Kaori Yamaguchi, JOC Director = In Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (photographed in June 2018)
I think it was an opportunity for many people, including myself, to stop and think, “What is Oripara, is it necessary?” Everyone recognizes the value of sports. But what is the special thing about the Olympics, saying that it is special unlike the World Cup and other competitions? I wonder if it’s just a privileged class.
To put it another way, in the training of athletes, there was motivation and support for holding in their own country, which led to strengthening. However, the Olympics are not just for strengthening, but have the meaning and value been achieved by the Olympics? For example, the diversity and harmony of the tournament vision. Do you feel the atmosphere that “Japan has become such a society by doing Oripara”? It is important to have a sensor to keep an eye on even after Oripara has passed.
Everyone is careful about gender, don’t say this, it’s hard to come out that you’ll be hit. However, even if there is no malice, there are actually many things in society, such as “I’m throwing away garbage” and “Women are doing this kind of work and helping”. I think it was good in a sense that the fundamental problem was highlighted.
The IOC is making efforts regarding the number of male and female athletes and the number of events, but I would like to think that it is still at the stage of bringing together the number of male and female athletes. In the first place, the idea is to include girls in the competition that boys have been playing for a long time. It’s a push, and I think it’s a little different to have equal equality, which is the same number as boys.
Men and women have different physical strengths, physiques, sensibilities, and tastes. It is important to think separately, not discriminate. If you want to make soccer and rugby look interesting, for example, it would be nice to argue that girls play in a slightly smaller stadium. When you enter the next stage, what is comfortable for girls and what kind of competition do you really want to play? It is important to go beyond the equality of numbers.
Why is Oripara held separately? There are also competitions that can be played at the same game field, such as tennis and athletics. It’s not a symbiosis to do together, so let’s do what we can. This is my opinion.
Did you provide the opportunity to exchange such deep opinions this time? Para is amazing, isn’t it? Oripara can contribute to social issues by giving awareness to diversity, gender, peace, etc., and changing consciousness and behavior. Only by doing that, I think that Oripara can be said to be “not just a competition.”
Everyone thinks the tournament is the goal. The process before the event, how it feels after the event, and how we have to change, the Organizing Committee and the JOC have to do it. This is the same as the fireworks display, it was beautiful, I got a gold medal, and it ends. If Sapporo invites the 2030 Winter Olympics, we can’t move on without further verification and deep discussions that give awareness.
Fireworks launched from the National Stadium at the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.There is something you can do because the tournament is over = August 8, 2021, from the observation facility “Shibuya Sky” in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
What I really feel recently is that I was able to play an active part as a medalist and a player at the Olympics. In a sense, it’s a privileged class, just like the IOC people. Privileges are carried on the back and are properly returned to society. That is a duty.
I would like to convey this to the players who participated this time and develop core human resources who can have deep discussions. After all, I’m lonely if I worked hard at the Olympics and played a role in it.
In order not to make the Tokyo tournament a negative heritage, I verified it and thought about it at that time, I tried to do this, but it has not been realized, I want to continue doing what I should do. Japan has a tradition, and there are many things that do not change overnight, such as the roles of men and women. I think it would be wonderful if I was glad I did it when I looked back after making some orbital corrections with Oripara as an opportunity.
Yamaguchi / KaoriBorn in 1964. In the 52-kilometer class of the Judo World Championships, he won five consecutive medals from the 1980s, and in 1984 he won the first Japanese women’s championship. A bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, which was a public competition. He has served as a female director of the University of Tsukuba Judo Club at his alma mater and a coach representing Japan. Professor at University of Tsukuba. He served as a JOC board member for 10 years. Born in Tokyo.
= This is the end of the 4th serialization
