Deaflympics—have you heard of them?
A portmanteau of “Deaf” and “Olympics,” “Deaf” means “unable to hear” in English.
The Deaflympics are an international sporting event for athletes with hearing impairments, organized by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) and held every four years.
2025 is a Summer Deaflympics year.
This year, for the first time ever, Japan will host the event, and three athletes from Okayama Prefecture will compete.
The “Deaflympics Caravan” is an event to help more people learn about the Deaflympics, regardless of whether they can hear. It will be held on Saturday, August 30, at the Asakuchi City Health and Welfare Center.
The information provided was accurate when this article was published in August 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What are the “Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics”?
The Deaflympics are an international sporting event for athletes with hearing impairments (hereafter referred to as “Deaf athletes”), and 2025 marks the 25th edition.
The official name of this event is the “25th Summer Deaflympics Tokyo 2025” (hereafter referred to as the “Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics”).
Over the 12 days from Saturday, November 15 to Wednesday, November 26, 2025, approximately 6,000 people involved in the event from 70 to 80 countries and regions will gather, and 21 sports will be held.
The Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics has three visions:
- Share the appeal and value of Deaf sports and connect them with people and society
- Make the event one that connects with the world and the future
- Realize an inclusive society where “everyone can make use of their individuality and demonstrate their abilities”
Three Deaf athletes from Okayama Prefecture will compete.
- Ishimoto Ryuichiro (Ryuichiro Ishimoto)……Track and field (400m hurdles)
- Sato Shusuke (Shusuke Sato)……Track and field (high jump)
- Komori Aya (Aya Komori)……Women’s soccer
The athletes are listed in roster order.
What is the “Deaflympics Caravan”?
The Olympics and Paralympics have a torch relay before the event, but the Deaflympics do not.
For this event, a caravan vehicle set off on Sunday, June 15, 2025, from the venue of the National Conference of Deaf People in Iwate. Heading for Tokyo, the host city, caravan vehicles decorated with Deaflympics promotional wraps will travel across Japan from north and south.
The caravan vehicle will travel through Okayama Prefecture for six days, from Monday, August 25 to Sunday, August 31, 2025. It will take over the vehicle from Tottori Prefecture in Nagi Town in the north of the prefecture, then hand it over to Kagawa Prefecture on the final day.
Check the image below for the detailed schedule.
Deaflympics-related events are being held across the country alongside the caravan vehicle’s tour. In Okayama Prefecture, the “Deaflympics Caravan” will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at the Asakuchi City Health and Welfare Center.
The event will feature guests who competed in past Deaflympics and will be involved in event operations or competition at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics. There will also be workshops where participants can learn International Sign and Japanese Sign Language, making it an event full of highlights.
Check the image below for details.
The Deaf athletes representing Okayama Prefecture will not appear at the event because they will be training or at training camps.
Interview with the Deaflympics Caravan coordinator
We spoke with Nakatsukasa Masahiro, secretary general of the Okayama Prefecture Association for the Welfare of People with Hearing Impairments, about his thoughts on the Deaflympics Caravan.
Could you tell us the purpose behind planning the Deaflympics Caravan?
Nakatsukasa (surname only hereafter)
We planned it because we want to raise awareness of the Deaflympics.
I think awareness of the Olympics and Paralympics is nearly 100%. By contrast, awareness of the Deaflympics is just 38.4%, which is very low.
Awareness was 16.3% around the time of the 2021 Deaflympics in Brazil. Awareness has risen sharply since Japan was chosen to host the event, but it still isn’t high enough.
Three Deaf athletes from Okayama Prefecture will compete in the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, so we hope that as many Okayama residents as possible will learn about the Deaflympics and cheer them on.
What kinds of experiences will be available on the day of the event?
Nakatsukasa
In the morning, there will be a sign-language talk by former Deaf athletes.
We will welcome Hosokawa Kenji, who competed in past Deaflympics and will participate in the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics as a local staff member for bowling, and Yasuda Yukiko, who will participate in this event as the head coach of Japan’s women’s bowling team.
Both are athletes from Okayama Prefecture.
This is a valuable opportunity to hear not only their perspectives as athletes, but also about event operations and developing athletes.
In the afternoon, there will be International Sign and Japanese Sign Language experiences.
Since many athletes from overseas will take part in the event, proceedings will be conducted in International Sign. Meanwhile, Japanese Sign Language is a means of communication for people with hearing impairments in Japan.
We are preparing activities that will let people experience both.
All programs will include sign-to-voice interpreting and sign-language transcription, so people who don’t know sign language are very welcome.
Please take part in all the programs and leave feeling excited about the Deaflympics.
What would you like participants to take away from the event?
Nakatsukasa
First and foremost, our heartfelt wish is to increase the number of people who “know about” the Deaflympics.
Administrative staff from Asakuchi City, Kasaoka City, and Satosho Town will also attend this event, and the event announcement has been distributed to elementary and junior high schools in all three municipalities. We hope families will come and enjoy the event together.
We would also be delighted if this event sparks people’s interest in the Deaflympics or encourages them to come cheer on the athletes in person.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Nakatsukasa
All three athletes representing Okayama are training hard, saying, “We want to win gold medals!”
Let’s all get behind our local Deaf athletes as we look forward to the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, held from November 15 to 26!
From the Writer
I also have a hearing impairment, so I always look forward to the Deaflympics, where my fellow people with hearing impairments compete.
Deaflympics events have not yet been broadcast on terrestrial television in Japan, so I have only ever been able to watch them through live streams on social media. That’s why I’m really looking forward to watching the competitions live at the Tokyo venue this time. And amazingly, admission is free for every event.
To attend the opening and closing ceremonies, you must apply by Sunday, August 31, 2025.
I hope that as many people as possible who are wondering “What are the Deaflympics?”, enjoy watching sports, or want to support Deaf athletes with ties to Okayama Prefecture will attend, making this a day of excitement as we look ahead to the Deaflympics.
Deaflympics Caravan details
| Name | Deaflympics Caravan |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, August 30, 2025 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. |
| Location | 2244-26 Kamogata, Kamogata-cho, Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | Free admission |
| Website | National Caravan Activities |
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