The Sasakawa Sports Foundation (SSF), headquartered in Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, with President Kazutoshi Watanabe, is advancing research to promote and assess the development of para sports under its mission of "Sport for Everyone."

It has been decided that SSF will take over part of the research operations previously conducted by the Nippon Foundation Para-Sports Support Center Paralympic Research Committee, which will conclude all activities on March 31, 2026. Concurrently, Mr. Kazuo Ogura, who served as Chair of the Research Committee, has been appointed as Senior Special Researcher at SSF, and this appointment is hereby announced.

Going forward, SSF will combine its own research achievements with the accumulated knowledge from the Paralympic Research Committee to deepen research activities in the field of para sports in Japan. The foundation will further intensify its practical efforts to create environments where children and individuals with disabilities can enjoy sports at the local level and to expand participation in para sports.

※ For media inquiries or interviews with Mr. Ogura, please contact SSF directly.

Official Website

Profile of Kazuo Ogura (Ogura Kazuo)

Senior Special Researcher, Sasakawa Sports Foundation / Advisor, Japan Foundation

Research Specialties: International Politics, Diplomatic History and Japanese Foreign Policy, Paralympic and Para Sports Research, Sports Culture Studies

Biography: Born in Tokyo in 1938. Graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo, and the Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge, UK. Served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Ambassador to Vietnam, Ambassador to South Korea, Ambassador to France, and President of the Japan Foundation. Held visiting and invited professorships at Aoyama Gakuin University, Hitotsubashi University, the University of Tokyo, Ritsumeikan University, and Waseda University. Former President of the Japan Foundation, Secretary-General of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Bid Committee, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation Para-Sports Support Center, and Chair of its Paralympic Research Committee. Currently serves as specially appointed professor at Aoyama Gakuin University and board member of the National Agricultural Cooperative Council.

Selected Publications: Key para sports-related papers include "Exploring the Origins of the Paralympics—Focusing on the Relationship between War and the Paralympics," "Paradoxes Surrounding the Paralympics," "The Legacy of the 1964 Tokyo Paralympics," and "The Legacy of the 1998 Nagano Paralympics" (published in the Proceedings of the Nippon Foundation Para-Sports Support Center Paralympic Research Committee), and "Visions on the Legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games" (included in The Palgrave Handbook of Paralympic Studies). Also authored numerous works in the field of international relations.

Comment from Senior Special Researcher Kazuo Ogura

Para sports are entering a new phase, marked by growing awareness and improved athletic performance. In some sports, participation by non-disabled individuals is increasing, prompting a reevaluation of the very concept of 'disability sports.' Meanwhile, technological innovations such as prosthetics and wheelchairs have dramatically enhanced athletic performance, but they also raise new questions about fairness and bodily perception. Furthermore, issues such as elitism, commercialization, gender, and international politics are increasingly affecting the para sports domain. It is crucial to accurately understand these trends, advance research that contributes to their resolution and wider dissemination, and foster the next generation of researchers.

Left: Senior Special Researcher Kazuo Ogura, Right: SSF President Kazutoshi Watanabe

[About the Nippon Foundation Para-Sports Support Center Paralympic Research Committee]

Established in June 2014 as the Nippon Foundation Paralympic Research Committee to investigate and research the social impact of para sports and the societal value of major events. From April 2016, it operated as the research division of the Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center (now the Nippon Foundation Para-Sports Support Center), concluding all activities on March 31, 2026. Over the years, it conducted multifaceted research and studies to promote para sports and realize an inclusive society, including surveys on public awareness and impact, continuous publication of the Proceedings of the Paralympic Research Committee, and hosting symposia and workshops.

[Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Sasakawa Sports Foundation]

Established in 1991, SSF promotes the vision of "Sport for Everyone," where every individual can enjoy sports. The foundation conducts research and surveys aimed at solving social issues through sports. Its main research themes include health and sports, para sports, and children's sports. Based on research findings, SSF collaborates with local governments and sports promotion organizations on joint projects and policy recommendations.

Official Website

Sasakawa Sports Foundation: "An Action-Oriented Sports Think Tank"

The Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Sasakawa Sports Foundation is a specialized think tank in the sports sector dedicated to advancing "Sport for Everyone." Through policy recommendations to national and local governments, research and surveys on sports promotion, data collection, analysis, dissemination, and collaborative practical research with municipalities, SSF works to solve social challenges through sports.

President: Kazutoshi Watanabe Address: 3rd Floor, Nippon Foundation Building, 1-2-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 Established: March 1991 Mission: Advancing "Sport for Everyone" Activities: - Research and surveys to promote lifelong sports - Collaborative projects with lifelong sports organizations - Public relations activities to promote lifelong sports URL: https://www.ssf.or.jp/

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  • Source: PR TIMES
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