For two days, Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10, 2024, the 37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two Day March, one of western Japan’s largest walking events, was held in Kurashiki City.
Every year, as an event affiliated with the march, the Fureai Walk is held for people who would like to take part in the Two Day March but feel anxious because of a disability. They work with family, friends, or volunteers and aim to complete the course.
This year, as someone with a hearing impairment, I joined the Fureai Walk with a sign language interpreter volunteer. Here is my report on the experience.
The information presented was current when this article was published in April 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Fureai Walk
The Fureai Walk was held on Sunday, March 10, 2024, as an event affiliated with the 37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two Day March.
Eligible participants are people with disabilities who live, study, work, or attend a facility in Kurashiki City, along with their family members and companions.
When prospective participants apply by the deadline, the secretariat of the Executive Committee for the Disability Awareness Week Commemorative Project coordinates volunteers according to the needs of the participants with disabilities. On the day, participants with disabilities can walk the regular course together with volunteers.
Since I have a hearing impairment, I requested a sign language interpreter to accompany me.
The day’s events
When registering, participants choose either the same 10 km Sakazu Park course or the 5 km Bikan Historical Area course as the Setouchi Kurashiki Two Day March. I chose the 10 km course through Sakazu Park.
Sunday, March 10, 2024, the day the Fureai Walk was held, brought clear blue skies—perfect for walking.
When I arrived at the reception area, the volunteers were having a briefing, and I greeted the sign language interpreter volunteer who would be walking with me that day.
The Setouchi Kurashiki Two Day March attracts many participants, so the registration area was crowded. The Fureai Walk, however, had a different meeting point—in front of the Waterworks Bureau at the city hall—and was open only to those who had registered in advance, so we could take our time at a leisurely pace before setting off.
10 km walked together by people from all walks of life
As we started walking, I saw people from all walks of life making their way along at their own pace: people with physical disabilities using wheelchairs, people with visual impairments carrying white canes, and families walking with their children in outdoor wagons.
As mentioned above, every Fureai Walk participant is accompanied by a volunteer.
This meant that volunteers helped ensure our safety as we walked and quietly stayed by our side if we fell behind the other participants, allowing us to walk at our own pace.
Walking at our own pace with volunteers watching over us
As this was my first time participating, I walked alongside a sign language interpreter volunteer, who interpreted sounds around us and pointed out recommended shops along the way.
Other participants who saw me receiving interpretation began asking the interpreter volunteer to interpret what they were saying, or spoke to me while moving their mouths slowly and clearly.
At the start, I thought, “It would be nice if I could enjoy chatting with the interpreter volunteer today,” but having the interpreter beside me helped me feel at ease and enjoy exchanging with the other participants.
People I know often tell me that they found it hard to approach me when I was receiving sign language interpretation, so it was a refreshing experience to have people speak to me because a sign language interpreter was there.
By the time we reached Sakazu Park, the person beside me was no longer the sign language interpreter volunteer but another participant. The interpreter volunteer who had been walking beside me and the companion volunteer who had been walking beside that participant quietly watched over our conversation.
I truly felt that this event lets you walk while “connecting” not only with volunteers but also with fellow participants.
See you at the Fureai Walk again next year
Some participants seemed to struggle on the way there to walk at their own pace, but gradually everyone seemed to find companions to walk with.
On the way back, companions walking the same course encouraged one another, saying things like, “Are you tired?” and “Just a little farther—let’s keep going!” From behind, the volunteers watched over participants with disabilities as they encouraged each other.
We also managed to reach the finish, taking a restroom break along the way.
The volunteer accompanying me told me there was a massage area at the finish line, so I went to get a massage.
When people who don’t usually exercise suddenly walk, they can injure their muscles. I’m one of those people who rarely gets much exercise, so I was grateful to be able to get some body maintenance right after walking.
After my massage, I felt refreshed, and the other participants began returning to the finish line one after another.
As we parted, we said to one another, “See you at the Fureai Walk again next year.” It warmed my heart to hear those words, made possible by this annual event.
According to the volunteers, many participants make it a habit to join the Fureai Walk every year. Many participants and volunteers alike look forward to this day each year.
From the Writer
“Would you like to take part in the Two Day March but feel anxious because of a disability? Why not work with family, friends, or volunteers to complete the course and enjoy a heartwarming experience of connection and inspiration?”
37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two Day March Event Guidelines
This is the introduction to the Fureai Walk included in the event guidelines for the 37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two Day March.
When I registered, I imagined “completing the course while having a sign language interpreter volunteer interpret the sounds around me.” But after actually taking part, it became an experience of “being able to connect with other participants because the sign language interpreter volunteer was by my side, which made me feel at ease.”
On the way back, general participants in the Two Day March who were interested in the conversations among us Fureai Walk participants joined in, and we walked together in a friendly, lively atmosphere.
Next year, the Fureai Walk is also scheduled to be held alongside the 38th Setouchi Kurashiki Two Day March.
If you have a disability, why not join the Fureai Walk as a participant? And if you’re interested in the event, why not volunteer? Let’s enjoy walking together and aim to complete the course.
Fureai Walk Information
| Name | Fureai Walk |
|---|---|
| Date | March 10, 2024 (Sunday), from 9:00 a.m. |
| Location | Kurashiki City |
| Participation fee (tax included) | 500 yen per person (for people with disabilities and up to two accompanying persons). For family members and accompanying persons beyond two, 2,000 yen per person. *Free for elementary school students and younger (no commemorative gift) |
| Website | 37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two Day March |
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