Held a Paralympic PR event in the heart of Tokyo.
On May 5 and 6, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government held the "NO LIMITS SPECIAL 2018 Tokyo Marunouchi" PR event for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at Tokyo Station Marunouchi Central Square and Gyoko-dori Avenue. The event was supported by the Japan Paralympic Committee (JPC) and Chiyoda City, with cooperation from the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This event was a special edition of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Paralympic Sports Experience Program "NO LIMITS CHALLENGE," held across Tokyo. It marked the third installment, following events in Ginza in 2016 and Ueno Park in 2017.
Ginza: "NO LIMITS SPECIAL GINZA & TOKYO" Held[May 6, 2016]
Ueno: Humans Have NO LIMITS! Paralympic Sports Experience Event Held[May 9, 2017]
The venue featured exhibition matches of Paralympic sports, athlete talk shows, and experience sessions/exhibitions for all 22 sports to be held at the Tokyo Games. PR booths from Games partners were also present, creating a lively atmosphere every day.
On the 6th, the "Wheelchair Basketball SURPRISE! SHOW" featured athlete performances and talk shows, delighting the audience. The "Wheelchair Rugby Japan National Team Farewell Match!" drew huge cheers as national-level players engaged in intense, full-contact play reminiscent of the actual Games.
On the same day, the Grand Finale served as the closing event for the two-day festival. Participants included Governor Yuriko Koike, JPC President Mitsunori Toriwara, other officials, and athletes including medalists from the PyeongChang Paralympics.
Governor Koike stated, "There are now 842 days until the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. There can be no success for the Games without the success of the Paralympics. I want everyone to take an interest in Paralympic sports, try them, grow to like them, and cheer them on. As the metropolitan government, we will strive to make Tokyo a city where everyone can live comfortably. Let's work together to make the Games a success."
She also showed her own "Parasports Passport" (a stamp book where participants get stamps for the sports they experience) and enthusiastically declared, "Today, I want to add three more stamps to this."
Pyeongchang medalists shared the joy of winning their medals and their determination for the upcoming Beijing Winter Games. Momoka Muraoka (Alpine Skiing), wearing five medals, made the audience laugh by saying, "They're heavy, and maybe not so good for my neck." Riku Narita (Snowboarding) surprised the venue by announcing, "My event is still undecided, but I want to compete in the Tokyo Games too."
Following this, exhibitions and experiences in goalball, athletics, and powerlifting took place. Governor Koike also experienced throwing in goalball while wearing an eye mask, walking with an athletics sports prosthetic leg, and lifting a powerlifting bar.
She concluded with a message: "I am grateful we could hold this wonderful event on the road leading to the Imperial Palace. May the Tokyo Games become 'great records' for the athletes and 'great memories' for the citizens of Tokyo and the nation."
Event official website:
http://no-limits.tokyo/nls_tokyo/
Was this article helpful?
Share this article
