Monday, September 24, 2025
- 1 The sound of hope echoing in the autumn sky, the bond of hearts connected by Mölkky
- 2 Activity reports from each town - each town's journey and one thought
- 3 Announcement of the tournament results and closing
- 4 Connecting Hearts: Common Challenges and a Pledge for the Future
- 5 YouTube videos
- 6 Other photos
- 7 Related articles and sites
The sound of hope echoing in the autumn sky, the bond of hearts connected by Mölkky
On Friday, September 19th, the autumn sky was clear and crisp, stretching out in all directions, a stark change from a few days earlier. Many smiling faces gathered in Hokuryu Town, where golden rice ears swayed in the breeze. This day marked the annual Kita Sorachi Block Disability Exchange Meeting. Twenty-seven members from the four towns of Kita Sorachi (Imoseushi, Chishibetsu, Numata, and Hokuryu) participated, and this year's event was held at the Hokuryu Town Senior Citizens' Welfare Center. The venue was filled with warm applause and a sense of anticipation.
Moderator: Michito Nakamura, Secretary General of Hokuryu Town Social Welfare Council
The joy of reconnecting after overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic
Opening remarks: Yoshiharu Yamashita, Vice President of the Sorachi District Association for the Welfare of the Physically Disabled
In his opening remarks, Vice President of the Sorachi District Physically Disabled Welfare Association, Yamashita Yoshiharu (President of the Hokuryu Town Physically Disabled Welfare Association), looked around the venue with a gentle gaze and began his remarks as follows:
"Hello. This year has been a very warm autumn, with a bountiful harvest. Rice prices are also high, which has made local farmers very happy. Hearing stories like this makes us happy as well.
Originally, we held recreational tournaments and training sessions in the Sorachi area, but these were no longer possible due to the effects of COVID-19. Now, the main event in Sorachi is the block's social gathering. Social gatherings were started with the aim of fostering friendship and interaction. The purpose is not just to listen to lectures, but to have fun together, talk, and deepen relationships."
The COVID-19 pandemic has tended to cut off human connections. Now that everyone has reaffirmed their importance, this networking event may be more meaningful than ever.
Today's main character is "Mölkky"
Chairman Yamashita continues:
"This time, we're incorporating Mölkky, which I'm sure you've all heard of recently. It'll be fun and allow for interaction. Even those who have never tried it before will have fun learning as they take part. During the competition, you're sure to make mistakes, laugh, and all sorts of things will happen. I hope you all have a fun day. Please do your best to avoid injury."
Those words filled the venue with a warm sense of anticipation. "Mölkky" is a magical sport in which anyone can play a leading role. Just hearing the name gets your heart racing.
Now the game begins!
The tournament is fully supported by staff from the Hokuryu Town Social Welfare Council and the Board of Education. The teams are not town-to-town competitions, but mixed teams made up of people from various towns. The original purpose of this association, which is to promote interaction with people from other towns, is also reflected in the team divisions.
Explanation of the rules of Mölkky: Megumi Murai, Section Chief, Hokuryu Town Social Welfare Council
The lecturer will be Megumi Murai, section chief of the Hokuryu Town Social Welfare Council, who will take the microphone.
"How many of you have played Mölkky? Probably less than half. So here's a question: Do you know which country Mölkky originated from? That's right, Finland!"
As the venue was enveloped in a relaxed atmosphere, Murai explained the rules in an easy-to-understand manner.
- Players score points by throwing a wooden stick called a "mölkky" to knock down wooden pins called "skittles" with numbers written on them.
- The first team to reach exactly 50 points wins!
- When throwing, always throw underhanded. Make sure your feet do not extend beyond the "Morukkali" frame, which indicates the throwing position.
- If only one skittle falls over, the number written on that pin is the score.
- If multiple sticks fall, the points will be calculated based on the number of sticks that fall.
- If you exceed 50 points, your score will be reduced to 25 points and you will then start adding points again from there.
This time, the "Hokuryu Rules" were put into effect! If the match time exceeds 10 minutes, the team with the highest score at that point will be declared the winner. These rules are very considerate and allow everyone to enjoy the game until the very end. The competition was divided into five teams, each with five players from each town, and ten matches were played in pairs.
Smiles and cheers resonate across generations
"Wow, I did it!" "Wow, that was great!" "Only 8 points left!"
As the game begins, bouncy voices can be heard from all over the gym. Some players aim and throw gently, while others throw with force. Some even make spectacular throws, pushing their sticks and knocking down the pins with exquisite control.
Every time a wooden stick hits a skittle with a clang, a cheer of "Wow!" erupts. The children celebrate their teammates' superb plays as if they had made it their own, exchanging high fives. When they sadly miss, they hear cheers of encouragement like "Don't worry!" and "There's always next time!"
What we saw there was not a competition, but a scene of "co-creation." Beyond winning or losing, the atmosphere was filled with a warm, caring spirit, a desire to enjoy this moment together. Isn't this the true abundance that people all over the world continue to long for somewhere in their hearts?
Activity reports from each town - each town's journey and one thought
After the fierce competition, the four participating towns' welfare associations for the physically disabled reported on their activities. Although the towns differed in characteristics and size, they all shared a common shining light: a warm heart that cares for their members.
Numata Town: Lively events keep smiles coming
Starting with a New Year's party, the group holds five to six lively events a year, including training sessions, Genghis Khan on the beach, fruit picking in Mashike Town, and year-end parties. The group currently has 37 members. Despite the barrier of privacy, the group continues to work steadily to increase its membership, such as by working with the town's health and welfare department and politely reaching out to those who have received the certificate.
Chipubetsu Town: Heartwarming activities that support each individual
The group has 22 members. As the members are aging, they have devised ways to make it easier for everyone to participate, such as changing the cherry picking event to a hot spring dinner and takeaway. They also visited the homes of members who were unable to attend meetings and delivered fruit, and their attentive activities that are tailored to each individual were impressive.
Imoseushi Town: Setting clear goals and deepening learning and exchange
We have three goals: "Promoting activities for people with disabilities," "Enhancing welfare," and "Promoting local activities," and we carry out our activities in a planned manner. By participating in local general meetings and prefectural conventions, we deepen our interactions with each other and with organizations in other regions, and we always keep an open mind to learning. Although we are a small group with only 17 members, we are always looking for new ideas that everyone can enjoy.
Hokuryu Town: Looking to the future with the town's cooperation
The New Year's party is also attended by the mayor and department heads in charge, and serves as a training opportunity for them to hear from the government. After volunteering at the summer Sunflower Festival, the group plans to have fun, such as a croquette competition and a year-end party at a restaurant known for its delicious food. However, Chairman Yamashita also raised a pressing issue. He pointed out that the reason behind the sluggish membership of around eight people is the mindset of the new generation, who want to "think of themselves as not having a disability." His powerful words, "I want to convey the importance of being aware of being disabled and connecting with peers. I want to work with the government to tackle this issue," resonated deeply with the audience.
Announcement of the tournament results and closing
The results of the Mölkky tournament were announced as Team 1 with a perfect record, Team 5 in second place, and Teams 3 and 4 tied for third place, and each team received a big round of applause for their efforts. The participants' improvement was so remarkable that the tournament ended earlier than scheduled, and the supporting staff exclaimed, "It was so much fun!"
Connecting Hearts: Common Challenges and a Pledge for the Future
Closing remarks: Junji Nakagawa, Secretary General of the Sorachi District Association for the Welfare of the Physically Disabled
The report from each town shared the major issue of declining membership. In this context, Junji Nakagawa, Secretary General of the Sorachi District Physical Disability Welfare Association, concluded the meeting with some warm yet powerful words.
"Thank you very much for your hard work, everyone. Thank you to everyone in Hokuryu for planning this wonderful event. I feel that this is how this exchange event should be. Rather than classroom training, I was keenly aware that events that deepen friendships and exchanges among everyone, such as today's Mölkky and the karaoke competition held the other day in the Naka-Sorachi block, are what strengthen our unity.
The decline in membership is a prefectural-wide issue, and there is no magic bullet. However, what we can do is deepen friendship and exchange and increase the appeal of the association. This will put a stop to the decline in membership. We would like to consider projects in that direction in the Sorachi region as well. We ask for your cooperation."
It was then announced that next year's event will be held in Chishibetsu Town. Everyone shared their challenges, pooled their wisdom, and promised to meet again next year with smiles on their faces. This promise filled the venue with a sense of unity.
The circle of warm smiles born in Hokuryu will surely blossom even bigger in Chishibetsu next year. I sincerely hope that this wonderful day will spread like ripples of hope throughout Japan and the world.
With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers, we send to the Kita Sorachi Block Exchange Association, which has overcome various difficulties, connected and deepened friendships between people across towns through sports, and is active every day with cheerfulness and energy.
