In September 2025, the World Athletics Championships were held in Japan for the first time in 34 years, with athletes competing in thrilling events.
Did you know that among the Japanese national team athletes was one with a hearing impairment? He was Yugami Masateru, a men's discus thrower. He was the first Japanese athlete with a hearing impairment to compete in the World Athletics Championships.
The Deaflympics, also known as the Olympics for people with hearing impairments, bring together athletes with hearing impairments from around the world, like Yugami. They will be held in Japan starting Saturday, November 15, 2025.
Remarkably, four people from Okayama Prefecture—athletes and a coach—have been selected to compete.
A lecture where you can learn about the athletes taking part and the ways athletes with hearing impairments adapt to compete in their events will be held from 10 a.m. on Sunday, October 26 at Life Park Kurashiki.
Here we introduce a lecture about the Deaflympics that we hope everyone from children to adults, including people interested in sign language and those who play sports, will learn about.
The information provided was accurate when this article was published in October 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 the 2025 event will be 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 12 days, from Saturday, November 15 to Wednesday, November 26, 2025, around 6,000 people involved in the event will gather from 70 to 80 countries and regions, and competitions in 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
- Create an event that connects the world and the future
- Realize an inclusive society where “everyone can make the most of their individuality and abilities”
Three Deaf athletes and one coach from Okayama Prefecture will take part.
- Ishimoto Ryuichiro……Athletics (400-meter hurdles)
- Sato Shusuke……Athletics (high jump)
- Komori Aya……Women's soccer
- Yasuda Yukiko……Women's bowling coach
The athletes are listed in the order they appear on the roster.
What is “Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics: Learn About the Deaflympics”?
On the morning of Sunday, October 26, 2025, a lecture will be held at Life Park Kurashiki for anyone wondering, “What exactly are the Deaflympics?”
The event is hosted by the Citizens' Learning Center and is open to a wide range of ages, from elementary school students to adults.
Elementary school students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Takemura Masaaki, vice-chair of the Okayama Prefecture Association for the Deaf, will talk about the Deaflympics and the events in which the Okayama Prefecture representatives will compete. Activities where participants can learn simple sign language and exhibits about the Deaflympics are also planned.
As Takemura is deaf, he will give his lecture in sign language. However, a sign-to-speech interpreter will interpret his signing into spoken Japanese, so you can attend even if you don't know sign language. Of course, this is also a rare opportunity for people who know sign language to enjoy a lecture in sign language.
How to apply
You must register in advance to attend the lecture. Apply using one of the methods below by the deadline, Saturday, October 25.
- Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis by phone (086-454-0011) or in person at the Citizens' Learning Center at Life Park Kurashiki.
Interview with a staff member of the Citizens' Learning Center
We spoke with Kamiya Yuka of the Citizens' Learning Center, who is in charge of “Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics: Learn About the Deaflympics.”
Could you tell us about the event?
Kamiya (surname only hereafter)
Until just recently, everyone was caught up in the excitement of the World Athletics Championships. There were athletes with hearing impairments among the Japanese national team.
Two track and field athletes representing Okayama Prefecture will compete in the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, which will be held in November 2025.
With the excitement of the World Athletics Championships still fresh, we planned this lecture for people who are curious about how people with hearing impairments compete in track and field.
The lecture is designed to make the Deaflympics easy to understand, even for people who don't know what the Deaflympics are. It will focus in particular on the events in which the Okayama Prefecture representatives will compete.
Life Park Kurashiki holds a sign language course for elementary school students in the summer. It's popular, with many people applying each year, so we also plan to hold a simple sign language lesson during the lecture.
We hope many people interested in sign language or sports, from elementary school students to adults, will come.
There are four representatives from Okayama Prefecture, including athletes and a coach, right?
Kamiya
That's right.
Two track and field athletes, one women's soccer player, and a women's bowling coach have been selected to represent Japan. Komori, the women's soccer player, and Coach Yasuda, the women's bowling coach, are Kurashiki City residents.
One challenge is that awareness of the Deaflympics is still quite low.
We hope this lecture will help people learn about the Deaflympics and create an atmosphere where everyone in the local community cheers on the four representatives.
Who would you like to see attend?
Kamiya
We'd especially like people who play sports such as track and field, soccer, or bowling, and people interested in sign language, to come.
People with hearing impairments are unable to hear or have difficulty hearing, and their communication methods may differ from those of people who can hear. But with a few adjustments, they can enjoy sports just like anyone else.
People who play sports may encounter an athlete with a hearing impairment at some point. By learning what adjustments are needed for athletes with hearing impairments, we can enjoy sports together, regardless of whether we have a disability.
The lecturer, Takemura, is also deaf and uses sign language in his daily life. Usually, we see sign language interpreters signing beside someone who is speaking, but this time, Takemura himself will sign, and the interpreter will interpret his signing. Seeing this may be a rare experience.
We hope everyone in Okayama Prefecture will learn about the Deaflympics and that the whole country will get excited about them, just as it does for the World Athletics Championships and the Olympics.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Kamiya
This course is intended as a starting point for learning about the Deaflympics, so we hope you'll join us and discover something new.
Registration in advance is required, but participation is free, so please invite your family and friends and come along.
We look forward to receiving your applications.
From the Writer
There are fewer than 40 days left until the Deaflympics.
We hope to build even more excitement alongside the athletes who will take the world stage representing Japan.
We hope this event will encourage more people to take an interest in the Deaflympics, enjoy watching sports, and support Deaf athletes with ties to Okayama Prefecture.
Kurashiki Citizens' Lecture: Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics—Learn About the Deaflympics: Information
| Name | Kurashiki Citizens' Lecture: Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics—Learn About the Deaflympics |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, October 26, 2025 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. |
| Location | 940 Koshinden, Fukuda-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | Free admission |
| Website | Kurashiki City Board of Education, Life Park Kurashiki Citizens' Learning Center |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a search term to find articles on this site
