyousei ni okeru ebidensu bēsu no seisaku ritsuan ni
torikumu tame ni”(“Book for people newly responsible for sports - In order to strive for evidence-based policy creation in
local government”) by the Japan Sport Council (2020). Refer to the book for details: www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B08ZQJ7X1T

2

Taken and modified from pages 60-61 of“Supōtsu tantousha ni nattara yomu hon Chihou gyousei ni okeru ebidensu
bēsu no seisaku ritsuan ni torikumu tame ni’(“Book for people newly responsible for sports - In order to strive for
evidence-based policy creation in local government”) by the Japan Sport Council (2020). Refer to the book fordetails:www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B08ZQJ7X1T

9

I n t r o d u ct ion

Remarks / memo

■ Social model of disability
Views surrounding how people with disabilities and society should be arealso changing. In 2001 the World Health Organization revised the existing
International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps(ICIDH) and newly created the "International Classification of Functioning,
Disability and Health" ("ICF"). Up till then, the classification had been one
which enumerated things that people could not do as a result of sicknesses
or disabilities. In contrast, the ICF is based on a way of thinking which
focuses on things that people can do while leading their everyday lives andsocial lives. As a result of this, the so-called social model of disability, which
said that disabilities are defined not by an individual's physical functions
but rather by the state of society, came to be promoted. This provides a
guideline which says that businesses should take appropriate action suchthat people with disabilities are not prevented from participating in society.
In particular, it is stipulated that public organizations such as the national
government of Japan, local governments, and independent administrative
institutions shall incorporate "reasonable accommodation" into strategies.
In Japan too, seeking to promote participation in society by people withdisabilities, the government aimed to ratify the "Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities" adopted at the United Nations in 2006, andproceeded with reform of the system. Revisions to the Basic Act for
Persons with Disabilities in 2011 included the prohibition of discrimination
against people with disabilities. As a law which specifically promoted this,the so-called "Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with
Disabilities," which incorporated the idea of "reasonable accommodation,"
was passed in 2013.3

2. The state of sports for people with disabilities in Japan■ Basic Act on SportIn the Basic Act on Sport, enacted in 2011, it was clearly stated in thepreamble that all people have the right to lead a happy and fulfilling
life through sport. Further, it was stipulated in Article 2 Paragraph 5of the Act that "So that persons with a disability can engage in sports
independently and actively, sports must be promoted while making thenecessary reasonable accommodations in accordance with the type anddegree of disability."■ Transfer of control of sports for people with disabilities
Reflecting the objectives of the Basic Act on Sport, starting in 2013,
all responsibilities regarding sports for people with disabilities weretransferred from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare – originallyhaving administrative jurisdiction in this field − to the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, starting with sports for people
with impairments with a high level of competition (including projects serving
as a foundation for supporting medal-winning in the Paralympics, and so on).
In 2014, responsibility for projects carried out from the standpoint of sports
promotion, such as overall improvement of competitiveness and widening
3

10

Cabinet Office,“Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities”https://www8.cao.go.jp/shougai/suishin/sabekai.html [Last viewed Jan. 28th, 2022]

Introduction

Remarks / memoof the range of participation in sports for people with impairments wastransferred. In November 2015, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology announced a policy as a response to the“Actfor Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities,”indicating
points of attention in the sports field.4■ Founding of the Japan Sports Agency
In October 2015, the Japan Sports Agency was founded as an external
agency of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology, as an entity that would assume comprehensive responsibility
for overall domestic sports governance.

■ Sports Promotion Lottery
Starting from FY 2016, some application conditions for financial
assistance projects supported through the Sports Promotion Lottery run
by the Japan Sport Council (JSC) were also relaxed, and if the purposeof an improvement project is to make a sports facility for local residents
barrier-free, application for aid can now be made even if the project
does not involve provision of a space directly necessary for holding acompetition.

■ Second Sport Basic Plan
In the Second Sport Basic Plan formulated in March 2017, Section 2
holds up the ideal of ＂barrier free minds through sports,＂ and in Part 2of Section 3, a specific policy with the goal of raising the percentage of
people with disabilities who participate in sports once a week or more toabout 40% is laid out. Further, in recent years, efforts are also focusing
on the spread of competitions linked to sports for people with disabilities
such as the Paralympics, but also the Deaflympics (for hearing-impaired
persons) and the Special Olympics (for people with an

intellectual

disability).

■ From“sports for people with disabilities”to“parasports”
Amid a series of actions, sports for people with disabilities came to be
termed "parasports." 5 Further, in October 2021, the public interest
incorporated foundation responsible for promoting sports for people with
impairments in Japan changed its name from one which could literally
be translated as "Japan Sports Association for Disabled" to "JapanesePara-Sports Association." Reasons the association gave for changing
the name included making the name one that was more likable and easy
to understand for the people of Japan and association-related people,
the fact that "parasports" was becoming well-known in Japan as a term
meaning "sports for people with disabilities," and the fact that recently
the number of sports for people with impairments which people without
disabilities also participated in had been increasing, and going forward it
was desirable to proceed as "parasports" without restricting participation
for anyone in aiming for the realization of an inclusive society.6
4

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,“Regarding Special Needs Education”https://www.
mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/tokubetu/material/1364725.htm [Last viewed Feb. 26th, 2022]

5

Tokyo Metropolitan Government,“TEAM BEYOND / What are parasports?”https://www.para-sports.tokyo/sports[Last viewed Feb. 26th, 2022]

6

Japanese Para-Sports Association,“Regarding the change of name of this association”https://www.parasports.
or.jp/news/detail/20211001_003870.html [Last viewed Feb. 26th,2022]11

I n t r o d u ct ion

Remarks / memo

3.“Integration”and“inclusion”in sports globally■ Separate sports for people with and without disabilities
Until now, it was common to consider sports for people with and without
impairments as events separate to each other and aimed at different
groups of people, just as the Olympics are separate to the Paralympics.
Meanwhile, this led to a lack of understanding regarding people with
impairments among people involved in sports , and to opportunities forpeople with disabilities who wanted to participate in their local sports
being limited.

■ Integration
The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international combined sports
meeting where countries and regions that belong to the Commonwealth of
Nations compete together. It is an event with a long history, with the first
Games being held in 1930. The Games included events for athletes witha disability for the first time in 1994. Still, at that time, the events weretreated as exhibition sports, so medals were not counted toward the total
medal count of each team. However, at the 2002 Commonwealth Games,
held in Manchester in the United Kingdom, events for athletes without adisability and events for athletes with a disability were officially included
as part of the same Games name, a world first for an international multisport event. This was one catalyst for changing world consciousness.
Athletes with and without impairments represent their country together inthe same team, and medals from both are given the same weighting in the
medal tallies for each country. Further, events for all sports were held in
an integrated manner. For example, in venues such as the track and fieldvenue and the swimming venue, races for athletes with disabilities areheld right after races for athletes without disabilities. The Games havedemonstrated a new form of sports "integration" to the world in detail. For
example, athletes without disabilities use a victory podium that athleteswith disabilities are able to use.7■ Inclusion
The Special Olympics is a global sports movement aimed mainly at
people who have intellectual disabilities. A central feature of the Special
Olympics is that goals of the movement include not only promoting thehealth and physical strength of people with intellectual disabilities andimproving their competitive skills, but also, through daily practice andinteractions with their local region, giving them experiences that foster
self-confidence and a sense of independence. The achievements of thesedaily efforts are demonstrated during the Special Olympics World Games,
currently held once every four years. Further, within Japan, competitions
held include national championships which also serve as trials for theSpecial Olympics World Games. One initiative of the Special Olympics is a
new form of competition which is recently gaining attention called "unified
7

12

From page 65 of“Supōtsu tantousha ni nattara yomu hon Chihou gyousei ni okeru ebidensu bēsu no seisaku ritsuan
ni torikumu tame ni”(“Book for people newly responsible for sports - In order to strive for evidence-based policy
creation in local government”) by the Japan Sport Council (2020). www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B08ZQJ7X1T

Introduction

Remarks / memo

sports" in which people without disabilities and people with intellectual
disabilities play sports together. Efforts are made to put people of similarage, competitive skill, etc. on the same team. Efforts are also made sothat everyone can enjoy sports in the same way with friends. Unified
sports have also been introduced into the Special Olympics World Games.
However, it is stipulated that a condition of participation is that athletesmust be linked with their own country's sports organizations, professional
teams, or the like. In Japan, soccer and basketball have been introduced.
Regional branches and professional teams from various places arecooperating with each of these sports and helping to nurture competitors.

4. Parasports promotion and moves toward realizationof an inclusive society■ Inclusive society host towns
Towards the Tokyo 2020 Games, Paralympians of various countries
were hosted for training camps all across Japan, which triggered Japanto accelerate endeavors aimed at realizing an inclusive society. With theaim of extending efforts beyond the Tokyo 2020 Games, the "inclusive
society host towns" system was established in November 2017. With the
spread of COVID-19 infection, quite a few local municipalities were forced
to curtail or halt activities, but still proceeded with overall efforts such as
the spread of universal design in town planning and barrier-free minds,
set off by meetups with and hosting of Paralympians.8■ Game Changer projectIn 2016, the Japan Sport Council (JSC) held a meeting with the
Netherlands Olympic Committee * Netherlands Sport Federation(NOC*NSF), which had advanced a project for solving social problems
through sports towards the Rio 2016 Games by cooperatinginternationally with the Games host country. As a result, it was decided
that a new "Project for solving social problems through sports" would beorganized for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Local public bodies were invited
to participate in the project through JAPAN SPORT NETWORK (JSN)⁹,and it was decided that the project would go ahead with the three local
governments of Adachi City, Edogawa City, and Nishitokyo City. thethree parties (NOC*NSF, JSC, and the local governments) then discussed
and agreed that the common theme of the project would be "Promotionof sports for people with disabilities and the realization of an inclusive
society" (parasports and social inclusion).10■ #WeThe15On August 19th, 2021, just before the opening of the Tokyo 2020
Paralympic Games, the #WeThe15 campaign launched with the aim ofending discrimination against the 1.2 billion persons with disabilities in
8

Prime Minister’s Office of Japan,“Host Town Initiative”https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/tokyo2020_suishin_honbu/
hosttown_suisin/index.html [Last viewed on Feb. 26th, 2022]

9

Aiming for the vitalization of regions and sports, JSN cooperates and works together with local public bodies,
sports organizations, and the private sector, providing opportunities for and experience in attempting endeavorsthat are useful in regional sports policy planning and implementation. https://www.jpnsport.go.jp/jsn/index.html

10 For details of this project, see pages 65-75 of this document.

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I n t r o d u ct ion

Remarks / memo

the world. In his speech at the Paralympic Opening Ceremony, Andrew
Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC),
pointed out that,"Overlooking what brings us together, to focus on thefactors that differentiate us, fuels discrimination. It weakens what we canachieve together as a human race." He also said that over the next ten
years, #WeThe15 would challenge how the world's 15% with disabilities
were perceived and treated at a global level, and would put the world's
1.2 billion persons with disabilities firmly at the heart of the inclusion
agenda.11

11 International Paralympic Committee (2021) IPC President Andrew Parsons' Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony speech

https://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-president-andrew-parsons-tokyo-2020-opening-ceremony-speech [Lastviewed Jan. 12th, 2022] Speech excerpts translated by JSC.

14

I

Necessary preparation

Policy practical guide

I-1

Where to begin?

Remarks / memoThis section will consider what should be done first when launching
initiatives for 'Parasports and Social Inclusion' in local government, as
someone responsible for the initiatives.

A meeting between JSC and NOC*NSF when the Game Changer project was started■ Know the background and situation unique to the region
Each region has a different background and situation related to theparticipation of people with disability in society and sports. Before starting
the project, listening to what those responsible for and involved withwelfare related to people with impairments have to say and deepening
understanding helps to position a project within the whole picture.

■ Confirm related regulations, systems, and policies
Among existing regulations, systems, and policy enforcements that are
related to sports policies, policies handling persons with a disability,
inclusive society policies, and so on, check whether there are things thatseem suitable for becoming the project's basis or foundation. If there are,check what their main idea is.

■ Understand the overall plan and related plans
Gain an understanding of the local government’s overall plan and relatedplans connected to sports, people with disabilities, and inclusive society,17

P ol i c y p r a c t ical guide

Remarks / memoetc. By understanding what current issues have been identified in a rangeof related fields, an overall image of the results for each policy's goals
can be obtained.
It is also an important basis for concretizing the overall system ofactivities that will be considered and developed later.

■ Analyze existing information and findings
If there are already findings related to sports policies, policies handlingpersons with a disability, inclusive society policies, and so on, their results
can be used to deepen awareness and understanding of the present
situation. Further, it is also important to have a clear view in advanceof whether the information gained seems suitable for as baseline data
for measuring the results of future efforts, or, if the data is old or cannot
cover the scope of future efforts, whether it is necessary to conduct new
research.

18

Policy practical guide

I-2

What kind of budget andresources are necessary?
Remarks / memoThis section will introduce an example of a local government which
participated in the Game Changer Project, in order to provide hints
for considering what amount of funds should be allocated to whichareas when proceeding with initiatives for "Parasports and Social
Inclusion" in a local government.

The first joint workshop, held in January 2017

■ Activities and procurement of funds at local governments in
the Game Changer Project
Activities at local governments in the Game Changer Project12(1) Lecture meetings and exchange activities/events(2) Workshops/classes(3) Policy/systematic implementation activities(4) Public relations activities, etc.
Various different resources were combined. Funds were directly
appropriated for some activities that were conducted, while some activities
were conducted within the scope of staff labor costs, some projects
were categorized as being a part of designated management work, others
were funded by the partner in the project (the Netherlands Olympic
Committee* Netherlands Sport Federation (NOC*NSF))¹³, and so on.
12

For details of the project, refer to“II Considering issues based on examples,”“IV About the Game Changer Project,”
and“V Documents.”

13 In the Game Changer Project, the Netherlands Olympic Committee* Netherlands Sport Federation (NOC*NSF)

contributed the funds required for sending athletes, coaches, and specialists to the Japanese local governments for
its own purposes, so basically, the local governments did not have to bear costs for people invited to Japan (travel
costs, expenses during stay, etc.).

19

P ol i c y p r a c t ical guide

Remarks / memo

■ Amount of expenses, expense items
For Adachi City, Edogawa City, and Nishitokyo City, which participated in
the Game Changer Project, the average expense over a five-year period
for budgeted and implemented initiatives was about 6 million yen. This
converts to about 1.2 million yen per year.¹⁴ This includes commissions
payments and interpretation fees for lectures and exchange as well as
events, equipment and consumable goods expenses for the purchaseof korfball equipment, souvenirs, and so on, lecturer remuneration andfees for use of venues for workshops and lessons, and printing costs forposters, leaflets, and panels created for publicity and public relations foreach activity.

■ Examples of project implementation and funds procurement
What does "combine various different resources" mean? Let's look at thisin a little more detail, using an example. In a lecture/exchange activity
with an elementary school or school for special needs education, thelocal government has many discussions with principals' associations andprincipals with a great interest in the project, and coordinates matterssuch that the project is implemented as part of school events. In
addition, the itinerary for the NOC*NSF's visit to Japan and their scheduleof activities for their stay in Japan are coordinated with the JSC acting as
an intermediary. The NOC*NSF designates lectures and exchange projects
carried out in Japan as activities that are part of international cooperation
projects. As part of that, based on the requests of its Japanese partners,
the NOC*NSF selects athletes, coaches and specialists to send to Japan,
covers international travel costs and expenses during their stay, andsends the personnel to Japan. The local government arranges theofficial vehicle for taking the people sent to Japan between theirhotel and the school which will be the venue. The local government also
arranges an interpreter for the activities at the school.

■ Examples for setting goals when implementing an activity
within the projectIn the case of example from above (lecture/exchange activities at aschool), goals (results) for the initiative were set for the four parties
who jointly contributed resources (the school, the local government, theNOC*NSF, and the JSC).
[Goals of the school] To obtain an educational effect through having
the students enjoy sports with Paralympians and listen to what theParalympians have to say.
[Goals of the local government] To improve the local level of familiarity
with parasports and promote local understanding of people with disabilities.
[Goals of the NOC*NSF] International exchange with and contribution to thehost country and city of the Olympics and Paralympics through the Games,
and, through these endeavors, promotion of the sociability of athletes anddevelopment of their careers.
[Goals of the JSC］ Implementation of model cosponsored projects
with the local government and acquisition of new knowledge, in order
14 Does not include the Adachi City promotion video production commissioning costs.

20

Policy practical guide

Remarks / memo

to embody "Realizing an inclusive society and the like through sports/
Promotion of sports for people with a disability, etc." which are set out in
the Sport Basic Plan.

■ How funds and resources should be procured and secured in
the futureThus, a productive project can be achieved by involved stakeholders
each jointly contributing resources, even if each stakeholder's budget andresources are limited. The Game Changer Project had a special limited
nature, since it was conducted in the opportunity-creating flow of the leadup to the Tokyo 2020 Games, which led to it being relatively easy to put
together the project's funds and resources. Meanwhile, as mentioned
above, the social demand and need for "Parasports and Social Inclusion"is increasing even more both internationally and in Japan. During the timeheading towards 2030, when the whole country is striving to promote SDGs,
in order to procure and secure new funds and resources, flexible thinking
and cooperation within a structure that rises above vertical divisions
will be necessary.

21

P ol i c y p r a c t ical guideI-3
Remarks / memo

What is the key to producing
outcomes?

This section considers what the key is to creating outcomes ininitiatives related to parasports and social inclusion.

The Game Changer Project signing ceremony, held at the Embassy of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan in October 2017.

■ On the field: General principles of inclusive sports
When advancing initiatives for parasports and social inclusion, the Dutch
taught us the philosophy of "By being creative, you will increase thenumber of things participants can do.". Rather than fitting someone into apredetermined framework, fit the framework to them. In this idea can befound general principles such as the following: 15(1) Think with a focus on ability and "things that can be done," not on"disability" and "things that cannot be done."(2) Treat people the same way, whether or not they have a disability. In
other words, think“What kind of person is this?”rather than "What kindof disability does this person have?"(3) Directly ask the person "What can you do?" and discuss it with them.
(4) Properly understand the important points to note regarding each
person's health.
(5) Change the leadership/coaching method, rules, challenge, equipment,
location, environment, and so on to suit the person and situation.

15

22

From a presentation by the Japan Sport Council,“JSN Regional sport innovation seminar‘No.6 : An inclusive
society through sport - Schemes and structures for facilitating the participation of people with disabilities in sports’”(Jan.14th, 2021).

Policy practical guide

Remarks / memo

■ Connections Building relationships with stakeholders
The number of things that can be done by the local governments department
in charge of sports alone is limited. Firstly, it is important to consider
frameworks and opportunities that can allow initiatives to proceed among
government departments of a similar level, for example, departments
dealing with disability and welfare and inclusive society matters. Next,
the key is how to build relationships through the departments responsible
with not only the persons with disabilities, but also with family members,carers, supporters, specialists, and others involved. Finally, the key is tofoster relationships gradually, so that community sports leaders and sports
promotion committee members, general community sports clubs, sports
facility designated management entities, and others in the community canbuild lasting relationships within their lives and sphere of activities.

■ Medium-range plan and evaluation/improvements
In order to create positive change on the ground level in the areas ofparasports and social inclusion, it is necessary to continue initiatives for a
multi-year period. An inclusive society cannot be achieved just by carryingout one specific project, so it is necessary to design multilayered, multiapproach initiatives. For example, plan and implement various initiatives
concurrently, link one with the next to build results gradually, and so on.
Policy adoption and projects are initiatives for solving issues that are
creating gaps between the vision (of how things should ideally be) and theactual situation (how things are now). It is necessary to plan backwards
from the final goal for achieving the vision, plan multiple initiatives thatare necessary for achieving that goal, set individual goals for achieving
those initiatives, and then also plan individual specific initiatives forachieving those goals. For example, in order to be able to provide sports
programs for people with disabilities at the sports centers in any district in
the future, it is necessary for the sports coaches working at each sports
center to gain knowledge and skills in coaching people with impairmentsin sports, and in order to create that situation, it is necessary to holdtraining sessions for the sports coaches so they can acquire elementary
qualifications in coaching sports to people with disabilities¹⁶. In order toincrease the number of sports coaches who would like to participate in the
training sessions, as a previous step, it may be necessary to plan projects
where sports coaches and people with impairments themselves can get
to know one another casually, such as discussion meetings or the like. A"logic model" is a graphic representation of the step-by-step goals between
the final goal and the present situation, the initiatives needed to achieve
those goals, and the relationships between the initiatives. Logic models are
effective for sharing an overall image of what efforts will be implemented on
the way to approaching goals between the people involved and deepening
understanding and debate. They are also useful in considering specificmeasures, that is, what part of plans will be amended in what ways, when
it is necessary to amend the direction of initiatives. Specifics will be
described in the latter half of this guide.

16 For example, there is a qualification system for certified sports instructors for people with a disabilities sponsored by

the Japanese Para-Sports Association. For details, refer to the Association’s website: https://www.parasports.or.jp/
leader/ [Last viewed on Mar. 15th, 2022.]

23

P ol i c y p r a c t ical guideI-4
Remarks / memo

What poses challenges andobstacles?

This section outlines things that are likely to prove challenging or be
obstacles in advancing endeavors related to parasports and social
inclusion, and considers hints for imagining how they should be dealt
with in advance.

A community sports meeting held at Adachi City in February 2019

■ Understanding within the local government
Often, initiatives related to parasports and social inclusion cannot be
implemented by just the department responsible for sports. Striving
for cooperation and joint work with related departments, such as thewelfare department for persons with disabilities and the overall policy
department, will lead to more effective and lasting initiatives and policy
implementation. For that, an approach that deepens understanding
within the local government in the first stage of starting the project andduring the process of conducting the project is important. For example,
in the Game Changer Project, one of the municipalities joined together
the heads of departments related to the project to form a team when
the project was launched. In one of the other municipalities otherdepartments related to the project had little interest in the project at first,
and the department responsible for sports gradually encouraged theirunderstanding while proceeding with project initiatives. One way used todeepen understanding of efforts and strengthen cooperative relationships
was to plan and hold joint workshops for staff members of the related24

Policy practical guide

Remarks / memo

departments. Another was to invite staff in charge of the welfare
department for persons with disabilities to attend local sports meetings
where local people involved with sports gathered, and to have them bepart of group discussions, along with people with impairments and theirhelpers.

■ Leadership for initiatives
In order to link parasports initiatives to promotion of an inclusive society
in the community, it is important for the local government to show theirseriousness toward the topic, and for leaders of the initiatives to actively
send out the message. In the Game Changer Project, when the joint
signing ceremony for the four-year undertaking was held at the Embassyof the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan, the heads of the three
local governments who attended it all said that when they witnessed
the group of project members and the commitment of the Dutch (theproject partners), they "realized the level of commitment firsthand, andimmediately felt enthusiastic about the project." Regardless of whether
or not the parasports and social inclusion initiatives are an international
project, providing effective situations and mechanisms to create a flowwhere local government leaders (such as local government heads,
municipal assemblies, and other influentially involved parties) approach
the project seriously and take the lead in supporting the initiatives has agreat influence on later initiatives.

■ Creation of logic models
The Game Changer Project has two aims:
1. To spread parasports
2. To promote an inclusive society through parasports
The first aim is positioned as a means for achieving the second aim.
Therefore, in proceeding with policies and projects for multiple issues, it
is essential to set projections and connections to some extent. In orderto achieve the final large goal, it is necessary to set the small goals thatprecede it. Preparation is carried out using a framework for information
organization called a "logic model," in which an overall picture of therelationships between means and end and between large goals and small
goals is shown by using lines to make logical connections. However, it isalso difficult to treat such a plan as an actual local government projectplan. The reason is that the multiple activities and initiatives related to theproject are each carried out independently, and the scope of the workthat is under the jurisdiction of each different area is predetermined, andnothing can be done to connect them using the judgments and decisionmaking of only a single department. However, there were beneficial
effects gained by actually creating a logic model experimentally.
Comments from those responsible in local government were: "Because wemade a logic model, we were able to connect activities and initiatives thatwere supposed to be conducted individually and gain an overall view ofthem, and we were able to confirm each initiative's relative position" and"It helped in organizing information, in that we were able to narrow down
what really needed to be tackled in the end."25

P ol i c y p r a c t ical guide

Remarks / memo

■ The significance of projects involving international cooperation
The Game Changer Project was one where project members made efforts
over a five-year period while engaging in international cooperation with
the Netherlands. The activities in which athletes, coaches, and specialists
were invited from the Netherlands each brought new stimulation,awareness, and findings, and provided very meaningful opportunities. On
the other hand, in the adjustment and preparation stage leading to theirimplementation, there were also some difficulties. For example, language
problems and differences in cultural background meant that it took timeto understand one another, and there were differences in how necessary
procedures were thought of. Representatives of each local government
shared stories of various difficulties encountered when their local
governments accepted overseas teams for training camps and host town
activities in the lead up to the Tokyo 2020 Games. In the Game Changer
Project, effort was made to have the JSC Department of Information &International Relations act as a coordinator between the parties in orderto reduce the burden on the local governments while proceeding with the
project. It is not inevitable that parasports and social inclusion efforts will
be projects involving international cooperation.
However, international cooperation projects are considered to be ones
which have a high degree of affinity with and which are highly effective
for confronting the topic of social inclusion (inclusive society). That is
because international exchange is diversity itself. While overcoming
language and cultural background differences and sharing time
together, people can tackle a certain topic while respecting each other's
standpoints and values regarding it. Sport can be considered as global
culture which can be enjoyed without understanding each other's
language, and that is precisely why it has great value and potential forstarting meaningful projects and for local governments as a tool for when
difficult topics are being confronted.

26

II

Considering issues basedon examples

Discussion based on examples was conducted over
two JSN seminars.
■ Oct.18th, 2021
JSN“Regional Sport innovation seminar 2021”
Theme: An inclusive society through sport- Schemes and stractures for facilitating the participation of people with disabilities in sport - 1■ Nov.15th, 2021
JSN“Regional Sport innovation seminar 2021”
Theme: An inclusive society through sport- Schemes and stractures for facilitating the participation of people with disabilities in sport - 2
Participants: Adachi City / Edogawa City / Nishitokyo City / JSC*In order to share the words and expressions of each person responsible in local government
as faithfully as possible, editing of what they said has been kept to the minimum possible.
Further sections considered particularly important have been emphasized using boldface type.

Considering issues basedon examples

II-1

From the standpoint of implementing
sports for people with disabilities, how
do you view people with disabilities?
Remarks / memo

Here, regarding the question of "From the standpoint of implementing
sports for people with disabilities, how do you view people withdisabilities?"discussion is conducted based on the following three angles:
What points do you think are important, and why do you think so?
● From the standpoint of implementing sports for people with disabilities,
how do you view the characteristics of people with disabilities?
● How do you think people responsible for sports in government canunderstand these characteristics well?
● How can the characteristics that have been understood be taken
into account and reflected in initiatives?
A: Adachi City / E: Edogawa City / N: Nishitokyo City / J: JSC

From the standpoint of implementing sports for people withdisabilities, how do you view the characteristics of people
with disabilities?
E: I think that sports participation frequency and intensity, what level ofcompetitiveness is pursued, and the choice of sports varies with theindividual, just as they do with people without impairments. In the caseof people with impairments, there are also the added factors of thetype and degree of disability, so I think there is a highly individualized
approach to what is a more fitting  exercise/sports environment.
I think that is the characteristic of people with disabilities.
N: In the sense of achieving an inclusive society, for example, I don't
think of people with disabilities as having a body part missing or a partthat is handicapped, but rather I think of people, including people
without impairments, as each having different characteristics.
A: In the world in general, regarding sports that are enjoyed by people
without impairments, I think that people with impairments have various
barriers, and as a result, many of them cannot engage in sports easily.
It's not just physical barriers, but mental ones too. For example, I think
there are people who feel that sports themselves are too difficult
because they have a disability.
When it comes to carers, they may think that it is dangerous for people
with disabilities to do sports or that it may cause trouble for otherpeople, so I think many people with disabilities may feel a mental
barrier in that respect too and decide sports is not for them.

29Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

How do you think people responsible for sports ingovernment can understand these characteristics well?
E: Firstly, when it comes to what we should do, I think the most effective
thing is to just listen to what everyone concerned has to say,and find out their various needs. People have various different waysof thinking, and as the Adachi City representative just mentioned, it
seems that there are still also many people with disabilities who thinkthat they can’t do sports in the first place, and that sports facilities
are places that have no nothing to do with them. In order to have thosepeople enter into the area of sports and enjoy sports, I think the mosteffective thing to do is to firstly gain a good understanding of what
they would like to do and where their barriers lie. Luckily, we also
have a parasports section within the sports department. Therefore,
regarding matters to do with sports, we can also gain an understanding
to a certain extent here, and we are also working well in cooperation
with other sections now. We now have a situation where we can anddo hear what the parties concerned have to say from the welfare forpeople with disabilities area and the education area as well. I think it isalso very important to share information on such needs among all thesections.
N: In the case of Nishitokyo City, the sports department is in a completely
different place to the department handling matters concerning people
with disabilities, so on the question of how we can gain a goodunderstanding, well, we were told that in the Netherlands there is aconsultation desk called the "Sports Service Point." We are working
on it with other local governments, but we plan to listen carefully tothe parties concerned at a place like the "Sports Service Point"
consultation desk in order to gain a good understanding of thecharacteristics and individuality of each of them.
A: In Adachi City the division handling matters concerning people withdisabilities is the welfare section, too. We who are responsible for
sports are in the sports promotion division, and I think it is fair to saythat we lacked understanding of people with disabilities and disabilities.
The Game Changer Project led to Adachi City starting a sports
consultation desk for people with impairments called the "Sports
Concierge" in September 2020, so I think with this, we've finallygained a department especially for sports for people with disabilities.
As I mentioned before, it was born from the sports section, so I thinkthat with regard to information about people with disabilities we stillneed to learn a lot. Concerning how to understand their characteristics, firstly, we'd like to have direct connections with places where people
with impairments are actually active, and then, while listening
firsthand to what various people have to say, find out what theirwishes are.

How can the characteristics that have been understood
be taken into account and reflected in initiatives?
E: I mentioned before that I think people with impairments have the30Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

characteristic of having a high level of individuality, and as might
be expected, I feel that their needs also differ according to theperson. I think that for each of those needs, regardless of whether the
initiative is an existing one or a new one, for various sports, including
not only parasports but also sports which mainly people without
impairments participate in, as far as doing something together or
having anyone accepted into something or preparing something, it ispossible to work out measures to a certain extent.
However, I think that if an attempt is made to do this perfectly from thestart, then there are sometimes difficulties, and in particular, in the caseof having people with impairments accepted into a sports environment
made for people without impairments, the people who are to accept the
new incomers, especially the community members, can feel that it's avery high hurdle to clear. I think it's important to start from easy steps,
and have people involved gradually accumulate experiences where
they think "Surprisingly, we're able to do it."
N: Taking into account the mentioned characteristics, I think if a sports
consultation desk is not just for interviewing concerned parties but isalso given the function of coordinating, the identified characteristics
can be taken into account to introduce a person with disabilities to aplace where they can participate in sports.
A: When a person with a disability does sports, the things they requirediffer depending on not only their disability, but also their individual
personality and circumstances. Deal with challenges one by one,
gradually increase the number of successes, and then hold up the
successes as good examples to follow - I feel that doing this will lead toparasports gradually spreading. All in all, I think it’s important to build
up achievements one by one.

Practical policy work question
In your local government (community), from the standpoint of implementing parasports, how
are people with disabilities viewed?
Or, how do you think they should be viewed in the future?

31

Considering issues basedon examples

II-2
Remarks / memo

Initiatives for people with disabilities
who engage in (want to engage in)sportsHere, regarding“Initiatives for people with disabilities who engage in(want to engage in) sports,”discussion was conducted based on thefollowing four angles:
What points do you think are important, and why do you think so?
● What kind of people are those with disabilities who engage in (want toengage in) sports, and where are they?
● How can we reach out to the people with disabilities who engage in(want to engage in) sports themselves? How can we approach them?
How can we stretch out a hand and reach them, and what should we
do after that?
● Who is it necessary to reach out to besides people with disabilities?
How should we reach out to them? How can we reach out tothem? What should we do after reaching out to them?
● In order to have people with disabilities be able to continue to engage
in sports, what initiatives for which people should we implement?
A: Adachi City / E: Edogawa City / N: Nishitokyo City / J: JSC

What kind of people are those with disabilities who engagein (want to engage in) sports, and where are they?
A: I would like to talk about these two kinds of people-those engaged in
sports, and those who want to engage in sports-separately. Firstly,
concerning the people who are engaged in sports, as for whatkind of people they are, I think that among the many people who feelbarriers when it comes to doing exercise and sports, they are the kindof people who don't feel these barriers very much. As I understandit, they are not just people doing sports at special sports facilities. I
think there are quite a lot of people who are naturally active at familiar
places and facilities. For example, in our city, there is a public heatedswimming pool facility, and there are people who go there regularly toswim. There are also people with intellectual disabilities who use thecity conference rooms and recreation rooms to dance, and people whoplay a form of table tennis which people with visual disabilities can also
play that is known as "sound table tennis" in Japan. As well, there isa soccer team for people with intellectual disabilities at an elementary
school in our city. I think there are many people participating in sports
in this manner, at places familiar to many of us. Concerning the people
who would like to do sports, I don't think they are in a special kind of32

Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

place either. However, as for what kind of people tend to be in thiscategory, we believe they are often people who have graduated fromschools for special needs education. We hear stories from people who
enjoyed physical education and club activities at school, but after
graduating, when they started working at a workshop, for example,
then the places where they could do exercise and sports becamevery limited. Considering that the places for doing exercise and sports
become limited, I think we can put it another way and say that many
people who would like to do sports would be people who have justgraduated from schools for special needs education, and so on.
E: Broadly speaking, I don't think things differ from people without
impairments, including whether or not people want to do sports. There
are also people who want to do sports and those who don't, no matter
if they have an impairment or not. Leaving aside the issue that there
are many people who feel it is difficult to do sports because they havea disability, speaking in broad terms, I think there are always a certain
number of people in every community who want to do sports. Looking
at the results of the attitude survey concerning sports for people
with disabilities which was carried out by the Tokyo Metropolitan
Government Office's bureau of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic
Games Preparation, many people answered that their reasons for doing
sports were health/making themselves stronger, and fun/relaxation,and I think this is the same for people without impairments. One thingthat I think is a characteristic of people with a disability is that some ofthem do exercise or want to do exercise for purposes of rehabilitation,therapy and medical treatment, so after they've finished the medical
treatment or rehabilitation, I think some of them want to do sports,
and that includes both middle-aged and elderly people. Also, similarly toin Adachi City, probably a common issue is that some people lose thechance to do exercise after graduating from school. I think there arealso people in that situation who want to do exercise or sports but
find it difficult to find situations or opportunities to do so.
N: Concerning adults with disabilities who want to do sports, I think some
don't have a place where they can participate in sports even if theywant to, or they don't know where to get advice on places for doing
sports or who to get advice from, and they tend to stay at home.

How can we reach out to the people with disabilities who
engage in (want to engage in) sports themselves? How
can we approach them? How can we reach out to them,and what should we do after reaching out to them?
A: As I mentioned before, our department set up the Adachi sports
concierge in September 2020. Since then, about a year has passed,
and in that time, we've had about 40 inquiries. Compared to when
we first set it up, this year we are not getting as many inquiries. Of
course, I think the COVID-19 crisis is also having an effect, but we'realso feeling that just waiting, merely having set up a consultation desk,
won't lead to an increase in inquiries. We need to actively makeapproaches. Therefore, I think it's necessary for us to stay connected33

Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memoso that we can reach out to people when they need us, by always
keeping in contact with the places where these people lead theireveryday lives, while keeping our antennas up to gather information.
And as for what we should do after we reach out to them, I think firstof all, it's important to talk to them about various things, and listen towhat they have to say. Concerning the people who want to do exercise
and sports, I think we need to listen to why they want to enjoy sports
and what they are worried about regarding it, and while listening tothat, we need to think about what kind of support is necessary forthem. If the person is already doing sports, if we can ask them what
triggered them to do exercise or sports, what problems they
had when they started it, and things like that, and then ask them
how they overcame the problems, that would be a good example tofollow. I think it would also prove useful for people who want to start
doing exercise or sports. First of all, I think it's important to listen towhat people have to say.
E: How to reaching out to people with disabilities who already do sports
themselves is also a serious issue in our city, and we want to further
expand the scope of our reach in the future. This also applies towanting to increase the number of participants in existing projects. In
the case of our city, following the example of the Netherlands’Sports
Service Point, we have set up sports concierges in each facility,
welcoming anyone no matter if they have an impairment or not. I think
if people come to our sports concierges, we can introduce suitable
sports environments to them to a certain extent. As I mentioned before,
there are some people who don't want to do sports or use sports
facilities in the first place, and even if a person does want to do
sports, I think it takes some time before they can acquire appropriate
information. Therefore, at the stage before people come to the sports
concierges, when we are thinking of where we should reach out tothem, I mentioned before that I think there are a certain number ofpeople with disabilities who consult with the city’s welfare department
and the medical field. So, I think we can reach them through the people
who they have primary contact with, or to put it another way, fromplaces people with disabilities are sure to use in their daily lives,and introduce them to the consultation about sports with the sports
concierges. That is what we are doing right now. Concerning what weshould do after reaching out to them, of course it's important to listen
to what they have to say and find out what each person wants to do,then introduce them to something which seems to suit that. However,
if possible, it would be good if we could also offer multiple options forthe environment where they will do sports, and have people feel thatthey are doing something that they have chosen. I think this would
increase people's attachment to doing sports. In connecting people tosporting environments, we'd like to be able to have them feel that they
themselves were choosing to do sports, rather than being made to doit, so that they have an increased sense of self-efficacy and maintaintheir motivation toward sports for longer.
N: In the case of Nishitokyo City, we believed that people who wanted
to do sports but couldn't were staying at home, and in that case, we
34Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

think reaching out to them is quite difficult. For example, we think it isnecessary to have commissioned welfare volunteers or people
who are very closely related to the community in their activities
act as go-betweens. That is what we think, although we don't haveconcrete initiatives aimed at this area yet. Concerning what needs tobe done after reaching out to people, as Adachi City and Edogawa City
also mentioned, we'd like to carefully find out what they'd like to do,
and connect them with the next places.

Who is it necessary to reach out to besides people withdisabilities? How should we reach out to them? How can
we reach out to them? What should we do after reachingout to them?
A: I think it's important to reach out to people who support thepeople concerned, such as people in their families and welfare
service providers, and to reach out to the facilities andgroups which will accept them and provide the location for
their activities. In order to have people with disabilities overcome
various obstacles and take on the challenge of sports, it is of course
necessary to have the support of the surrounding people. Therefore, I
think it is really important to have people who support and also people
with impairments themselves understand the importance of taking on
the challenge of doing exercise and sports. Concerning methods ofreaching out to them, I think it's the same as for the case of people
with disabilities themselves. I think it's important to have everyday
connections with related people and have our antennas up to gather
information, just as I said before.
E: I mentioned before that I think it is effective to attract people withdisabilities to sports through the people that they have primary contact
with. So, I think it's important to have those people know that there
are environments where people with impairments can do sports, andthat as a city, we actively want them to participate in sports too. It's
the sixth year since we've had the section responsible for this area,
and we've conducted training across the whole office, and I thinkthat is what has led to results such as the ones I will mention now:
For example, we have had someone come to the city office to do theprocedure for an identification card for persons with disabilities andthe person mentioned that they'd like to do sports, and the person in
charge of the desk has put them in touch with this department, and theperson has actually gone on to do sports. Also, a supporter of a child
who came to have a disability, who was a government worker, cameto us for advice when they wanted to have the child do some kind of
sport. We've already built up a number of successful cases, andnow we'd like to create a system that enables the process to be
more organized. And as the representative from Adachi City said,of course it is important to conduct promotion aimed at parents andguardians. In particular, I think that connections among parents andguardians of children with disabilities are very important. There arecases such as, for example, when parents and guardians think that the35Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

child won't be able to do something, but then the child has been able
to do it after they have lessons, or they have been able to do some
sport. Parents and guardians tell that to other parents and guardians,
and then the children of those parents and guardians come along too. I
think it's important to make efforts that allow us to change the mindsetof parents and guardians.
N: I think it's also important to reach out to people in the community who
are active in the sports area - in particular, those who are members ofsports promotion committees or staff members of general community
sports clubs. We want to create an environment where anyone isaccepted any time as a sports or exercise participant.

In order to have people with disabilities be able tocontinue to engage in sports, what initiatives for whichpeople should we implement?
A: In order to enable people with disabilities to do sports on
an ongoing basis, I think the most important thing is to create
environments which allow them to do so. To do that, firstly, I think it's
important to gather information about the present situation and aboutplaces of activity, facilities and groups in the community. However,even if we do that, it is likely that there will still not be many places
where people with disabilities can be active with peace of mind. Goingforward, I think initiatives which will create places where they can be
active will also be necessary. However, I believe there is a limit what
the government working alone can achieve with regards to creating
new environments, so I think it is necessary to also approach generalcommunity sports clubs, private facilities, and sports clubs for people
without impairments that are active in the community, those types ofplaces. I think it's necessary to influence their way of thinking andawareness regarding their understanding and acceptance of people
with disabilities as participants in activities. Also, the environment is
not all we need. It is also important to find and/or train supporters suchas coaches and volunteers with an understanding of disability, and I
think distributing information is also important to make sure that theseresources are found by the people who need them.
E: Previously, regarding the question of what we should do after
we have reached out to people with disabilities, I mentioned that
we'd like to provide multiple options to them. In order to do that, insporting environments which currently mainly cater to people without
disabilities, regarding who can participate, I think we need to promote
the idea of actively accepting people with disabilities too. However,
if we go straight to saying, "Accept people with disabilities,
please," then I think people will get nervous and wonder how
far they should go. I think the idea of "reasonable accommodation"
will come into it as well, but if we appeal to people by saying that if
they use a little bit of ingenuity, people with disabilities will also beable to enjoy things together with them, then I feel that things will
progress. At the same time, I think that doing sports together withpeople with disabilities is also a learning experience for people without36

Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

disabilities, too, and is a valuable experience overall. I think it's very
important for them to realize that. Our city is conducting its own
training courses for certified sports instructors for people witha disability (beginner level). For example, the sports promotion
committee members are saying even now that they will all acquire
the qualification, and currently about seventy percent of them haveacquired it. We are also receiving a lot of cooperation with parasports.
Private sports gyms, for example, the judo training facility, have also
said that they will accept people with disabilities, and have expressedthat as their stance. I think we need to also proceed with increasing
the number of places where people with disabilities can do sports
together with people without impairments, while at the same timeincreasing the number of projects for people with impairments only too,
to increase the number of environments where people can do sports
even if they have a disability.
N: We know this will take time, but we'd like to change awareness. When apara-athlete came here from the Netherlands for the Game Changer
Project-they were born with one arm and leg-they told us things suchas when they were a child, they asked if it was ok to be the goalie
in a soccer game, and everyone said "Sure," so they acted as thegoalie. When I heard that I thought how wonderful the Netherlands
are, being a place where you could do what you wanted to do andeverybody could play together. I'd like us to create a society in whichthat kind of thing is natural, or perhaps I should say, one in which bothpeople with and without disabilities have that kind of awareness about
things. I'd like us to implement initiatives for changing awareness sothat everyone will have the point of view that everybody should enjoy
sports together.

Practical policy work question
What initiatives are being undertaken in your municipality (region) for people with disabilities
who do sports (would like to do sports)? Or: Do you now think there is a need to undertakesuch initiatives going forward?

37

Considering issues basedon examples

II-3
Remarks / memo

Initiatives for people with disabilities
who are not engaged in (do not want toengage in) sports
Here, regarding "Initiatives for people with disabilities who are
not engaged in (do not want to engage in) sports," discussion was
conducted based on the following three angles:
What points do you think are important, and why do you think so?
● How do we reach out to the people with disabilities who do not
engage in (do not want to engage in) sports? How can we reachout to them? What should we do after reaching out to them?
Also, who is it necessary to reach out to besides the people withdisabilities? How should we reach out to them and what should we
do after reaching out to them?
A: Adachi City / E: Edogawa City / N: Nishitokyo City / J: JSC

Concerning the points for discussion mentioned above
E: I think it is quite difficult to find answers for these questions. I
mentioned in the discussion on the previous points that I think
there are a certain number of people with disabilities who do not
do sports and do not want to do sports, the same as with people
without disabilities. According to the results of a Japan Sports
Agency survey, reasons given by people, including people without
disabilities, for not doing sports included feeling that it was too
hard, not having time, or being busy. The results of the attitude
survey carried out by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government which
I mentioned before included factors such as not being physicallycapable of doing sports in the first place, lacking a nearby
environment where it was possible for them to do sports, andnot being able to acquire information.
I think these factors differ a bit to those for people without adisability. Considering these things, I think it becomes more difficult.
However, concerning how to reach out to people, I think it is thesame as what I said previously. I think we should give information
to the people who have primary contact with those concerned, andappeal to them regarding the importance of sports. So, I think theanswer to who we should try to reach out to other than the people
with disabilities themselves is the people who have primary contact
with them, and their parents and guardians. However, when it comesto considering what we should do-and this links with the topic of theTokyo 2020 Games mentioned at the beginning-as role models,Ithink it's necessary to not show top athletes, but rather people38Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memowith disabilities themselves, those who others can identify with.
By showing how those actually did sports and show how sports
helped them become more self-fulfilled, we create role models.
I think that we need promotion activities which include these kinds ofthings, and appeal for a change in awareness to not just those whowant to do sports.
A: Concerning how we should reach out to people, I think the answer isthe same as for the people who do sports and people who want todo sports, which we talked about previously. Meanwhile, concerning
people who are not engaged in sports, they're probably not withinclose range of people like us who are involved with promoting sports,
so I feel that it's important to have connections with places where
people with disabilities lead their everyday lives. And having reached
out to them, firstly, I think it's important to have them realize thatexercise and sports are fun, regardless of the presence or absenceof disabilities. I think that what is most effective is to reach out topeople in the places where they conduct their everyday lives, andcreate opportunities for them to do physical exercise and actuallyexperience it for themselves, as I think there are many people who
do not have the opportunity for that. And as the representative
for Adachi City said, I think that a characteristic of people withdisabilities is that many of them don't consider sports as an option,
due to having a disability. I feel that we need to let people such asthese know that it's possible for anyone to enjoy sports by using
some ingenuity with the rules and equipment, and that sports
involves not only competitive sports. Just doing easy exercise infamiliar areas or moving your body for recreation or the like is alsosport. Finally, regarding who we need to reach out to, just as in thecase of people who do want to participate in sports, I think we needto have their families and supporters understand the importance of
exercise and sports. I think it is even more necessary to have support
from people such as the families and supporters, rather than fromthe people who are interested in and have a desire to do sports.
One of the people who participated in a sports lesson in our city
was a completely blind person with an intellectual impairment. From
the time they were a child they had never experienced doing sports
because their parents told them it was dangerous, so when somebody
said "Try kicking the ball," they did not understand the movement ofkicking in the first place. The reason this person participated in the
sports lesson was that a worker at their workshop encouraged themto participate in it. What I'd like to say is that I think it's important forpeople who've never done exercise or sports before to meet with
opportunities where they can experience them, and with supporters
with understanding.
N: Our city doesn't have initiatives for people with disabilities who haven't
done sports or exercise yet or who don't want to do it; however, I thinkvarious ways of approaching such people are possible, such as thosementioned by the representatives from Edogawa and Adachi cities.
While referring to such examples, we'd like to become able to provide
opportunities for doing sports to even more people.
39

Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

Practical policy work question
What initiatives are being undertaken in your municipality (region) for people with disabilities
who are not doing sports (would not like to do sports)? Or: Do you now think there is a needto undertake such initiatives going forward?

40

Considering issues basedon examples

II-4

Turning initiatives related to theGame Changer Project into new projects,
and behind the scenes of developing
new initiatives
Remarks / memo

Here, the discussion focused on turning initiatives related to the Game
Changer Project into new projects, and all the aspects related todeveloping new initiatives, based on the following two angles:
What points do you think are important, and why do you think so?
● How have you negotiated, coordinated, and cooperated with related
sections and people in your office, in order to secure funding andpersonnel and organize existing activities?
● What kind of negotiations, coordination, and cooperation werenecessary with related groups and people in your community(outside the office)?
A: Adachi City / E: Edogawa City / N: Nishitokyo City / J: JSC

How have you negotiated, coordinated, and cooperated
with related sections and people in your office, in order
to secure funding and personnel and organize existing
activities
A: The Game Changer Project was the reason that we started the Adachi
sports concierge, which was a new initiative. The Adachi sports
concierge is the responsibility of the sports promotions department, andactually it is me, the chief clerk, alone, who is responsible for dealing withinquiries that come to the concierge. Concerning internal actions taken
before the start of the concierge, like setting up the consultation desk
known as the sports concierge, there was discussion on where it should
be set up, and on what personnel system it should have. For example,
departments other than the sports promotion department where it could
have been set up included the welfare department and the hygiene
department., which both have daily contact with people with disabilities
and are responsible for their welfare services . At first, we considered
distributing personnel for a concierge in departments like these as well,and officially announcing that the relevant department would
take on a double role. When setting up a consultation desk, we werenot   able to tell the scale of the needs from the city residents, andtherefore were not sure if we should start out on a large scale. Due to thisand other considerations, in the end, we decided to start with what we
could do, and the desk was set up the way it is now.
J: You mentioned the Adachi sports concierge, a sports consultation desk
for people with disabilities, a new project. And in starting it, was there any
project that Adachi City discarded?
41

Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

A: No, not in particular.
J: So, you are the chief clerk of the Adachi sports concierge, and is thisposition, this role, one that was newly created when the concierge wasstarted?
A: Yes, that's right. Until then there had been no section related to sports forpeople with disabilities, so the Game Changer Project was the trigger forthe creation of the new position of the concierge. One person, that is,me, was assigned to the position, and I have been doing the job since thisfiscal year.
J: Is your position as Adachi sports concierge full-time?
A: Yes, it is.
E: As for our city, in the 2016 fiscal year the section exclusively responsible
for parasports, called the section for sports for people with disabilities,
which I belong to now, was formed within the sports promotion division.
When it was started, we did a certain amount of organizing, for example,
deciding which team would be in charge of projects which had until thenbeen the responsibility of the welfare section, and projects that included
sports for people with and without impairments. When we started in
the 2016 fiscal year, we really started right from scratch, with people
involved wondering how they should approach parasports, and all
the projects we are running now started then. Up to this fiscal year wehave even expanded projects to a certain extent. It's the sixth year
now, so we've closely examined some things, and we found that there isa steady increase including the number of projects, their scale, andthe scale of funding. So this is the overall spectrum of things with us
participating in the Game Changer Project since 2017. When it comesto starting a new project, naturally, budget and personnel demands
are necessary, so really, I don't think we've done anything special.
Concerning personnel as well, at first there were three people, including
me, but after that I was sent to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government
for training, so I held two roles. For a while, there were 4.5 people inthe section - four people in Edogawa, plus a half due to my double role.
Starting from this fiscal year, there are officially five people in the section.
Concerning negotiation with other related sections, regarding the sections
responsible for matters concerned with sports, the section responsible
for facilities and the section that looks after sports for people without
disabilities are in the same division, so it was natural to always cooperate
when doing projects of those two sections. So, it was not particularly
difficult, and they are together in the same area responsible for sports,
making cooperation easy, which I think was significant. Apart from that,concerning related sections, including those of welfare, health, and theboard of education, cooperation is essential regardless of whether itis the Game Changer Project or not, so since the time our section was
created, we contrived to create more opportunities by encouraging
the whole office to be active in efforts aimed at parasports. For example,
we held training sessions for staff members and training sessions
for sports for people with disabilities. We also sometimes heldboccia competitions between sections. When people related to theGame Changer Project have come here from the Netherlands, we havealways let staff from other sections know about the workshops
42

Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

and tried to create enthusiasm so that they would think of things assomething that concerned them too. I don't know if it's because of thator not, but sometimes staff from other sections use their own funding toinclude parasports in their projects. Also, when someone wishes to havea more specialized consultation within the sports concierge, we holdindividual consultations. We also have city workers, physiotherapists
and occupational therapists from the health section, come to these
consultations and provide consultation together with us. So, I think thatthe actual situation for us is that without particularly difficult negotiations,just by doing what we needed to do, things fell into place naturally.
J: Edogawa City newly started a sports section for people with disabilities infiscal year 2016, the year before the Game Changer Project began, andstarted projects from scratch. While being active in the Game Changer
Project together with the other participants, Edogawa City has advanced
parasports promotion in various ways, including setting up a sports
concierge, a Holland club, and a sports club for people with disabilities,
and making the Tokyo Paralympic 22 Sports Declaration, which statesthat the 22 Paralympic sports can be done within Edogawa City. When
we view this together with the Game Changer Project, I really felt thatyou implemented a variety of initiatives. You mentioned cooperation withthe welfare and health sections and the board of education. Regarding
the initiatives that you cooperated on with such sections, did cooperation
deepen with them too? Were there any barriers?
E: No, I don't think we felt any barriers. Rather, up till then, I think sometimes
people had not known what to do when they wanted to start something
related to parasports or wanted to provide an environment for sports forpeople with disabilities, and had not been able to do it. In the midst of that,our division, dedicated to being responsible for those areas, was created,
so I think it made us function as a partner within the office who
would respond to questions about what to do to achieve those aims.
I think it's a very good thing that we get asked for advice by other staff
members in the office, and we are also happy about it. Various schools
are asking us to hold parasports experience sessions recently too. The
Paralympic Games also had a big influence, but I think the fact that adedicated division in charge of parasports was created was somethingthat had a big effect.
N: Concerning the organization of existing projects and concerning ourefforts to create an environment for people with or without impairments
to meet each other through sports,, in the case of Nishitokyo City, thewelfare section for the people with disabilities, the education section,and the sports promotion section were each conducting projects.
The compartmentalized system for implementing these projects is notvery different now. However, there are changes with regards to when
events with the theme of an inclusive society are held. In such cases
the sections involved, such as the welfare, child-rearing and education
sections, cooperate in holding them. We are still not at the point where
we have achieved a feeling of unity, so I think that strengthening
cooperation within the office is still an issue that remains to be solved.
Concerning the second point, that of securing personnel, we do not havea generous personnel allocation like Adachi City and Edogawa City.
43

Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

We have not been able to allocate full-time staff members for theGame Changer Project or for initiatives aimed at achieving an inclusive
society through sports, just as we were not able to for the Olympics andParalympics. For the time being, while we engage in improving skillsof the sports promotion section staff members and strengthening
their information-gathering abilities, we are planning to strengthen
the organization in preparation for the establishment of a sports
concierge.

What kind of negotiations, coordination, and cooperation
were necessary with groups and people concerned in yourcommunity (outside the office)?
A: To get the Adachi sports concierge started, we utilized a meeting bodyconsisting of a series of meetings called "community sports meetings."
Community sports meetings are held for each of six areas of the city.
People who are involved with sports, such as sports promotion committee
members, athletic association staff, designated management entities
of facilities, and people involved with general community sports clubs
gather at the community sports meetings to talk about the promotion ofsports within their area. Starting with the Game Changer Project,
we changed the community sports meetings so that they came to
be used as occasions for discussing the promotion of exercise
and sports for people with disabilities. Specifically, we had people
with disabilities engaged in sports and staff from facilities for people
with disabilities also join the meetings, and at the meetings, attendees
discussed issues that arose when people with disabilities did exercise
and sports in the community, as well as what kind of initiatives werenecessary for solving those issues. When we were getting the sports
concierge started, the community sports meetings allowed issues
and necessary matters to be organized in advance, and created an
opportunity for people with impairments themselves and people involved
with facilities and so on to gather. The meetings enabled connections to
be made with stakeholders necessary in running the sports concierge, so
I think they were useful occasions.
J: So, your city effectively used an existing meeting body called
community sports meetings in connection with the Game Changer
Project. And you mentioned that this also allowed you to form connections
with people with impairments in your community and people from related
facilities- new stakeholders-so the meeting body was useful, in the senseof future development as well.
E: Although I'm not certain if this counts as liaising with people outside
the office, we did advance promotion of understanding with designatedmanagement entities of sports facilities in the city. At the stage of inviting
applications for designated management entities, we make the request"Please conduct initiatives related to promoting 'sports for life' andsports for people with disabilities" clear to a certain extent, so currently,
each designated management entity of each facility is conducting suchinitiatives, while making use of their area of expertise. I feel that this44Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

is gradually building into a good thing as the years pass by. Also, ourcity has been conducting its own training courses for certified sports
instructors for people with a disability (beginner level) that is authorized
by the Japanese Para-Sports Association since the time the organization
was first formed. We also have staff members of the   designatedmanagement entities of each facility participate in the training
courses and gain the qualification. So, the number of people at eachfacility learning what to make people with disabilities feel welcome when
doing sports is gradually increasing. I feel that gradually, at each facility,
not to say that it wasn't good in the first place, but the perception ofpeople with disabilities as being users of their own facility is gradually
improving too. Also, all the members of the sports promotion committee,
which until now has mainly been active in the area of sports for people
without disabilities, as well as people in competitive sports organizations
that are under the umbrella of the Edogawa Sports Association, are very
important partners when promoting sports for people with disabilities,
so we have also actively appealed for cooperation from those people.
Despite having a certain amount of uncertainty, everyone has reallyagreed without reservations to do this together, and is making efforts
positively. Concerning all the members of the sports promotion committee,
as I mentioned previously, the number of members who have acquired
qualifications is increasing every year, and the number of members whoare participating in efforts aimed at parasports has also increased greatly.
With regards to the athletics association, we are still in the midst ofrestrictions due to the COVID-19 crisis, but starting this autumn, in some
sports meets for city residents, efforts to include divisions for people withdisabilities and to promote participation of people with disabilities havestarted. This is also something that we didn't see much of in the past,so I think it's the result of understanding gradually deepening, and theefforts we have built up over six years gradually bearing fruit. Further,concerning groups and clubs related to sports for people with disabilities
which were active before this division was created, we exchanged
greetings and business cards when we started our work, so we are
increasing our connections with various undertakings, and deepening
cooperation. In addition, concerning everyone in National Sports
Federations and people involved in sports for people with disabilities
who are active in other areas, that the situation at the moment is that wehave appealed for cooperation by approaching them based on hearsay
and through the associations and asking them to cooperate in the effortsof our city as well. There was also the Paralympics, and many people
were very busy, so circumstances also differed depending on the otherparty, and sometimes negotiations, schedule adjustment, and so on weredifficult. The most important thing is that we showed people something
like a cause, by saying what we as Edogawa City would like to do,and saying that we would love to have their cooperation. Then wewould give an explanation so that they would sympathize with us.
We actually carried things out together with people while learning
ourselves, which I think was important.
J: In the last part of what you said just now, you mentioned that having a
cause and stating what Edogawa City would like to do was important.
45

Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

It seems that you showed people concerned a course of action thatyou wanted to take, something like a vision, and shared it with them.
As Edogawa City, how did you come up with a cause or vision? Was
it an accumulation of things? Was it something that changed, rather
than something that was defined from the start? What was the situation
concerning these things?
E: When the division was first founded, the three staff members in the division
did not know anything about parasports. Really, I think the reality is that
we have built things up while learning from and being taught by various
different people. However, wanting to make sports a natural option forpeople with disabilities too, and wanting people with disabilities to do
sports too-this was the reason our division was founded in the beginning,
this was our mission. So, I think it was important that we let people know
how serious we were about wanting to do that, and that applies when
I reflect back on an individual level as well.
N: We have not achieved much continuous cooperation, but regarding thefirst point, in order to make the best of the opportunity of acting withpara-athletes sent here through NOC*NSF, we utilized a liaison groupfor a service provider for the people with disabilities by collaboratingwith the welfare section for people with disabilities in our city. Throughthe explanation there, we gained various cooperation from a businessproviding day care for children with disabilities for after-school hours andso on, and we were able to implement a project in which children withdisabilities played with those without disabilities. The day care staff also
spoke highly of the project, and the children's center staff also reacted
by saying they thought that it proved a valuable experience, as such an
opportunity had not previously been available. Also, we are advancing
cooperation with sports promotion committee members, also mentioned
previously, and they are conducting activities directly with city residents,
so we would like to utilize the opportunity going forward.
J: You mentioned an initiative that you undertook with a service provider for
people with disabilities. Were there any joint initiatives before the start of
the Game Changer Project?
N: No, there were not, so the Game Changer Project was the trigger for
starting this exchange.

Practical policy work question
What do you think the chief factors are in succeeding in planning, implementing andpromoting new projects related to parasports and social inclusion? Alternatively, what are
the challenges in advancing initiatives from now on in your municipality (community)?
How do you think you will overcome these challenges?

46

Considering issues basedon examples

II-5

Initiatives and standpoints of local
government sport administrators aimed atrealizing an inclusive society through sports
Remarks / memo

Here, discussion regarding "Initiatives and standpoints of local
government sport administrators aimed at realizing an inclusive society
through sports" was conducted based on the following three angles:
What points do you think are important, and why do you think so?
● In aiming to achieve the realization of an inclusive society throughsports, what issues do you as a sports section member orgovernment sports administrator need to address, and how should
you tackle them?
● What aspects of activities related to the Game Changer Project doyou think were influential as important factors in reaching theseideas or standpoints?
A: Adachi City / E: Edogawa City / N: Nishitokyo City / J: JSC

In aiming to achieve the realization of an inclusive society
through sports, what issues does a sports section or
government sports administrator need to address, andhow should you tackle them?
E: An inclusive society does not just mean that everyone does things
together. I think it is also important to have the option of doing
things individually or as a group. Some people do things for enjoyment,
and others aim to improve their competitive abilities. A person with adisability may be happy doing sports with a people without disabilities
in some cases, and in other cases they may not. Nowadays we often
hear "experience, watch, support sport." Including the question of
how to participate, there are various ways of doing sports, and I
think accepting all forms in the same way is what makes an
inclusive society. I personally really feel that as a government official,
one should not forget that perspective when tackling challenges.
Previously, at a seminar held by the JSC, I heard Junichi Kawai say"An inclusive society should be not like mixed fruit juice, butrather like fruit punch." Personally, I really think that is apt as a wayof describing an inclusive society in words. It made me think that what
we must aim for is not to mash everything into one thing, but rather
to have things coexisting in one container while retaining their shape.
I recall these words on occasion when doing my work. Concerning
the second point of what a sports section should do, I think it isnecessary to make a continuous effort to think and live this way when
implementing sports policy, and this applies not just to parasports.
47

Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

I'm very sorry that my reply is an abstract one, but I think that what
we need to do is remember to provide choices so that everyone canenjoy sports in their own way. Going further, I think that we need tocommunicate this to people in other sections too, and as the section
with responsibility for this area, spread the message going forwardthat parasports and sports in general can really be effective tools forachieving an inclusive society, and encourage everyone to use themappropriately as such together with us.
N: As a government worker responsible for sports, I think that it isnecessary to cooperate based on the perspective that not only people
with disabilities but also elderly people, those raising children, those in
the education sector, and so on will participate in the local community
through parasports. I think when people of these other fields cooperate,
it is necessary to get help from the community, rather than just having
cooperation within the government. It is also a challenge to adopt thiskind of cooperation framework, so I think we need to improve thecoordination skills of staff, and construct systems to ensure that
initiatives are not downsized when people in charge of them are
moved to another area or replaced by someone else. In regard
to the second point of how a section responsible for sports should
proceed, there are various people active in sports in the community,
including sports promotion committee members, general community
sports clubs, athletic associations, and designated management
entities, so I think our sports department needs to cooperate with suchpeople, and we should all have a common understanding regarding
the potential of the sports and the fact that sports can be a tool for
creating an inclusive society.
A: The Adachi City government sports plan has set a target of achieving"The realization of a society in which people live fulfilled lives, witheveryone being able to enjoy exercise and sports easily at a placeclose to them." In promoting sports to people with disabilities as acity from the standpoint of "everyone being able to enjoy exercise
and sports," I think this is an important target which we will continue
to channel our efforts into. In order to do that,"opportunity creation"
for people with low interest in or ambition for exercise and sports iskey."Environment creation" for linking people who think they would
like to do exercise or sports with actual activities."Human resource
development" such as training human resources that will support thatexercise or sports of people with disabilities. We would like to advanceour initiatives forward based on these three pillars. Therefore, I think
the role of the Adachi sports concierge is to link sports with people
with disabilities. Therefore, I think it is necessary for us to create a
network with places where activities will take place and stakeholders,and become an information hub. As someone responsible for the workof promoting sports for people with disabilities, I want to let people
know about the attractions and fun of doing exercise and sports,
while always remembering that the goal of recommending sports topeople with disabilities is that we want them to live fulfilled lives
while enjoying sports.

48

Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memo

What aspects of initiatives related to the Game Changer
Project do you think were influential as importantfactors in reaching these ideas or attitudes?
E: I think it was the fact that in the Netherlands there is not muchdistinction or boundaries between sports and parasports, and that
includes the fact that organizations are integrated. I think the biggest
factor was that I came to know the Dutch mindset that makes thispossible. Until I came in contact with the Game Changer Project, I
also felt to a certain extent that parasports was only sports for people
with disabilities. Then I had the chance to be involved in the activities
that started in 2017, and heard people say things like "No, no, we
do it together," "Think about what we should do in order to makedoing it together possible" and "Listen carefully to what the people
with disabilities themselves have to say, and don't decide things
for them." I think the fact that I came to know, newly learned thisway of thinking influenced me greatly. On the other hand, I think itis the national characteristics of the Dutch, and having people withdisabilities already have a place in society, what made it possible andthese things are still different in Japan.
I think there are difficult aspects to doing the exact same thing inJapan as what is being conducted in the Netherlands, and actually, a
local person who has supported parasports for a long time mentioned
this to me. I realized we have to take what the Netherlands is doing
and figure out how to make it fit with Edogawa City, taking thosedifferences into account as well. And I realized the differences between
the Netherlands and Japan. I think learning these things was verysignificant.
N: I've heard various ways of thinking from the Dutch people in the
project. I think it had a huge impact on me because they often use
methods where they give people inspiration and influence the wayof seeing and understanding things of the person themselves insteadof just giving people knowledge and information, and I think that thisapproach is more effective. Concerning the second point, when I dida site visit of the Netherlands, I was really impressed by the fact thatin the social environment of the Netherlands, there is hardly any
distinction between whether people have or don't have a disability.
It is an environment where people both with disabilities and without
disabilities create an environment together for allowing everyone toparticipate in sports. I think the initiative where we directly saw theenvironment of the actual place also had an influence on this project.
A: The trigger for starting the Adachi sports concierge was the
Netherlands’Sports Service Point initiative, which we found out about
during the Game Changer Project. I think learning that it was given
the function of a hub for sports for people with disabilities was
significant. More than anything, their way of thinking influenced us.
I think that the Dutch way of thinking, which says that rather thanfitting the person to the rules and ways of doing sports, it is okay to
fit the rules and ways of doing sports to the disability of the person,is the area where Japanese people, who tend to approach things49Considering issues basedon examples

Remarks / memoby checking the rules, have to change their perception the most. I
believe that increasing the number of people who can think like thatis important for achieving an inclusive society, and is something weworking for the government must do.

Practical policy work question
In aiming to achieve the realization of an inclusive society through sports, what issues doyou think a government sports administrator needs to address, and how should they tackle
them?

50

III

Initiative checklist

Use the initiative checklist to advance parasports and social
inclusion initiatives.
This checklist is only reference information as a starting point.
It is not necessary to cover everything written in it. Further,note down things you think of that are not written in the list in
the memo section, and try acting on them.

Initiative checklist

III-1

Know the current
situation
Remarks / memoFirstly, begin with being aware of the present situation. What methods
are there for finding out about the present situation regarding initiatives
concerned with the promotion of sports for people with disabilities andinclusive society in your municipality or community? Use the following
checklist to ascertain the state of things that are necessary for grasping
the present situation:

Initiative checklist□

Check results of existing investigations by the national andlocal governments, etc. regarding the state of implementationof sports for people with disabilities.

□

Check results of existing investigations by the national andlocal governments, etc. on the state of active engagement insociety by people with disabilities.

□

Check the situation of sections of local government in chargeof matters concerned with sports for people with disabilities(sports, health and welfare, inclusive society, management
planning, etc.).

□

Ascertain systems and organizational structures related tosports for people with disabilities.

□

Check policies and projects related to sports for people withdisabilities.

□

If there is anything that aids understanding of the present stateof residents’perception, awareness, and actions in relation tosports for people with disabilities and people with impairments
themselves, check it.

□

Try making a list of sports groups and welfare groups in themunicipality. Look at things area by area. Check what kindof groups and workplaces related to people with disabilities
exist in an area, and where they are located.

□

Check how many sports facilities accept people with impairments.

□

Check whether there are mechanisms that gather opinionsfrom people with impairments.

□

Make a list of relevant people who you would like to have
involved in the project.

53

I n i t i a t i v e checklist

Remarks / memo

Key points● Check data related to sports for people with disabilities.
Doing so is useful in understanding the starting point of the project.

● Grasping and understanding the present situation
It is important to check in advance whether or not there is a mechanism
for knowing about an initiative’s effectiveness and changes when it isunderway. For example, it is a good idea to deepen your understandingof things such as whether any items should be added in advance to theitems on an existing questionnaire, who is listening to the live voices ofpeople with disabilities the most, and who should be consulted in order tohave a new plan.

● Imagine who the stakeholders will be
The project cannot be completed by just people who are involved in
sports, so initiatives need to be advanced while obtaining cooperationfrom other various stakeholders (interested parties). In order to do that, itis necessary to imagine in advance who the project stakeholders will be.
It helps to use a "stakeholder grid," which is a framework for doing that.

54

Initiative checklist

III-2

Create medium-term andlong-term goals and plans
Remarks / memo

In order to advance parasports and social inclusion initiatives, it isimportant to set clear goals and manage what outcomes you aim foralong the way regarding both initiatives. An inclusive society cannot
be achieved overnight. So one activity becomes the foundation for
the next activity, it is necessary to logically connect initiatives andhave them build on one another. Use the following checklist andcheck the key points:

Initiative checklist□

Create a logic model for medium-term and long-term goals andplanning (for how to create it, refer to page 60).

□

When creating the logic model, try expressing issues related tosports for people without disabilities and inclusive society in themunicipality (what kind of problem needs to change how) briefly.

□

Try stating a specific aim, saying what will be achieved in
the project in order to create positive change in regard to anissue.

□

Think about what kind of outcomes you will aim for in order toachieve an aim – long-term (about 4 to 5 years) / medium-term(about 2 to 3 years) / short-term (about one year).

□

List what activities you should undertake, what activities
you are undertaking now, and ideas for activities that you
are thinking of undertaking in the future in order to achieve
outcomes.

□

While developing the logic model, organize the cause-andeffect relationships.

Key points● Organization of issues which the local government considers
intervening inWhile still using sports promotion plans, welfare plans for the people withdisabilities, and so on as a basis, consider matters in line with the present
situation, while also taking into account issue changes that occur after
those plans' policies have been formulated.

55

I n i t i a t i v e checklist

III-3
Remarks / memo

Listen to what people withdisabilities have to say（consultation / cooperation with related
departments）

Have you ever talked directly with a person with a disability? If you
have not had much contact with or opportunities to talk with people
who have a disability before, firstly, let this project be an opportunity
for you to try talking with someone who has a disability. This project
begins by listening to what people with disabilities have to say.

Initiative checklist□

Speak to staff of sections responsible for policy for people
with disabilities to find out how they in the community live,
what their opinions and wishes are, and so on.

□

Have staff of sections responsible for policy for people withdisabilities introduce you to them and people in charge offacilities for them.

□

Try directly listening to what people with disabilities have to say(regarding how they live, whether they are doing any exercise
or sports, whether they have any wishes regarding exercise
or sports, and how strong their wishes (if any) are, what kind of
exercise or sports they are interested in, and so on).

□

Ascertain what people with impairments can (will be able to)
do and what is (will be) difficult for them when they do exercise
or sports.

□

If people with disabilities feels that doing exercise or sports will
be difficult, ascertain the cause of the difficulty and what needs tobe solved to increase the probability of the people with disabilities
being able to do exercise or sports.

□

Check whether there are any existing investigations whichreflect the voices of people with disabilities, and if so, whether
they contain any items related to exercise or sports.

□

If necessary, also consider cooperating so that surveys forpeople with disabilities that are conducted by the welfare
section include items related to exercise and sports.

56

Initiative checklist

Remarks / memo

Key points● Listen directly to what people with disabiltiies have to say
Recently, the "social model"¹⁷ of disability has become mainstream inthinking about "disability" in sports. It says that disabilities are not part ofthe person themselves, but rather arise as gaps between the person withdisabilities and the sporting environment (e.g., the coach, the kind of sport,
the way the sport is done, the sporting facility or equipment, the methodof transportation, etc.). In order to work out how the "disability" (gap) canbe eliminated, it is important to listen to what people with disabilities haveto say, and while assuming that each individual case will be different, tohave people concerned think carefully about what they can each do intheir particular situation.

17 Refer to“Social model of disability”on pages 9 and 10 of this document.

57

I n i t i a t i v e checklist

III-4
Remarks / memo

Share knowledge（workshops, qualification acquisition,
appointment of specialist human resources, etc.）

Government employees in charge of to community sports, designatedmanagement entities of sporting facilities, sports groups, sports promotion
committee members, general community sports clubs, and other parties
concerned having a certain amount of knowledge regarding people withdisabilities and parasports reduces uneasiness and preconceptions thatarise from limited awareness and understanding regarding people withdisabilities doing exercise and sports, and aids in providing sporting
opportunities and services to them as members of the community.

Initiative checklist□

Plan study meetings that involve workers from both thesports department and the welfare department for people withdisabilities and also serve as opportunities for introducing thekind of work each section does.

□

Invite parasports athletes, coaches, and specialists, and holdjoint study meetings and events where people can experience
things for themselves for the sports section and the welfare
department for people with disabilities.

□

Provide support so that sports promotion committee members
can obtain qualifications to become certified sports instructors
for people with disabilities (beginner level).

□

If vocational schools or universities related to physiotherapy,
welfare, or the like are nearby, plan workshops related toparasports for those students.

□

Hold joint training sessions in the form of town meetings whichhave people involved with sports in the community and people
involved with welfare for people with disabilities sit around thesame table.

□

Consider what knowledge you would like which people topossess (Related: stakeholder mapping).

□

Add elements of parasports and social inclusion to training
sessions for community sports volunteers (community sports
supporters), then increase the number of people who complete
the training (certified persons) to increase the number ofpeople who can deal with parasports and related areas.

58

Initiative checklist

Remarks / memo

Key points● Encouraging vision, empathy, and changes in thinking
A government official who worked on the Game Changer Projectlooked back on their initiatives and said, "Transmitting over and over tocommunity sports stakeholders and designated management entities themeaning of the spread of parasports and a vision of the promotion of an
inclusive society, increasing empathy, and changing points of view andreactions was difficult but extremely important."● Utilization of community sports meetings
Adachi City already had community sports meetings that gathered sports
stakeholders such as sports promotion committee members, designatedmanagement entities of public sports facilities, and general community
sports club staff members from each area of the city. People withdisabilities and their helpers who engaged in parasports in the community,
people working in government welfare departments for persons withdisabilities, and so on were invited to the meetings, where they sat at
the same tables as others from their area of the city. By discussing what
they could do to cooperate premised on the particular environment andsituation of their own area, they were able to consider and implement
down-to-earth measures rather than idealism.
In this way, the reborn community sports meetings are meaningful notjust as a venue for stakeholders to build connections and exchange
information, but to grasp the stakeholders' needs and involve them in thedecision-making process.

● 「BE CREATIVE」
At a workshop for vocational school students aiming to become
physiotherapists, the students viewed cards on which the names of
disabilities were written and thought about what sports a person withsuch a disability could play, what the sports' rules and methods of playmight be, and then actually tried the sports. They learned that there are
more sports than they had thought that could be played while ensuringsafety. The message always sent by a Dutch expert was "BE CREATIVE."
They learned to face the people with disabilities right in front of them,think flexibly about what can be done, and respond.

● Lay a foundation for promoting interdepartmental collaboration
Planning and holding workshops that members of different departments
such as sports departments and welfare departments for persons withdisabilities can attend together, will raise recognition and knowledgeof parasports inside governments, while also helping to promote latercollaboration among such departments.

59

I n i t i a t i v e checklist

III-5
Remarks / memo

Increase the number ofdiverse opportunities（events, clubs, seminars, dispatch of coaches,
independent activities, etc.）

Let’s increase diverse opportunities related to parasports and social
inclusion for community residents. The diverse opportunities include
events that take place once per year, seminars and workshops thattake place multiple times, programs at sports facilities that one may
attend whenever one wishes, and parasports that are regularly heldand participated in.

Initiative checklist□

While looking at your stakeholder map, arrange initiatives
by who the targets are, what they are for, and what kind ofchange you want to bring about (recognition/awareness,knowledge, action, etc.).

□

Think about what kind of projects (events, seminars, club
activities, leadership/volunteer training, etc.) are necessary as
methods to bring about that change.

□

Think about whether existing projects can be utilized, suchas by adding parasports elements to sports events, welfare
events, civic festivals, etc.

□

Consider methods for transitioning from government-led
projects to resident-led initiatives.

Key points● Collaboration and continuity
Increasing diverse opportunities is important, but make sure that they
are in place as effective preparation for next steps and the following
year's activities. For example, initiatives broadly targeting the general
population such as trying parasports or hearing para-athletes speak
would have a relatively large number of beneficiaries. The effects of one
event, however, are temporary. It is good to imagine the participants andcollaborators of the next activity while considering who you will ask toparticipate in and cooperate with it.

60

Initiative checklist

III-6

Create structures（cross-disciplinary meetings, consultation
desks and concierges, government specialists）

Remarks / memo

In order for initiatives on parasports and social inclusion to continue,
develop, and contribute to the solution of policy issues even after thepeople currently working on the initiatives move on, it is necessary
not just to plan and implement individual projects, but to build
structures that generate continuity

Initiative checklist□

Create cooperation mechanisms inside government (joint study
groups and workshops, liaison conferences, collaborative
systems, etc., between sports departments and welfare
departments for people with disabilities).

□

Create mechanisms to listen to people with disabilities themselves.

□

Create mechanisms for stakeholders to join in discussions.

□

Create mechanisms for stakeholders to learn about parasports.

□

Create consultation desks for people with disabilities to ask
about sports.

Key points● Promote the establishment of sports consultation desks
for people with disabilities
The Game Changer Project, while carrying on various initiatives anddiscussions, promotes the establishment of Sports Concierges (local
sports consultation desks for people with disabilities), created withreference to Sports Service Point (SSP), the Dutch sports consultation
desk system for people with disabilities. As for the question of who should
handle the consultation desk function, some governments place a chiefclerk in charge of Sports Concierge, while others include consultation
desk services in the work outsourced to designated management entitiesof sports facilities.

61

I n i t i a t i v e checklist

III-7
Remarks / memo

Measure results（look at change compared to the baseline:
Numerical indicators, logic models, stakeholder
mapping, opinions of residents and stakeholders,symbolic anecdotes and stories）

To see what results of activities within the project, try to measure
those specific effects and changes. To measure them, it is necessary
to consider in advance what kinds of indices to use and to lookup and record their initial values. Using existing research results
or carrying out the same research before and after an initiative tomeasure change is one possible method.

Initiative checklist□

Consider using existing research found when gaining an
accurate grasp of the current situation as metrics to measureeffects and changes caused by project initiatives.

□

Consider methods for quantitative measurement.

□

Use symbolic anecdotes and stories concerning effects andchanges as information that complements quantitative data.

□

Adjust and modify a stakeholder grid periodically.

□

Based on a logic model, distinguish and organize project
outcomes as short-term, medium-term, and long-term, and think
about how to measure each of those.

Key points● Updating a stakeholder grid
One local government updated its stakeholder grid every year.
By comparing the updated stakeholder grid with the one from theprevious year, they found out changes in positioning. Checking out therelationships with stakeholders once every six months to one year leads
to reviewing effective use of limited resources.

62

Initiative checklist

Creating a stakeholder grid
Remarks / memo

What is stakeholder mapping?
In order to effectively advance a project amidst limited time andresources, first, it is necessary to understand the current situationof relevant stakeholders (interested parties), and to set priorities forindividuals, groups, and organizations that should be involved in the
project. Furthermore, it is important to consider what is necessary tomove them to their ideal positions (sense of closeness to the project, how,they interact with the project, etc.).
While carrying out the project, it is important to constantly confirm how
stakeholders' positions are changing and conduct reviews accordingly. It
is good to hold an opportunity for review every six months.
Based on that, confirm whether appropriate communication is taking placewith the stakeholders in each group. In order to carry out communicationaccording to priority, it is necessary to review how time is allocated toactivities.

Utilization of stakeholder grids
One tool used when analyzing stakeholders is called a "stakeholder grid."
The horizontal axis is the height of the stakeholder's degree of interest in
the project, and the vertical axis is the size of the stakeholder's impact
on the project. The grid is divided into four groups, and stakeholders are
positioned accordingly.18

Large

Impact on project

KeepManagesatisfiedclosely

MinimalKeepeffortinformed

Small
Low

Degree of interest in projectHigh■ Stakeholders that have a high degree of interest and a large impact
require to be"manage closely."Groups that have the highest priority and18

Japan Sport Council (JSC): Etsuko Yamada sportanddev: Sanders, B. (2022),“Bridging the Divide in Sport andSustainable Development: A guide for translating policy into practice and effective programme management”
retrieved from: https://www.iir.jpnsport.go.jp/en/sdgs/ explains the development of stakeholder grid in more detail.
For details, contact JSC Department of Information & International Relations.

63I n i t i a t i v e checklist

Remarks / memo

require careful communication.
■ Stakeholders that have a high degree of interest and a small impact
require to be "kept informed." In light of the possibility that when
the status of an initiative changes, or it moves to another stage,
stakeholders in this group might be in a position to have a larger impact
and deepen their involvement in the project, communication thatmaintains their interest in the project is important.
■ For stakeholders with low interest and large impact, communication
to "Keep (them) satisfied" is necessary so that they do not exert anegative impact on the project.
■ For stakeholders with low interest and small impact, carry out
communication with "Minimal effort" in order to effectively utilize limited
time and resources.

Case study of stakeholder grid
In the Game Changer Project, each local government utilized a stakeholder
grid to find and sort stakeholders, performed stakeholder mapping, and while
clearly prioritizing initiatives, carried out communication with stakeholders
for five years. Additionally, they regularly verified the state of communication
with stakeholders and stakeholders' interest in and impact on the project,updating the mapping and reviewing initiatives.
For example, when one local government established a Sports Concierge
parasports consultation desk, it first began service with the expectation thatinquiries would come from individual residents, but at one point it noticed
that inquiries from welfare groups had increased. As the new system wasmade known to the public, it turned out that welfare groups had potential toimpact its further dissemination, so the position of welfare groups on the grid
was updated, and response to them was changed accordingly.

64Initiative checklist

Creation of logic models
Remarks / memo

What is a logic model?
It is a model that systematically illustrates the elements necessary for a
project to get results, based on "if-then" hypotheses connecting resources(inputs), activities (outputs), and results (outcomes).19 It is also called a"project blueprint." The tree-like diagram that draws lines representing
relationships and causality between the means and ends of each element
is called a "logic tree."Creation of logic models is performed after consideration of a project's
final goals (long-term results). Working backward from the perspective ofwhat is needed to achieve goals, think about project activities in orderto achieve medium-term results and short-term results, and consider thenecessary resources.20

Utilization of logic models
By creating a logic model, you make visible the whole initiative's causal
relationships and any elements missing from action plans. This includes
whether anything is missing from the plans for the activities to generate
the anticipated results and whether initiatives are positioned in plans togenerate the anticipated results.

Descriptionof the problem

Explain in simple terms what needs to change.
Record what kinds of problems should be solved, including who, what, why, where, when, and how.

Solution of the problem
Goal

Rather than something broad and general, express changes in terms of what you are specifically trying to accomplish.
Focus on one goal rather than multiple goals.

* The green arrows represent something that should
be moving in that direction but that cannot be readas doing so under the current project plan.
* Results inside green boxes represent results thatwere originally intended, but the activities on which
they would be based have not been
considered.

Long-term results(outcomes)

Medium-term results(outcomes)

Short-term results(outcomes)

Short-term results(outcomes)

Long-term results(outcomes)

Medium-term results(outcomes)

Short-term results(outcomes)

Medium-term results(outcomes)

Short-term results(outcomes)

Short-term results(outcomes)

Results ofactivities

Results ofactivities

Results ofactivities

Results ofactivities

Results ofactivities

Results ofactivities

Results ofactivities

Implementationof Project activities

Implementationof Project activities

Implementationof Project activities

Implementationof Project activities

Implementationof Project activities

Implementationof Project activities

Implementationof Project activities

Quotation from Cabinet Office of Japan commissioned research "Research Study on Assessing Social Impacts"
Final Report (Mar. 2016) Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd., p.35 https://www.npo-homepage.go.jp/
uploads/social-impact-hyouka-chousa-all.pdf [Last viewed on Feb. 26th, 2022]
20 Quotation/paraphrase from the Nippon Foundation, "Logic Model Creation Guide" (2019) p.4 https://www.nipponfoundation.or.jp/app/uploads/2019/01/gra_pro_soc_gui_03.pdf [Last viewed on Feb. 26th, 2022]
1965

I n i t i a t i v e checklist

Remarks / memo

Local governments that engaged in the Game Changer Project havemade the following comments concerning the creation of logic models.
"It was easy to share and confirm positions when explaining to relevant
departments and stakeholders." "We used it to go back to the starting
point when we got lost." "When we created it, we thought of it assomething like a plan to make a plan, but it was helpful in the sense thatby creating it we were able to decide what we should do."21

Example of creation of logic model
Here we will explain using the logic model made by the JSC withreference to Adachi City's initial project plan.
Adachi City's government deemed the chain of public safety, academic
achievement, health and poverty a community problem, and in order
to approach it through the project, initially set the goal of "Making theHanahata area a place for the community's children through sports andconstructing a support system to foster mentally and physically healthy
lifestyles."They examined whether the scope of the long-term results to be achievedby the project is too large, if, in order to achieve the long-term results,"collaboration with schools and the community to make a place forchildren to be" is necessary, if "increasing the number of places to doparasports with teachers at elementary, junior high, and special needs
schools" is necessary as medium-term results to accomplish that, andwhether "increasing the knowledge of teachers at elementary, junior high,and special needs schools concerning the living environments, minds,
and bodies of students with disabilities" could be positioned as short-term
results towards that end. Additionally, as one means of increasing thatknowledge, they established a project action plan for a "class by Dutch
sports coaches for teachers at elementary, junior high, and special needs
schools (1 time/year)."By creating a logic model, you can check within the big picture whether
medium-term and short-term results are clearly positioned for the longterm results you have set, whether project activities to generate thoseresults have been planned, whether any elements are missing, andwhether relationships between any elements are unclear.

21

66

Japan Sport Council (JSC): Etsuko Yamada sportanddev: Sanders, B. (2022),“Bridging the Divide in Sport andSustainable Development: A guide for translating policy into practice and effective programme management”
retrieved from: https://www.iir.jpnsport.go.jp/en/sdgs/ explains the creation of stakeholder maps in more detail. For
details, contact JSC Department of Information & International Relations.

Initiative checklist

Remarks / memo

Example of logic model confirming causality and action plan's missing element
Chain of public safety — academic achievement — health — poverty

Descriptionof the problem
Goal

In the Hanahata area, poverty is especially profound, ties to the community are weak, children tend to get little exercise,and children have low ability to overcome adversity.

Making in the Hanahata area through sports a place for the community's children and constructing a support system tofoster mentally and physically healthy lifestyles.

Places for children areprovided with strengthened
collaboration between
schools and community

Respect for diversity andchildren's self-esteem isfostered

Exchange programs forelementary, junior high,and special needs schools
are regularly held

Understanding of
disabilities andpeople withdisabilities is
promoted

Increases
interest in the
Netherlands
and thisproject

Students atelementary,junior high, andspecial needs schools
will experience thejoy of sports,
includingparasports

At participating
schools,
preparatory
learning about
Dutch culture,
history, andparasports

Sports experience
with Dutch
athletes forstudents at special
needs schools (1),elementary
schools in the city
(1–2), and juniorhigh schools (1)[1 time/year]

The number of places to doparasports with teachers atelementary, junior high, andspecial needs schools will
increase

Children will
have greater
access tointeractions withpeople withdisabilities andpeople fromother countries

Lectures by
Dutch
athletes atschools[1 time/year]

A support system isconstructed withcollaboration between
schools and community

Improvement of
support system forgeneralcommunity sports
clubs

Teachers at elementary,junior high, and special
needs schools will increase
their instructional knowledge
concerning the living
environments, minds, andbodies of students withdisabilities

The consciousnessof club staff will beraised, andknowledge
concerning clubmanagement will
increase

Improvement of
human resource
development
programs forleaders

Improvement ofprograms
provided bycommunity
clubs

General city
residents
will
experience
the joy ofparasports

Leadership knowledgeof athletic associations,sports promotion
committee members,
and community clubleaders will increase

Classes byVisits from
Hands-onClasses byInterim
Implement
Dutch sports the Netherlands
parasports
Dutch sports
briefings
ation ofcoaches forto generalclasses bycoaches forfor citylarge-scaleteachers at
community
Dutch athletes leaders of athletic
residents,
sportselementary, sports clubs andat general
associations,
government
event
junior high,exchanges ofcommunity
sports promotion stakeholders, [2 times/year]
and special
opinions withsports clubs
committee
andneeds schools
club staff[1 time/year]
members,
privatesector[1 time/year]
members
and community
businesses[1 time/year]
clubs [1 time/year][3rd year]67

I n i t i a t i v e checklist

Remarks / memo

Try making a stakeholder map

Large

Impact on project

Keep satisfied

Manage closely

Minimal effort

Keep informed

Small
Low

Degree of interest in projectHigh

Try making a logic model
Descriptionof the problem

Explain in simple terms what needs to change.
Record what kinds of problems should be solved, including who, what, why, where, when, and how.

Solution of the problem

Goal

Long-term
results(outcomes)

Medium-term
results(outcomes)

Short-term
results(outcomes)

Implementationof project activities/
Results of activities

68

Rather than something broad and general, express changes in terms of what you are specifically trying to accomplish.
Focus on one goal rather than multiple goals.

IV

About theGame Changer ProjectAbout the Game Changer
Project

IV

About the Game Changer Project

Remarks / memo

1. What is the Game Changer Project?
The Game Changer Project is a joint project with local governmentswith the goal of achieving an inclusive society through the spread ofparasports before the Tokyo 2020 Games. It is based on a memorandumof understanding (MoU) signed by the Japan Sport Council (JSC) and theNetherlands Olympic Committee * Netherlands Sport Federation (NOC*NSF)
in September 2016.
Obtaining advice and involvement from Dutch parasports athletes,
coaches, and experts, who had pursued advanced initiatives regarding
the participation in sports and in society by people with disabilities, each
local government aimed to use parasports to solve social problems facedby the community in its particular situation.

2. Summary of initiatives■ 5-year initiatives
The project began as a four-year project in FY 2017, with 2020 as its
goal, the year when the Tokyo 2020 Games were to be held. With the
spread of COVID-19, the Olympics and Paralympics were postponed for
one year, so the project was also extended to FY 2021.

■ Three pillars
The project established three pillars. The first is "Inspiration." Activities towork on the mind and body through knowing, learning, and acting frominspiring experiences. The second is "Knowledge Transfer." Activities
to do head-work by passing on knowledge and experience. The thirdis "Legacy." This is work on institutions, mechanisms, and systems toleave something tangible and keep the initiatives going based on four orfive years of activities, even after the project has ended. These three
approaches are initiatives to help build an inclusive society.

71About the Game Changer
Project

Remarks / memoGame Changer Project

Changing society with parasports — JSN-Dutch collaborative project

An initiative that aims for a society that all can better participate in(promotion of social inclusion) through Dutch and Japanese cooperationand the values and possibilities of parasports（FY 2017 — FY 2020 + FY 2021）(1) Knowing and learning from inspiring experiences (Inspiration)
Through interaction with Dutch athletes at sports events, schools, and community sports clubs, experience in person thevalues and possibilities of parasports, and along with getting to know parasports, feel through sports how wonderful it is
to live in a society that leaves no one out (targets: children, families, seniors, people with disabilities, etc.)(2) Passing on knowledge and experience (Knowledge Transfer)
Learning from the knowledge and experience of what the Dutch have historically done for parasports' rootedness insociety and the promotion of an inclusive society through parasports and thinking about what that should look like inJapan (targets: leaders, community stakeholders, etc.)(3) Creation of new policies (Legacy)
Through the project's initiatives, leave behind new culture, knowledge, and mechanisms rooted in the community■ Division of roles
While the three entities involved in the project (the Japan Sport Council(JSC), the Netherlands Olympic Committee * Netherlands Sport Federation(NOC*NSF), and local governments) each have their own goals and roles
to play, they share resources and collaborate. The JSC took chargeof collaboration and coordination with the three municipalities andsupporting their activities, as well as collaboration and coordination with
NOC*NSF and relevant Japanese domestic organs; NOC*NSF took chargeof collaboration and coordination with relevant Dutch domestic organs,collaboration and coordination with JSC, and dispatching of athletes,
coaches, and experts to Japan; and the three local governments havefilled the role of carrying out activities addressing each individual local
government's unique policy issues and utilizing necessary local resources
for that implementation.

Dutch Olympic
Committee*Dutch
Sports Federation(NOC*NSF)● Collaboration, coordination, and activity support with

JSC

three local governments● Collaboration and coordination with JSC and NOC*NSF● Collaboration and coordination with relevant Japanese

domestic organs
Adachi City,
Edogawa City,
Nishitokyo City

● Collaboration andcoordination with relevant
Dutch domestic organs● Collaboration andcoordination with JSC● Dispatch of athletes,
coaches, and experts
to JapanGame Changer Project● Implementation of— Changing society with parasports —activities for solvingsocial problems throughsports● Utilization of local
resources● Promotion of solving social problems through sports● Development of Japanese project models for "solving social problems

through sports" and spreading them throughout the country72About the Game Changer
Project

Remarks / memo

■ Signing ceremony
On Oct.10th, 2017, the Game Changer Project's signing ceremony took
place at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan inTokyo. On that occasion, stakeholders such as the Dutch Ambassador
to Japan, the heads of various local governments, the executive directorof NOC*NSF, JSC' president, and Japanese and Dutch para-athletes
attended and shared their determination to engage while moving toward
the Tokyo 2020 Games.

■ Joint workshops
In proceeding with the project, before and after the weeks during which
Dutch stakeholders visited and carried out activities with the local
governments (Dutch Week), all of each local government's people incharge gathered at the JSC headquarters, where they shared their aims
for the week's activities, and after completion of the week, they had ajoint meeting where they shared information and exchanged opinions
on the results of their activities and ideas for future developments.
Repeatedly holding those meetings also led to mutual deepening of how
activities should be and how to engage in them, even outside of Dutch
Week. During the COVID-19 pandemic, international travel was restricted.
Turning this to advantage, the project planned online workshops,
with Dutch stakeholders participating from the Netherlands, and theworkshops became a place for progress reports on activities and theexchange of ideas and advice on issues and questions.

■ Examples of activities by local governments
In this project, we engaged in various activities, such as events in whichchildren and local residents interacted through parasports with Dutch
para-athletes, coaches, and experts, human resources development for
local government leaders and experts, students, volunteers, and sport
promotion members, and establishment of parasports consultation desks.
Below we introduce examples of a number of initiatives.
(For details, check the content of each local government's initiatives inthe "V Documents.")73

About the Game Changer
Project

Remarks / memo

Examples of activities in various local governments□ Interaction between children from ordinary schools and special
needs schools
Regardless of disability status, children spent time playing sports
together and trying to communicate. Dutch athletes and coaches alsojoined in, prompting and deepening learning and awareness about
disabilities.
□ Education and awareness for high school, college, andvocational school students
Students from a technical high school engaged in activities deeply
connected to parasports, such as making ramps for boccia
competition, 22 and workshop-style training programs were held
for vocational school and university students studying to become
physiotherapists. For example, cards with the names of disabilities
on them were handed out to groups, and they were given a time limit
to start from zero and discuss what sport they think a person withthat disability could play, then while actually playing that sport, theylearned the importance of seeking together what they can do rather
than giving up because of what they cannot do and they learned
points to remember concerning safety.
□ Education and awareness for sport promotion members
and sports volunteers and support for their acquisition ofqualifications
For the sport promotion members and sports volunteers who upholdcommunity sports, workshops were held to help them notice andlearn what they can do while getting rid of unease and doubts about
how to interact with local people with disabilities and where to start.
An initiative was carried out in which sport promotion members wereassisted to obtain qualifications to become certified sports instructors
for people with a disability (beginner level)□ Regular holding of community meetings for multidisciplinary
collaboration and cooperation
Meetings were periodically held concerning discussion and concrete
work about how to engage with participation of people with disabilities
in society and in sports (within one's sphere of daily existence),
bringing together diverse people, not just community sports leaders,
but also designated management entities who run sports facilities
and people from welfare organizations who are involved with lifestylesupport for people with disabilities□ Establishment and operation of sports consultation desks forpeople with disabilities
In light of the Dutch sports consultation desks for people withdisabilities called Sports Service Point (SSP), the necessity andpotential of a Japanese-version SSP were considered. After
testing, an initiative to establish and operate a Sports Conciergefunction was launched. Adachi City established a new staff positionin charge, and Edogawa City added it to the contract of sports
facilities management work.
□ Establishment and operation of sports clubs for people withdisabilities
In light of the problem that there is nowhere to play sports after
graduating from a special needs school, sports clubs where people
with disabilities can routinely play sports were established.

2274

In boccia competition, athletes in classes unable to roll balls on their own use a piece of equipment shaped like aslide to roll balls down from the topAbout the Game Changer
Project

Remarks / memo

3. Teachings and lessons from the Game Changer Project■ Features and points to remember of inclusive sports
In order to implement inclusive sports, it is important to hold down thefollowing key points and points to remember.
(1) Think mainly about "ability" and "what can be done" (not "disability"and "what can’t be done")(2) Treat people the same, regardless of disability status (In otherwords, think "What kind of person is this?" rather than "What kindof disability does this person have?")(3) Directly ask the person "What can you do?" and talk it over with
them(4) Properly understand the important points to note regarding each
person's health (medications taking, injury experience, etc.)■ BE CREATIVE
In order to implement sports that accept people with disabilities, wecannot be stuck thinking of existing rules, methods, and forms, butinstead we must always BE CREATIVE. It is important to arrange people's
thinking and the sports environment by changing the following four points
depending on the other party.
(1) Leadership methods and coaching methods(2) Rules and issues(3) Equipment(4) Locations and environments■ Don't leave people with disabilities behind
Through the five-year Game Changer Project, we have learned frommany initiatives and messages how important it is to aim for an inclusive
society that never leaves behind our fellow members of society, people
with disabilities, in sports or in society, and how big a role sports can playin accomplishing that.

75

■ Transitions of the Game Changer Project
2016
April

Suggestions from NOC*NSF• NOC*NSF carried out an education through sports themed project in schools
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the four years until Rio 2016. Heading
towards Tokyo 2020 as well, they wanted to carry out a similar project inTokyo also, so they sounded out JSC about the possibilities.
• Discussions while SportAccord Convention is being held.

June

Holding of briefings for local governments which are members of JSN• JSC held an approximately one hour briefing on the project for JSN members.

July

Applications from local governments• Acceptance of applications from five local governments.

AugustDiscussion with NOC*NSF• Discussion of the project during Rio 2016.
• Requests from NOC*NSF are shared with the five local governments, andexamination is commissioned.

September

Selection of participating local governments• Based on examination of the local governments, JSC selected the local
government candidates that would participate in the project (three local
governments). Shared with NOC*NSF.

OctoberSite visit of local governments• Mr. Herbert Wolff and Ms. Rita van Driel of NOC*NSF did a site visit of thethree local governments..
• The method of implementing the project was considered along with NOC*NSF.

November

Dutch site visit• During a site visit to the Netherlands, it was discussed how to proceed withthe project from here with Mr. Herbert Wolff of NOC*NSF.

2017
January

Holding of workshop on project planning for the three local governments• A workshop was held on creating an action plan for the project dealing withhow to take action in a collaborative project with NOC*NSF to use various
opportunities in the project in order to solve local issues.

February

NOC*NSF visits Japan, has tours and meetings with the three local
governments• Mr. Herbert Wolff and Ms. Rita van Driel came to Japan, visited and toured thethree local governments, and held meetings to deepen mutual understanding
about the details of the project's contents.
• On the final day, NOC*NSF and the JSC held a meeting based on the tours

76

2017

and meetings.
They discussed the project's Three Pillars that showed its direction, divisionof roles, and how to proceed from now on.
• The following week, they visited the three local governments, explained thecontent of the meeting between NOC*NSF and the JSC, and collected thethree local governments' opinions.
• After that, until July, the three local governments updated their projectplans at a pace of once every month. Whenever they updated, they obtained
feedback from the JSC by email, telephone, or meetings to support theirproject planning.

April

Holding of joint meeting with JSC and the three local governments• Along with carving out the details of the project plans the three local
governments were creating for implementation of the project, the JSC and the
local governments held meetings to share the content of the project plans.

May

Exchange of opinions with the Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support
Center• After receiving advice from NOC*NSF (Ms. Rita van Driel), opinions concerning
the project's initiatives were exchanged with the person in charge at the
Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center.

June

NOC*NSF visits Japan, has meetings with the three local governments• Mr. Herbert Wolff and Ms. Rita van Driel came to Japan and held meetings
with each of the three local governments to deepen mutual understanding
about the details of the project’s contents.
• On the final day, there was a meeting between NOC*NSF, the three local
governments, and the JSC based on the individual meetings. They sharedideas about overall project goals, common issues of the three local
governments, what the Dutch side could share (knowledge, experience,
opportunities), setting of targets, sports to be taken up, and mental pictures ofthe project's development.
• They exchanged opinions on the general timing of activities during the second
half of 2017. The kickoff event would be held in October, and the local
governments would implement their various activities, with participation by
Dutch athletes, etc., in early November. In addition, they agreed upon a visit
to the Netherlands during that year.

July
AugustSeptember

October

Local government began activities, meetings with media• Each local government's activities related to the project began in July.
Voluntary interactions and information exchange, such as participation byother local governments, also began..
• Meetings were held with NHK and other media outlets to make the project
widely known to the public.
Holding of joint meeting with the JSC and the three local governments• Meetings were held to deepen understanding of the content of thiscollaborative project, the Oct. 10th signing ceremony, and the various
November activities, and to strive for common understanding.

77

2017

Holding of signing ceremony• The project's implementing entities, NOC*NSF, the three local governments,
and the JSC, signed an agreement specifying content to be implemented,
timing, methods, division of roles, etc.
• In order to make the project's launch and vision widely known to the public, apress conference for the media was held at the start of the signing ceremony.
• From that time, spreading of information about the project through the three
local governments' media began (websites, newsletters, etc.).
Meetings with sports governing bodies and Tokyo 2020 Organizing
Committee• In part because of a request by NOC*NSF (Ms. Rita van Driel), opinions about
future collaboration and possibilities were exchanged with the governing
bodies for korfball and boccia, which were included in the three sports to betaken up by the project.
• In part because of a request by NOC*NSF (Ms. Rita van Driel), a meeting washeld with the person in charge at the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee forconsideration of the possibility of the three local governments applying forthe participation program being implemented by the committee.

November

Implementation of local governments' individual programs• Rio 2016 para table tennis gold medalist Ms. Kelly van Zon and Ms. Rita vanDriel of NOC*NSF came to Japan, and from Nov. 4th to 12th, they attended
events sponsored by the three local governments, visited schools, gave
lectures and table tennis demonstrations during visits to general community
sports clubs, and interacted with community members.
Implementation of Dutch visitation program• Ms. Rita van Driel and Mr. Herbert Wolff of NOC*NSF, para track and fieldathlete Ms. Marlene van Gansewinkel, and korfball official Mr. Dolf Nijbroek (theEmbassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan) came to Japan, andfrom Jul. 1st to 5th (Mr. Dolf Nijbroek from the 4th to the 7th), participatedin school visits, classes, and experience programs held by the three local
governments.
• On the morning of the first day of activities, each local government had ameeting with NOC*NSF, in which they confirmed the details of the local
governments' activities and exchanged opinions on the Dutch visit program in
September and the local government implementation program in November.
In the afternoon, the JSC and NOC*NSF exchanged opinions about the visit
to the Netherlands scheduled for November, PR activities, and next year's
activities.
• On the final day of activities, a joint workshop for the three local governments
was held at the Adachi City Sogo Sports Center.
Along with looking back on the week's activities, they exchanged opinions andshared information about the visit to the Netherlands planned for November,
PR activities, and next year's activities.

DecemberHolding of joint meeting with the JSC and the three local governments• They held a joint meeting to look back on activities in 2017 and to exchange
information and opinions about planning for and consideration of next year's
activities.

78Transitions of the Game Changer Project

2018
April

Holding of joint meeting with the JSC and the three local governments• With the current fiscal year's activities starting, they held a joint meeting to
exchange information and opinions about activities from then on.
Attendance at King of the Netherlands anniversary reception• During the previous fiscal year, the project's signing ceremony was heldat the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan, and later, thePresident of the JSC and the acting Mayors of the three local governments
received invitations to the King of the Netherlands anniversary reception, andattended the event.

June

Implementation of local governments' individual programs• Ms. Rita van Driel and Mr. Herbert Wolff of NOC*NSF, Mr. Dolf Nijbroek of theRoyal Dutch Korfball Association, and parasports expert Ms. Marjolijn de Boercame to Japan and from Jun. 26th through 29th, held classes, experience
programs, etc., organized by the three local governments.
• Media (Kyodo News) interview.

AugustHolding of joint meeting with the JSC and the three local governments• They held a joint meeting to look back on activities of local governments’
individual programs carried out in June and to exchange information andopinions about future activities.
Conference held by NOC*NSF and Leiden Asia Centre• NOC*NSF and the Leiden Asia Centre held a conference at Papendal to kickoff the joint research on the Game Changer Project that they will engage in.

October

Holding of joint meeting with the JSC and the three local governments• With one year having passed since the launch of the Game Changer Project,they held a joint meeting to look back on activities so far and to exchange
information and opinions about future activities.

NovemberThree local governments' programs → postponed• Ms. Rita van Driel and Mr. Herbert Wolff of NOC*NSF, parasports expert Ms.
Marjolijn de Boer, and para cyclist Ms. Alyda Norbruis were to come to Japanand from Nov. 26th to 30th, hold classes, experiences, etc., sponsored by thethree local governments, but their arrival in Japan was halted (decided on
Nov. 16th) and postponed.
• Explanation of facts and opinion exchange with the three local governments(Nov. 19th and 20th).
• Mr. Herbert Wolff, who came to Japan for an ANOC meeting, and the JSC held
meetings (Nov. 26th and 30th).
• Along with commemorating the fact that one year had passed since NOC*NSF
and JSC signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the project,
he attended a dinner sponsored by the Embassy of the Kingdom of theNetherlands in Japan to confirm future cooperation on developing the project(Nov. 26th).
• Mr. Herbert Wolff, the JSC, and the three local governments held a meeting(Nov. 30th).

79

2019
February

Implementation of local governments' individual programs and three
local government joint workshops• Ms. Rita van Driel of NOC*NSF, parasports specialist Ms. Marjolijn de Boer,and wheelchair basketball players Mariska Beijer and Bo Kramer cameto Japan and for seven days starting on Feb.2, held classes, experience
programs, etc., organized by the three local governments.
• Cooperation for borrowing of wheelchairs for activities in Nishitokyo City was
obtained from the Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center.
• Two workshops (Feb. 4th and 8th) were held to deepen understanding of
the Sports Service Point (SSP) system in the Netherlands and to consider inconcrete terms how possible it would be for the local governments to havethe same or similar systems.

April

Individual meetings held with the three local governments• With the second half of the four-year project beginning, each local government
was visited for an individual meeting.
• In the meetings, (1) they looked back on the activities so far (looking backon the operation of February's activities that were the local governments'
activity programs, stakeholder relations and progress and evaluation of the
project plan, such as the structure of activities, how to involve stakeholders,and activities on the Dutch side), (2) they looked ahead to the current fiscal
years activities (exchanging opinions and sharing information about schedules
and needs of the July local government activity programs and needs of theSeptember Dutch visitation program)

July

Implementation of local governments' individual programs and three
local government joint workshops• Ms. Rita van Driel and Mr. Herbert Wolff of NOC*NSF, para track and fieldathlete Ms. Marlene van Gansewinkel, and korfball official Mr. Dolf Nijbroek
came to Japan, and from Jul. 1st to 5th (Mr. Dolf Nijbroek from the 4th to the7th), participated in school visits, classes, and experience programs organizedby the three local governments.
• On the morning of the first day of activities, each local government had ameeting with NOC*NSF, in which they confirmed the details of the local
governments' activities and exchanged opinions on the planned visit to theNetherlands and the November local government implementation program. In
the afternoon, the JSC and NOC*NSF exchanged opinions about the visitation
program in September, PR activities, and next year's activities.
• On the final day of activities, a joint workshop for the three local governments
was held at the Adachi City Sogo Sports Center.
Along with looking back on the week's activities, they exchanged opinions andshared information about the visitation program in September, PR activities,
and next fiscal year's activities.

AugustMedia meetings and information sharing• Ahead of the visit to the Netherlands in September, there was a meeting with
NHK to share about the progress of the Game Changer Project and the next
visit program.

80

Transitions of the Game Changer Project• Through introductions by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands inJapan, information concerning the program was shared with the Brussels
branches of Kyodo News and the Asahi Shimbun.
September

Implementation of Dutch visitation program• Representatives of the local governments went to the Netherlands togather information to refer to when actually establishing and operating
similar initiatives, seeking concrete understanding through tours of sites of
initiatives that promote participation in sports by people with disabilities andparticipation together in sports by people without disabilities and people withdisabilities, focusing mainly on the Sports Service Point (SSP) system thatfunctions as a consultation desk when people with disabilities participate insports in the Netherlands, and through information exchange and opinion
exchange with stakeholders, about issues in operating each kind of function,
how they are resolved, and potential uses, including stakeholders andrelevant context..
• Based on coordination with NOC*NSF, from Sept. 15th to 23rd, they toured
sports schools, sports clubs, special needs schools, sports facilities, andrehabilitation centers, and held meetings with staff members from the Dutch
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, The Hague and university researchers,etc.
• On the final day, they held a meeting to look back on the visit, connect it to
future activities, and exchange opinions with the three local governments.

NovemberHolding of Game Changer Project roundtable discussion• Staff members of the three local governments participated in a roundtablediscussion that looked back on how local residents and communities, local
government staff members, stakeholders, etc., changed because of the Game
Changer Project and discussed clarification of background and key elements
including future changes that could occur/are desired to occur.
• The content spoken about in the roundtable discussion was shared with JSN
Declaration bodies in the JSN newsletter, "Insight."
Implementation of local governments' individual programs and three
local government joint workshops• Ms. Rita van Driel, Ms. Heleen Moes, and Mr. Herbert Wolff of the NOC*NSF
and para track and field athlete Mr. Gert-Jan Schep came to Japan andfrom Nov. 15th to 23rd (Mr. Herbert Wolff until the 17th), participated inevents, school visits, classes, and experiences sponsored by the three local
governments.
• On the afternoon of the first day of activities, a workshop was held to
exchange information and opinions with NOC*NSF concerning how tocontinue the Game Changer Project in 2020 and beyond. After that, each
local government had a meeting with NOC*NSF to confirm details of activities
in the local governments.
• The day after programs in individual local governments ended, a joint
workshop was held by the three local governments. Along with looking backon the week's activities, they exchanged opinions and shared information
about future activities.

81

2020
March

Ms. Rita van Driel's visit to Japan was postponed due to the COVID-19
pandemic• Ms. Rita van Driel was to come to Japan for meetings before the programs in
the three individual local governments scheduled for May, but her visit was
postponed due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

July

Holding of digital meetings• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it became difficult for Dutch athletes andcoaches, etc., to come to Japan for individual local governments' programs
or for joint workshops with the three local governments, so periodic online
meetings connecting Japan and the Netherlands were held and informationand opinions were exchanged concerning each local government's initiatives,
the issues they faced, and measures to solve them.

September
November

2021
January

Holding of digital meetings• By connecting Japan and the Netherlands online, each local government
could share information and exchange opinions about their initiatives, theissues they faced, and measures to solve them.
Holding of JSN online seminar• With persons in charge of the Game Changer Project in the three local
governments taking the rostrum, an online seminar on the topic "An inclusive
society through sports—Schemes and mechanisms for promoting people withdisabilities' participation in sports" was held.

May

Extension of MoU• The project's implementing entities, NOC*NSF, the three local governments,
and the JSC, signed a memorandum of understanding extending the project's
term (until the end of March 2022).

May

Holding of digital meetings• By connecting Japan and the Netherlands online, each local government
could share information and exchange opinions about their initiatives, theissues they faced, and measures to solve them.
• Adachi City held a korfball workshop for sport promotion members and facility
managers, etc., and an online exchange meeting with the Netherlands thatwas joined by the Hanahata Junior High School's student council.

June
July

July
AugustSeptember82

Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games• At the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan, exhibition withthe theme "Olympic Heritage/Paralympic Legacy" was held, and there wasalso an exhibit concerning the Game Changer Project.
• In the online seminar "Team NL Tokyo Expo" sponsored by NOC*NSF,
et al., persons in charge of the Game Changer Project in the three local

Transitions of the Game Changer Project
governments took the rostrum, and a Game Changer Conference was held.
• During the Paralympics, Ms. Rita van Driel toured the Special Cruyff Courts
in Adachi City, a sports support facility established by Adachi City incollaboration with the Johan Cruyff Foundation of the Netherlands, andexchanged opinions with relevant people in the local government.

OctoberNovemberHolding of JSN online seminar• With persons in charge of the Game Changer Project in the three local
governments taking the rostrum, an online seminar on the topic "An inclusive
society through sports—Schemes and mechanisms for promoting people withdisabilties’participation in sports" was held.

2022
March

Holding of digital meetings• By connecting Japan and the Netherlands online, each local government
could share information and exchange opinions about their initiatives, theissues they faced, and measures to solve them.
Completion of the Game Changer Project• The collaborative project by NOC*NSF and the three local governments thatran for five years is finished.
Community Sports Policy Parasports and Social Inclusion Practical Guide
Issuance of beyond the GAME CHANGER PROJECT 2017–2021• Based on the learning, realizations, and experiences gained through the Game
Changer Project, persons in charge of Regional Sports Policy issued it as areference for pursuing future initiatives to encourage and promote parasports
and the realization of an inclusive society through sports.

To Be
Continued

83Resources

Japan Sport Council (JSC)
A case study of GAME CHANGER PROJECT 2017-2021
on Parasports & Social Inclusion in Japan(Japanese / English)
https://www.sport4tomorrow.jpnsport.go.jp/jp/news/
programme/gcpguide/

Netherlands Olympic Committee *Netherlands Sport Federation (NOC*NSF)
Game Changer Project Tokyo (English)
https://nocnsf.nl/en/international-projects/
game-changer-project-tokyo

The Embassy of the Kingdomof the Netherlands in Japan
Game Changer (English)
https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl/
your-country-and-the-netherlands/japan/game-changer

Adachi City
Website (Japanese)
https://www.city.adachi.tokyo.jp/sesaku/sinoranndapage.html

84Adachi City
YouTube (Japanese / English)
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=
PLPSYkQiHBnVN1EHCIgkaYAXyF_ysRKhYW

Edogawa City
Website (Japanese)
https://www.city.edogawa.tokyo.jp/e028/sports/sports/syougaisya_suports/gamechanger_torikumi.html

Edogawa City
YouTube (Japanese / English)
https://www.youtube.com/@edogawa-city-news/search?query=
Game%20Changer

Nishitokyo City
Website (Japanese)
https://www.city.nishitokyo.lg.jp/enjoy/sports/tokyo2020/game_changer/index.html

85References
1. "Supōtsu tantousha ni nattara yomu hon: Chihou gyousei ni okeru ebidensu bēsu no
seisaku ritsuan ni torikumu tame ni" ("Book for people newly responsible for sports- In order to strive for evidence-based policy creation in local government") by theJapan Sport Council (2020).www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B08ZQJ7X1T
2. Cabinet Office of Japan, "Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with
Disabilities," https://www8.cao.go.jp/shougai/suishin/sabekai.html [Last viewed Jan.
28th, 2022]
3. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, "Regarding
Special Needs Education”https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/tokubetu/
material/1364725.html [Last viewed Feb. 26th, 2022]
4. Tokyo Metropolitan Government, "TEAM BEYOND/What are parasports?"https://www.
para-sports.tokyo/sports [Last viewed Feb. 26th, 2022]
5. Japanese Para-Sports Association, "Regarding the change of name of this association”
https://www.parasports.or.jp/news/detail/20211001_003870.html [Last viewed
Feb. 26th, 2022]
6. Prime Minister's Office of Japan, "Host Town Initiative”https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/
singi/tokyo2020_suishin_honbu/hosttown_suisin/index.html [Last viewed on Feb.
26th, 2022]
7. About #WeThe15 International Paralympic Committee (2021) IPC President Andrew
Parsons' Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony speech https://www.paralympic.org/
news/ ipc-president-andrew-parsons-tokyo-2020-opening-ceremony-speech [Lastviewed Jan. 12th, 2022] Speech excerpts translated by JSC.
8. From a presentation by the Japan Sport Council, "JSN regional sports innovation
seminar 'No. 6 : An inclusive society through sports—Schemes and stractures forfacilitating the participation of people with disabilities in sport'" (Jan.14th, 2021).
9. Japan Sport Council, "JSN regional sports policy innovation online seminar 2021,'An inclusive society through sports—Schemes and stractures for facilitating theparticipation of people with disabilities in sport—1'" (Oct.18th, 2021).
10. Japan Sport Council, "JSN regional sports policy innovation online seminar 2021,'An inclusive society through sports—Schemes and stractures for facilitating theparticipation of people with disabilities in sport—2'" (Nov.15th, 2021).
11. Quotation from Cabinet Office of Japan commissioned research "Research Study on
Assessing Social Impacts" Final Report (Mar. 2016) Mitsubishi UFJ Research andConsulting Co., Ltd., p. 35 https://www.npo-homepage.go.jp/uploads/social-impacthyouka-chousa-all.pdf [Last viewed on Feb. 26th, 2022]
12. Quotation/paraphrase from the Nippon Foundation, "Logic Model Creation Guide" (2019)p. 4 https://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/app/uploads/2019/01/gra_pro_soc_
gui_03.pdf [Last viewed on Feb. 26th, 2022]
13. Japan Sport Council (JSC), sportanddev, Etsuko Yamada, Sanders, B., "Bridging the
Divide in Sport and Sustainable Development" (2022)
14. Adachi City Website https://www.city.adachi.tokyo.jp/sesaku/sinoranndapage.html[Last viewed on Mar. 2nd, 2022]
15. Edogawa City Website https://www.city.edogawa.tokyo.jp/e028/sports/sports/syougaisya_suports/gamechanger_torikumi.html [Last viewed on Mar. 2nd, 2022]
16. Nishitokyo City Website https://www.city.nishitokyo.lg.jp/enjoy/sports/tokyo2020/
game_changer/index.html [Last viewed on Mar. 2nd, 2022]

86Final message

Final message

The launch of the Game Changer Project started with us staff members of the
JSC Department of Information & International Relations and representatives of
the Netherlands Olympic Committee * Netherlands Sport Federation (NOC*NSF)
gathered around one table in a small conference room. Our division of roles
depended on what we could each bring to the project, what form the Game
Changer Project should aim for, and so on, so amidst repeated conversations,
we developed the blueprint from zero. Since then, with various people becoming
involved with the project, especially staff members of the three local governments,
the local governments through their participation in the project have generated
results we did not imagine at the start. Furthermore, those results did not end onlywith the encouragement and promotion of parasports. The various initiatives forthe realization of an inclusive society brought to life seeds that have been sown inthe soil of local communities.
This book compiles the learning, experiences, and knowledge obtained throughthe Game Changer Project, which unfolded with the theme of realizing an inclusive
society through parasports, to support better practice in Regional Sports Policythat attempts to realize an inclusive society through parasports and sports. I
wrote the editorial postscript while watching the world's athletes show their best
performances in the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games, held while lastsummer's Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games still reverberated. On theother hand, it seems that uncertain times are being spurred on every day, with theimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing since 2020, and conflict between
nations taking place as well. Through the Game Changer Project, we received themessage "BE CREATIVE" many times from Dutch stakeholders. Is it not because
the times are uncertain that even in practical local governing, creativity is theimportant element? I hope this book will be helpful.

Japan Sport Council
Department of Information & International Relations,
Deputy Director of Sport Policy and Information Division

Jun Kubota(Game Changer Project Leader. In charge of all aspects:
communication and coordination with the Netherlands andthe local governments, running joint meetings of the three
local governments, instructor at JSN seminars on the topic
of the project, etc.)87

F i n a l m essage

When writing this editorial postscript, I read again for the first time in a long while
the project proposal that the local governments submitted when applying to Game
Changer Project in 2016. Many vague things were written in them, such as "Wewant to spread the values of sports" and "We want to enjoy meeting people fromother countries," along with lists of ideas for activities related to visits from Dutch
athletes. Hypotheses and cause-and-effect relationships describing how eachactivity would bring what changes to the community and other items that should
be set at the beginning of a project were unfortunately absent there.
As the project moved forward, however, not only the children and sport promotion
members who participated in the project activities, but also the sport officers at
local governments, learned a lot of things, absorbed new knowledge and skills, andshowed increased ownership within the project. I was surprised but very happy
when they shared the conceptual drawing they had set and organized by applying
their own logic trees.
I think that each local government generated outcomes that were even not
anticipated at the beginning of the project. However, whether those outcomescan be grown into something sustainable is another thing, which they now need todeal with. There are a variety of paths suitable for moving communities towards
social inclusion, such as how each local government and community will continue
to address matters executed so far with the driving force of the Game Changer
Project, and how they must work to change the behavior of people whose
consciousness changed because of the inspiration of Dutch athletes.
I would be more than happy if this book could be of any help for those who get lostin the direction of an activity, or when a new member has been welcomed in andcommon understanding of the project needs to be fostered, etc.

Japan Sport Council
Head of International Sport for Development
Department of Information & International Relations,International Relations Division

Etsuko Yamada(Game Changer Project member. As a specialist in public
policy [policy evaluation], I was in charge of project plans
and ways of thinking about monitoring and evaluationin the project, helping stakeholders with advice andintroduction of management methodologies, etc.)88Final message

Thank you for reading this book. We wanted the results and lessons we have gained over thefive years of the Game Changer Project to remain alive in some form of initiative rather thanending with the people involved, so we compiled this. In its creation, we took care to be able
to give a vicarious experience of the thoughts, tracks, and warmth of the work, of how people
in charge in the local governments and stakeholders received the stimulation, knowledge, andexperience of the Dutch stakeholders, what people in each position and mission thought, andhow they address issues in sport and their communities in their lives. Looking back, the true
nature of the project was always in places where we could feel that warmth.
In addition, in order to be able to better answer a question raised at seminars on the Game
Changer Project, "It's an important topic, but where do we start?" this book synthesizes anditemizes knowledge obtained from initiatives in the three local governments and arranges themin initiative checklists. The book is not a recipe in which if all boxes are checked off, an initiativeon parasports and social inclusion is complete. Instead, it is to be used as a "guide" showing
examples of perspectives that may be necessary in stages and aspects until goals are reached,reflecting them on sites and issues that readers face in order to start thinking and considering
concrete action through discussion with colleagues. Rather than something to read for study's
sake, I will be happy if it is used as a tool to move practical policy.
***
The Game Changer Project was an initiative in which numerous people were involved andresonated with each other to create change. Without the accumulated results of that initiative,
this book would never have been born.
I would like once again to thank the Netherlands Olympic Committee * Netherlands Sport
Federation(NOC*NSF), especially Mr. Herbert Wolff and Ms. Rita van Driel, who always kept
a positive mindset at the heart of the project, and everyone on the Dutch team, who faced
the public with charming personalities and an overflowing sense of mission and passion, thesuccessive staff members in charge and all the stakeholders in Adachi City, Edogawa City,
and Nishitokyo City, who steadily advanced the initiatives and mechanisms, the Embassy of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan, which provided dedicated support and advice at
critical junctures, and everyone at the Japanese Para-Sports Association/Japanese Paralympic
Committee (JPSA/JPC) and the Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center (currently theParasports Support Center).
Furthermore, it is truly presumptuous of me, but I would like to take this opportunity to express
my thanks to the staff members of JSC who warmly watched over the progress of the projectand provided multifaceted support. In addition, Etsuko Yamada freely shared her knowledge
gained at the UN and working on international projects concerning sport and the developmentof SDG Indicators, and Jun Kubota for five years acted as a bridge between the Dutch and the
local governments as the project's leader, translating languages and cultures while running joint
meetings and completing detailed coordination. Without the efforts from those two, the project
could not have reached the place it did, so I would like to thank them as well.
***This concludes the Game Changer project. I hope that in the future, the efforts of parasport andsocial inclusion in regional sport policy will be further expanded and that the number of new
Game Changers will increase throughout Japan, making sport accessible to all and realising a
inclusive society through sport.

Japan Sport Council
Department of Information & International Relations,
Director of Sport Policy and Information Division

Atsushi Abe(Game Changer Project member. Person in charge ofcreating this Guide)

89

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A case study ofGame Changer project 2017-2021
on Parasports & Social Inclusion
in JapanPublication

March 2023 First printing
Japan Sport Council
Nippon-Seinenkan Bldg, 4-1 Kasumigaoka-cho,Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0013
URL https://www.jpnsport.go.jp/

Written and edited by Japan Sport Council,
Department of Information & International Relations
Tel. 03-5410-9161
Editorial cooperation

Laura Lindemer
Japan Sport Council
Department of Information & International Relations,International Relations Division

Design, printing, and bindingISBN

978-4-910860-05-3

Woods Corporation

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