Japan Inclusive Football Federation (JIFF), which was founded on 1 April, participated in “Warm Blue Day 2016” on 2 April. This event was responding to the World Autism Awareness Day. Being organised by the non-profit organisation “Get in touch”, the event is held annually in Shibuya and Aoyama which are in central Tokyo to promote understanding of minority people including autism. Various sub-events were held using the theme color blue which is also the key color of the World Autism Awareness Day, to promote the idea of a “mixed society” that everybody including disabled can live peacefully. 

Players from national teams of disability football at Jingu Doori Park and did the following things: showing panels which introduce disability football, distributing Disability Football Handbook, and offering the chance to visitors who were wearing any blue clothes to have their photos taken with the National Team players. They also held a mini session of blind football using eye-masks and a special ball. 

There were a lot of foreign tourists who visited their place and showed interest in this new organisation’s work. In the afternoon, the JIFF’s President KITAZAWA Tsuyoshi, Get in touch’s President AZUMA Chizuru, and Mayor of Tokyo's Shibuya Ward HASEBE Ken visited to spend time with the National players and the many visitors. Mr. Kitazawa shook hands with each visitor and promoted JIFF’s activities with the squad players. Sharing football with the visitors made the event space “mixed society” and disability did not matter there. 

Participant’s Comments

NAKAJIMA Masayuki (Japan Deaf Football National Team)
The time passed very quickly today. I could meet many people whom I can’t see in my daily life. I emphasised their positive attitude to live. It was a good chance for me to think about what I can do and the importance of supporting each other.

For those who don’t have disabilities, disabled people may be regarded as “different“. The media even encourages the image of disabled people as “miserable”, however I feel uncomfortable to be sympathised in such a way. I think everybody in this world has some disadvantages such as sports and study and each one has different advantages. Not being able to hear is like one of them; I do things to complement this to smoothly live my daily life. I cannot hear, but I have countless times in the past that I am happy. 

Through the PR activity we joined in today, players from 7 categories of disability football  and I found it very interesting since each of them has different characteristics and fun. Experiencing these 7 disability football types is such a rare opportunity. Today I felt that what we have to do is to create a positive environment to experience the fun aspects of disability football. A further challenge can be how we can attract attention from those who don’t have interest in football. If we continue promotion like what we did today, football can be more popular in Japan. I am happy to contribute to this by doing what I can do as much as possible. 

Qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup 2018 have been popular recently. Deaf football also has its own world championship and it will be held in Italy in June. We will get united well and do our best, keeping a sense of appreciation to all supporters. Your support will be absolutely be encouraging for us. 

KITAZAWA Yohei (FIPFA World Cup 2011・APO Cup 2013 Japan National Team)
Today I brought a powerchair football chair and a ball which has 32.5 cm in diameter. Visitors could try the powerchair and kicked the ball to move the ball around, and others could touch the chair, foot guard, and the ball. For some people who had further interest, we could tell them about powerchair football rules, attractive aspects, the fact that we also have the World Cup, and the third World Cup will be held next year in Florida, USA. Time was limited, but many people got to know that there is powerchair football in the world. It is not well-known yet, so joining in this type of event will help to make it more popular. I want to do my best to promote powerchair football more. I appreciate your support for disability football including powerchair football.