26th TAFISA World Congress Tokyo 2019

Dr. Ju-Ho Chang, President of TAFISA, Mr. Grégoire Junod, President of the World Union of Olympic Cities, Ms. Felicite Rwemarika, Member of the IOC Sports and Active Society Commission, Mr. Masatoshi Ito, President of TAFISA-JAPAN, and the Organizing Committee of the Congress, Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Japan! I would like to express my gratitude to the Board of Directors of TAFISA and to all who have gathered here today.

Japan is in the so-called “Golden Sports Years” now. These are the three years that Japan hosts the Rugby World Cup 2019, Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai. It is not just athletes and sport fans but also the general public are building up and sharing the excitement of sports for the first time.

I hope that this upsurge of public interest towards the world class elite sports will enhance the awareness towards the benefit of sports. At the same time, it will become a wonderful opportunity for the people realize the importance of Sport for All. It is most timely that this congress is held in Japan in the first year of our “Golden Sports Years.”

Just let me share my own physical routines. I am a young man of 80 years old. My daily workout consists of 40 minutes of stretching exercises and 150 times of push-ups and sit-ups in the morning. This is what keeps me going! I travel more than one third of the year, on my world-wide duties without any major health problems. We all know that physical exercise is good, but the difficult part is to continue it everyday.

Now, as all of you are aware, aging is an ongoing challenge in Japan. I am greatly encouraged that this will be one of the important issues to be discussed in the congress.

With an increase of aging population, Japan is facing serious issues such as the decline of labor force and financial burden on medical care. It is important that we all raise health awareness and increase our healthy life expectancy. It is said that there is about a 10-year difference between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in Japan. Closing this gap will give elderly people a feeling that life is worth living for and it would also lead to cut the cost of medical care in the long term.

I believe that the promotion of Sport for All can be a solution to confront the challenges of aging and to innovate our society.

We, The Nippon Foundation, saw this potential already 30 years ago and has since been working to promote Sport for All through, our partner organization, the Sasakawa Sports Foundation. The Sasakawa Sports Foundation has been actively committed in the promotion of sports programs including the World Challenge Day since 1993. The foundation is also carrying out research survey and advocates policy recommendation for Sport for All. The World Challenge Day has today become one of the largest-scale events in Japan with the participation of three million people every year.

Again, in Japan there is a tendency of elderly people falling into solitary life. However, Sport for All program, such as the World Challenge Day that mobilizes municipalities, will not only contribute to the maintenance of individual health, but it will also create the interaction with people of local communities resulting in enrichment of life. So, I firmly believe that Sport for All is what leads the way to Health for All.

I am honored if our contribution has built the foundation for Sport for All movement in Japan.

Furthermore, The Nippon Foundation is working towards the realization of an inclusive society at all levels. One of our important initiatives in this endeavor is the support of the 2020 Paralympic Games. Until now, there was insufficient understanding of para-sports in Japan. However, I am confident that the incredible performances of the Paralympians would move the hearts of all in astonishment and amazement. This will be a wonderful and empowering moment to unlock the unlimited potential of people with disabilities. I look towards 2020 as a very important milestone year in opening up a way to a truly inclusive society in the world of sports.

I will continue to expand my support in creating a society where everyone will be able to find happiness through sports.

Thank you very much.