Monday, December 9, 2024
On Monday, December 2nd, from 2pm, the Hokuryu Town Physical Disability Welfare Association (Chairman: Yoshiharu Yamashita) sponsored the "Gorokke Tournament" at the Hokuryu Town Senior Citizens Welfare Center. After the tournament, the venue moved to the Himawari restaurant for a social gathering, where people deepened their friendships in a friendly atmosphere.
"Gorokke Tournament" hosted by Hokuryu Town Welfare Association for the Physically Disabled
Everyone was given a bib number, a mallet, a rubber ball, and a marker (ribbon) and was ready to go!
Message from Chairman Yoshiharu Yamashita
"From this time onwards, we have welcomed Hirai-san as a new member.
Yamada-san is always busy and will be absent this time as well. Yesterday, Yamada-san, who has a 4th dan qualification in soba making, was busy helping out at the "Soba Enjoyment Club." He told us, "I would definitely like to attend next year's New Year's party and general meeting."
December has come around in the blink of an eye, and in less than a month we will be welcoming the new year. I hope everyone stays healthy and lives a long life, and avoids catching a cold.
"Please try not to get injured today and have a good time. Let's do our best!"
The competition begins!
Starting with Chairman Yamashita, a 20-year veteran!
Everyone enjoyed the game at their own pace, smiling and cheering for each other.
Award Ceremony
After passing through three gates, the players with the fewest total strokes were awarded luxurious prizes!
"Social Gathering" hosted by Hokuryu Town Welfare Association for the Physically Disabled
After the tournament, we moved to the restaurant Himawari for a social gathering.
Message from Chairman Yoshiharu Yamashita
"This year has been a year of great change, with a series of earthquakes and other disasters occurring across the Japanese archipelago since the New Year. And for better or worse, Japan's most important political relations, which are at the heart of the country, have also changed. We are in a difficult time, and we don't know what will happen in the future.
If you think about it, Hokuryu Town experienced no disasters and had a bountiful harvest.
As you know, Hokuryu Town's main industry is agriculture, and rice is the mainstay of its production. While rice prices have risen, many say that the efforts of farmers who have struggled so much up until now have paid off, and that things are back to normal. This year marks a welcome return to life for the town.
On the other hand, no matter how healthy we are, the situation is precarious worldwide, where one wrong step could lead to serious consequences.
I feel that we no longer live in a world where we can live in peace by only thinking about those around us.
What should we do? We need to pay attention to politics, such as voting in elections. Although the prime minister protects his people, we are now in an age where we must protect them ourselves. I think this is the gap between the present and the past.
On the other hand, when we look at people with disabilities, the difference between the past and the present is that more and more people want to hide the fact that they are disabled.
Behind the scenes, hidden within the Personal Information Protection Act, there is an interesting phenomenon: people want to know about the system, even though they want to hide it.
There are a variety of systems available to people with disabilities, including tax discounts, train fare discounts, parking lot access systems, discounts on hire car and bus fares, and more.
By joining this Association for Welfare of the Physically Disabled, we can inform you of various systems that are tailored to your individual needs. We hope that you will look at yourself and live your life with an honest heart.
The most important thing is that you don't know who is disabled.
For the past seven or eight years, as chairman, I have personally been visiting the town and calling out to physically disabled people to encourage them to join. Generally, there are people who want to hide the fact that they are physically disabled. People with physical disabilities are not sick, but they have limitations in their daily lives.
The town does not handle everything related to people with physical disabilities. Various requests are discussed at the Physical Disability Welfare Association, considered in councils, and then brought to the central government for discussion before being established as a system.
If you know anyone with a physical disability, please tell them about this group and encourage them to join. Although there are various issues such as privacy, please be proactive in reaching out to them and spreading these activities!
Let's continue to enjoy the rest of our lives together! Cheers!!!" said Chairman Yamashita.
Luxury lunch box
With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers, we offer our heartfelt thanks to the Hokuryu Town Gorokke Tournament, a community sport where participants face their own physical disabilities honestly, remain cheerful and calm, and enjoy themselves together at their own leisure.
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◇ Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editing assistance: Noboru Terauchi)
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