Overview
- The Deaflympics open in Tokyo on Nov. 15 for the first time in Japan, bringing roughly 3,000 athletes from about 80 countries to compete in 21 sports through Nov. 26.
- A Tokyo Metropolitan Government demo showed a deaf visitor typing on a tablet and staff speech converting instantly to text on a transparent display to enable two‑way communication.
- Tokyo and the All‑Japan Deaf Federation say these ‘universal communication’ tools are being introduced for the Games with the aim of expanding their use afterward.
- More than 3,000 volunteers and sign‑language interpreters are mobilized, and around 160 companies and organizations have signed on as sponsors.
- Public recognition remains limited at under 40%, and federation chair Daigo Ishibashi calls the Tokyo Games a rare chance to raise attention to deaf and hard‑of‑hearing athletes.