OVERVIEW実施概要
- Date & Time
- Monday, October 20, 2025
The 2025 Deaflympics, Held in Japan for the First Time (①Mr. Naoki Kurano, Secretary General, Secretariat of Organising Committee of 2025 Summer Deaflympics ②Mr. Maki Yamada, Deaflympics athlete)
★We’re excited to announce that Mr. Maki Yamada, who won a gold medal in athletics at the 2017 Samsun Deaflympics and is expected to perform brilliantly again at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, will also be taking the stage. Don’t miss it! (Updated on Friday, October 17)
From November 15 to 26, 2025, the Deaflympics will be held in Japan for the first time with the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics. With the Deaflympics having first been held in Paris in 1924, this year will also commemorate their 100th anniversary, with approximately 3,000 athletes from 70 to 80 countries and regions from around the world competing in 21 different sports.
In addition to the historical significance of the Deaflympics in promoting the participation and skill development of deaf athletes in sports and promoting international exchange, this competition will be held using similar rules to the Olympics, using International Sign language and including visual indicators for starting signals for races and for referee calls. This year’s Deaflympics is organized by both deaf and hearing people working together, under the concept of making the competition itself a model for an inclusive society.
The FPCJ has invited Mr. Naoki Kurano, Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Organising Committee of the 2025 Summer Deaflympics and a key figure in organising these Deaflympics, to discuss the unique aspects of this competition, what to watch for, the feelings of participating athletes, and what changes he hopes to see brought about in society by Japan hosting the Deaflympics.
★We’re also excited to welcome Mr. Maki Yamada, who won a gold medal in athletics at the 2017 Samsun Deaflympics and is expected to shine again at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics (updated on Friday, October 17).
Please note that you cannot physically attend this briefing, as it will be a Zoom webinar.
Embassy representatives and FPCJ supporting members may also participate in the briefing as observers (admission free).
■Date & Time: 11:00-12:30, Monday, October 20, 2025 (Deadline for application: 12:00, Friday, October 17)
■Theme: The 2025 Deaflympics, Held in Japan for the First Time
■Briefer:
– Mr. Naoki Kurano, Secretary General, Secretariat of Organising Committee of 2025 Summer Deaflympics
Brief Bio: Born in 1972. Lost his hearing at six months old. After working in jobs such as at the Mie Prefecture Support Center for the Deaf, he began working towards holding the Deaflympics in 2020. He currently also holds the position of General Manager of the Head Office of the Japanese Federation of the Deaf.
– Mr. Maki Yamada, Deaflympics athlete
■Language: Japanese Sign Language (JSL) and Japanese, with consecutive English interpretation
As in our standard press briefings, there will be a Q&A session at the end.
*In principle, questions will only be accepted from members of the foreign press.
■Members of the Foreign Press:
Please send any questions for the briefer or topics you are interested in to cp@fpcjpn.or.jp by 12:00 on Wednesday, October 15.
As there will only be a limited amount of time to ask questions during the briefing, we will collect questions and provide them to the briefer in advance.
■How to Apply: Please refer to the email we sent.
*We will not be accepting applications by email.
