Published Date: 2019/09/19

Society Evolving Through Sports This is the area where we see the most promise!

Yoshiyuki Mano

#Media/Contents#Sports#Rugby World Cup#Kansai World Masters Games#Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games

The "Golden Sports Years" (GSYs) see a succession of major international sporting events held in Japan. These three years are expected to bring evolution across various fields, extending far beyond the realm of sports itself. Professor Yoshiyuki Mano of Waseda University's School of Sport Sciences explains the ripple effects these events will create.

[Regional Revitalization]

From the reactions of visitors,

a chance to rethink the value of the city

The key to regional revitalization lies in "population dynamics." For instance, the exchange population—how many people from within and outside Japan will travel to the region. In this context, the GSYs act as a "mirror" reflecting the region and a marketing stage. In other words, observing which towns the large number of visitors choose over the three years, or how they react to the towns they visit, provides an excellent opportunity to re-evaluate the value of one's own town through an outsider's perspective. Moreover, foreigners are influencers who share their evaluations of the town globally via social media. There is a risk of damaging your reputation if you're not careful, so each region should prepare thoroughly.

【Education】

Three years of "international understanding education" for children nationwide

What the "Second Opening" demands is heightened international awareness among the Japanese people. Children should be exposed to foreigners from an early age and deepen their international understanding education. At the Olympics, the "One School, One Country" initiative gained attention during the 1998 Nagano Games. Elementary and junior high schools in Nagano City each studied and supported the history and culture of a specific country. Recognized globally as an outstanding educational model, it was adopted by subsequent host countries and will be implemented again for Tokyo 2020. Extending this initiative to three years and implementing it nationwide could create long-term, broad-based international understanding education.

【Diversity】

Sydney's greatest legacy is a "society of coexistence"

Diversity and inclusion are the most crucial points in aiming for a society where diverse people live together. In this sense, many voices say the success of the Paralympics equates to "the success of the entire Tokyo 2020 Games." I believe it is especially important to experience para sports in school education during this opportunity. Actually trying them transforms one's understanding of how highly skilled athletes with disabilities are. This is the concept of reverse integration (*). It was highlighted as the foremost legacy of the 2000 Sydney Games, and it should yield significant results in the GSYs as well.

(※) Reverse integration. Rather than integrating people with disabilities into the able-bodied community, this approach involves able-bodied individuals participating in para sports alongside them.

【Lifetime Sports】

From "watching" to "doing."

To increase sports participation rates

To extend healthy life expectancy, increasing the nation's sports participation rate is essential. Historical Olympic statistics show that hosting alone doesn't significantly boost participation rates. However, this time, a festival of "participatory sports" awaits the following year. This presents an opportunity to increase the number of people familiar with sports by bridging the gap from "watching" to "doing." Additionally, recent years have seen the emergence of "H A DO," which uses VR to make sports accessible to many, and "casual sports" that are enjoyable regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability, minimizing the creation of underdogs. Utilizing these, which are well-suited to lifelong sports, will likely create further expansion.

Opportunities exist elsewhere. For the "legacy connecting to the future" beyond 2022,

We often imagine legacies as "tangible things left in one's own country," but "intangible legacies left in other countries" are also important. For example, at the Olympics, about 70 countries and regions have zero total medals. However, even countries not competing for medals can foster "pro-Japan sentiment" through heartfelt welcome and support. This becomes a lasting legacy after the Games, both as inbound tourism and in terms of national relations.
Meanwhile, what Japan should leave behind is a human legacy. Across all fields, use these past three years as an opportunity to cultivate talent. I hope we seize this unique chance to nurture the future leaders who will carry our nation forward.