On March 9 (Saturday) and 10 (Sunday), 2024, the 37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two-Day March, one of the largest walking events in Western Japan, was held in Kurashiki City.
As part of this event, every year, a Fureai Walk is held for those who want to participate in the two-day march but feel anxious due to disabilities, allowing them to walk together with family, friends, or volunteers.
This year, I participated in the Fureai Walk with a sign language interpreter volunteer due to my hearing impairment, and I will report on the experience.
Fureai Walk
The Fureai Walk was held on March 10 (Sunday), 2024, as part of the 37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two-Day March.
Participants are people with disabilities living, studying, working, or commuting in Kurashiki City and their families or companions.
If participants apply by the deadline, the secretariat of the Committee for the Commemoration of the Week for Persons with Disabilities coordinates volunteers according to the needs of the participants, allowing those with disabilities to walk the regular course together with volunteers on the day of the event.
Since I have a hearing impairment, I requested to have a sign language interpreter accompany me.
Flow of the Day
At the time of application, participants choose either the 10km course at Sakatsu Park or the 5km course in the Bikan Historical Area, which is the same as the Setouchi Kurashiki Two-Day March. I chose the 10km course at Sakatsu Park.
On March 10 (Sunday), 2024, when the Fureai Walk was held, the sky was perfect for walking.
Upon arriving at the reception, the volunteers were having a meeting, and I greeted the sign language interpreter volunteer who would walk with me that day.
Due to the large number of participants in the Setouchi Kurashiki Two-Day March, the reception was crowded, but the Fureai Walk had a different reception location in front of the Waterworks Bureau at the city hall, and since it was an event only for those who had pre-registered, I was able to spend the time leisurely before starting to walk.
10km Walk with People from Various Backgrounds
As we started walking, I saw people from various backgrounds, including those using wheelchairs, visually impaired individuals with white canes, and families walking with children in outdoor wagons, all moving at their own pace.
As mentioned earlier, volunteers always accompany the participants of the Fureai Walk.
This ensured walking safety, and when I fell behind other participants, the volunteers quietly stayed by my side, allowing me to walk at my own pace.
Walking at Our Own Pace with the Support of Volunteers
Since it was my first time participating, I walked while having the sign language interpreter volunteer translate the surrounding sounds and recommend shops along the way.
Then, other participants, seeing me receiving interpretation, began to ask the interpreter to translate their speech and spoke to me, moving their mouths slowly and clearly.
At the start, I thought, "I just hope to enjoy chatting with the interpreter volunteer today," but thanks to the interpreter being by my side, I was able to enjoy interacting with other participants with peace of mind.
Usually, when I receive sign language interpretation, I often hear from acquaintances that they find it "hard to approach me," so having a sign language interpreter present to facilitate conversations was refreshing.
By the time we arrived at Sakatsu Park, the person next to me was no longer the sign language interpreter volunteer but another participant. The interpreter volunteer who had been next to me and the accompanying volunteer next to that participant quietly watched over our communication.
I truly felt that this was a project where not only volunteers but also participants could walk while experiencing "fureai" (interaction).
Let's Meet Again Next Year at the Fureai Walk
I noticed some participants struggling to walk at their own pace, but gradually, everyone seemed to find companions to walk with.
On the way back, participants walking the same course encouraged each other with comments like, "Are you tired?" and "Let's keep going a little longer!" creating a scene where volunteers watched over the participants with disabilities encouraging one another from behind.
We also managed to reach the goal after taking a bathroom break along the way.
I heard from the accompanying volunteers that there was a massage corner at the finish line, so I went to get a massage.
When people who usually do not exercise suddenly walk, they can sometimes injure their muscles. I, too, am one of those who rarely move my body, so it was very appreciated to be able to get body maintenance right after walking.
After finishing the massage and feeling refreshed, other participants also began to return to the finish line one after another.
As we were leaving, we exchanged words like, "Let's meet again next year at the Fureai Walk," and parted ways. The words we could share because it is an annual event were heartwarming.
According to the volunteers, many participants have made it a habit to join this Fureai Walk every year. It seems that both participants and volunteers look forward to this day every year.
Conclusion
For those who want to participate in the two-day march but feel anxious due to disabilities, why not aim to complete the walk together with family, friends, or volunteers and experience a rich interaction and emotional experience?
37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two-Day March Event Guidelines
This is the introduction to the Fureai Walk as stated in the event guidelines for the 37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two-Day March.
At the time of application, I had the image of "completing the walk while having a sign language interpreter translate the surrounding sounds," but after actually walking, it became an experience of "being able to interact with other participants thanks to the sign language interpreter being by my side."
On the way back, general participants of the two-day march, who were interested in the interactions among us Fureai Walk participants, also joined the conversation, and we were able to walk together in a friendly atmosphere.
Next year, the 38th Setouchi Kurashiki Two-Day March is also scheduled to include the "Fureai Walk."
People with disabilities can participate as participants, and those interested in the Fureai Walk can join as volunteers, aiming to complete the walk together in a fun way.
Data of the Friendship Walk
| Name | Friendship Walk |
|---|---|
| Date | March 10, 2024 (Sunday) from 9:00 AM |
| Location | Kurashiki City |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | 500 yen per person (for persons with disabilities and up to two companions) 2,000 yen per person for family or companions exceeding two ※ Free for elementary school students and younger (no commemorative gift) |
| Website | 37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two-Day March |
