Tokyo’s first Paralympics, in 1964, helped change societal perspectives on people with disabilities in Japan, driving a paradigm shift from pity to empowerment, according to two para-athletes who took part in Asia’s first Summer Games.
Hideo Kondo, who competed in archery and wheelchair basketball among other sports in 1964, said the event was a life-changing experience. He was exposed to the chasm between what it meant to be a Japanese para-athlete at the time and how overseas athletes viewed themselves and were viewed by others.
Unable to view this article?
This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.
Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.
If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see out this support page.
We humbly apologize for the inconvenience.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.