【Event Report】 Introduction to Barça Foundation’s FutbolNet Program

“Introduction to Barça Foundation’s FutbolNet Program” was held in Kanazawa City on Sunday, December 26, 2021. This program was a part of “S.C.P. Japan Special Events in Kanazawa”, taken place over two days on December 26th and 28th.

Eighteen local children participated and experienced Barça Foundation’s FutbolNet Program. They learned the three core values ​​of “Respect,” “Teamwork,” and “Ambition” through games and dialogue. They also learnt how to take the lead and change the environment, without being bound by existing values and rules, through the activity of “creating new rules by ourselves”.

We also invited local sports leaders and parents. We shared a method to communicate with children through sports; we can teach them important values such as “respecting diversity and others,” “expressing our own opinions,” and “cooperating with others”, aside from the motor skills.

<Post Event Feedback>

In order to improve the program, we asked the participants to provide us feedback after the event. You can check the results below.

We would like to thank Geminis Football Club for their cooperation in holding the event. We would also like to thank the children who participated, and all the parents and leaders.

【Report】3rd Break Talks “Creating an inclusive place” (Guest Speaker: Mr. Hidenori Hibi) (October 26, 2021)

On October 26th (Tuesday), S.C.P. Japan hosted its 3rd Break Talks with the theme of “Creating an inclusive place.” We invited Mr. Hidenori Hibi as a guest speaker, who is the founder of the voluntary organization, “Walking Soccer in the Silence” and is also a person with hearing impairment. He talked about hearing impairment, deaf soccer, and walking soccer. Furthermore, based on Mr. Hibi’s story, participants actively exchanged opinions regarding “what is inclusive?” and “how to create an inclusive place.”

At the beginning of the event Mr. Hibi explained, “Let’s take a reaction such as nodding while listening,” not only because he has a hearing impairment, but also because the speaker felt a little lonely without the reaction of the participants. It was also shared that the organizer would use a system called UDTalk to display and share subtitles on Zoom. Sign languages were also provided by volunteers.

What is hearing impairment?

In the first half of the guest talk, Mr. Hibi introduced what is hearing impairment using not only words but also illustrations.

Hearing-impaired people are those who are deaf or hard to hear. Mr. Hibi himself has congenital sensorineural deafness with a hearing loss of 105 dB (decibels). The speaker explained what is hearing impairment in layman’s terms so that participants could grasp its meaning and understand his own condition.

Mr. Hibi spent his childhood growing up in an environment where special needs classes were nonexistent. When he entered school, he was given the front row middle seat in class as a way of support from his school to adapt to his needs. However, he could not understand what the teachers were saying during most of his classes. Mr. Hibi was also exempted from doing presentations, which he felt lucky at that time. As he entered the real world he realized, “I had no experience of success or failure in speaking in public, and for the first time I experienced speaking in public at workplace, I found it difficult.” Mr. Hibi expressed his honest feelings to the participants, “I’m still very nervous as a guest of this online event.”

Regarding vocalization, he attended a “language class” from the first grade to the sixth grade of elementary school and learned how to vocalize from a speech therapist teacher. Even so, for example, when he says “jidosha” (car) and it does not get through to people well, he paraphrases it to “kuruma” (car).

Throughout his elementary, junior high and high school years, Mr. Hibi did not have the opportunity to learn sign language. In college, his chance encounter with a person with the same disability opened his doors to begin learning the sign language.

Deaf soccer

Deaf soccer, also known as “soundless soccer,” has very little sound during a match compared to other soccer matches. That is why Mr. Hibi emphasizes that one of the attractions of deaf soccer is that “referee judgment and players’ communication are based only on visible information.” For example, the defense line silently aligns the lines and sets an offside trap without talking to each other.

“Walking Soccer in the Silence” Activities

Mr. Hibi has been involved in soccer for many years and attended the Sports Managers College (SMC) satellite of the Japan Football Association in 2019. Soon after he planned an activity called “Walking Soccer in the Silence” and established this as a voluntary organization in January 2020. In Tokyo and Yokohama, he carries out walking soccer activities about once a month and online activities called “shuwaberi” every month.

【Walking Soccer in the Silence WEB site】https://wsits2020.com/

Walking soccer (walking football) is a sport that can be played regardless of gender or age, without worrying about the skill differences among beginners and experienced players. In the last 3 to 4 years, it has been attracting attention as an inclusive sport in Japan. (Japan Walking Football Federation https://jwfl.amebaownd.com/) 

Mr. Hibi decided to use walking soccer to create opportunities for each person to think about “communication that suits each individual” and take active communication spontaneously while having fun.

The “Walking Soccer in the Silence” activity in Tokyo has different rules of the match from other walking soccer activities. In the 1st and 2nd games, it is prohibited to make sounds and voices; however, in the final 3rd game, players are allowed to make sounds and voices. After experiencing the 1st game and 2nd game, in the 3rd game, each person will take the initiative to think, act (play) and communicate in multiple ways so that the players with hearing impairment will not be isolated. 

What is the communication that suits each person? “How can people who can’t hear, who can hear, and who are not good at speaking, communicate with each other?” These can be experienced through walking soccer in the silence. In addition, in activities in Yokohama, Mr. Hibi is also developing “inclusive walking soccer,” which will be played by a mixture of people with and without disabilities and ages.

What is an inclusive place?

After receiving the guest talk in the first half of the program, the second half was the time for participants to actively exchange opinions about “what is inclusive?” and “how can we create an inclusive place?”

Regarding the idea of providing an inclusive place, participants raised the issue of building a place where anyone can easily participate by expressing, “anyone is welcome.”

In addition, participants from various positions were able to give their opinions. One participant said that it is important to have a safe environment where people in need can ask for help.

Mr. Hibi also shared issues that happened during the activities. For instance, the participating children with disabilities seemed to have fun just because they were there, but the people around them sometimes tried to take care of the children too much.

Finally, Mr. Hibi said, “I find the word “inclusive” is not familiar for us. I think inclusive can be explained using another familiar word for us as “otagaisama” (it’s give-and-take).”

The 3rd BreakTalks ended with active participation.

Through these Break Talks, S.C.P.Japan will continue to introduce inspirational guests and their activities to create a place where people from diverse backgrounds can get together and learn. Our aim is to encourage discussions about achieving a more diverse and inclusive society.

Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Hibi for participating as our special guest speaker and the participants for joining us. We would also like to thank the volunteer staff and sign language interpreters who worked very hard to make this happen.

【Report】2nd Break Talks “Kodomo-Shokudo (Children’s Cafeteria)” (Guest Speaker: Mr. Yuhei Doi) (August 25, 2021)

On August 25th, S.C.P.Japan hosted its second Break Talks event. We invited Mr. Yuhei Doi as a speaker, who runs “Okuwa Kodomo Shokudo”, (a Kodomo-Shokudo is “a place to eat where children can go even by themselves for free or low-cost meals.”) in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. While working at a children’s home (run by social care services), Mr. Doi started “Okuwa Kodomo Shokudo” two years ago and is currently the Volunteer Representative of the service.

The first half of the event was themed “Inclusive Society – from a viewpoint of a children’s cafeteria,” Mr. Doi introduced the service and talked about the issues he has faced through managing and operating. 

What is “Okuwa Kodomo Shokudo”?

Since January 2019, “Okuwa Kodomo Shokudo,” has been in operation for the residents in Okuwamachi, Kanazawa City. It is held once a month and about 50 children and adults get together. At the beginning, the community center was rented out to host the meals, but since March 2020 because of the pandemic, adjustments had been made to serve with lunch boxes.

“Okuwa Kodomo Shokudo” is not just about providing meals. There are various events and activities for children to enjoy, such as a latte art workshop. One event had a chiropractor visit to perform treatment and give parents some opportunities to relax. Children-friendly outdoor events are also planned, such as potato harvesting and camping – in order to involve the wider community and families.

“Okuwa Kodomo Shokudo” operates on the fee from the participants. It is free for children and 300 yen for adults. Therfore, participation of certain numbers of adults is needed in order to earn operating costs. At the moment, these fees are not enough to cover the expenses such as food, venue, insurance etc., and the deficit is being covered by donations. The biggest challenge is to secure funding and stabilize the management of the service.

What are the issues you find by running “Okuwa Kodomo Shokudo”?

Okuwamachi is a place where a large number of apartment blocks are and there are many single parent households living there, as well as others with various needs – like elderly people and people with disabilities. Due to a relatively rapid turnover of residents and isolation of certain households, the anonymity makes it difficult to see who needs help and where they are.

My own experience of growing up with a father with a mental health problem is one of the reasons why I tried to get involved in this movement. My day job is working at a children’s home, where I work with socially vulnerable young people. I know that there are also families who are facing difficult challenges right now, who are still in the community, but their lives are on the verge of collapsing – a mere step away from their children being placed in social care. Through the children’s cafeteria, I feel there must be something we can do to help these people, to prevent them from falling further.

As we run the cafeteria for a longer period, I feel the bond between the families who use the service is getting stronger. A lady noticed a child who hadn’t attended the cafeteria for a while, and she visited the child’s home to see what was going on. On another occasion, a family had been going through a hard time with their child struggling to go to school, so one of the participants recommended our cafeteria to the mother. After they joined, the child made friends with other children in the cafeteria and subsequently managed to go back to school. 

I am very much conscious that the children’s cafeteria is not just a place to provide meals. I would like it to be a place where we can give children an opportunity to experience a variety of things, a place for children to come to – if they are having difficulties going to school. It also makes me so happy to hear from our volunteers – whose children have already grown up, that they really enjoy cooking for and interacting with the families who come here.

As for our future activities, we are thinking of an outdoor workshop as well as opening a traditional styled candy store, as a way to have more direct contact with children. In addition, we would like to create a “food bank,” a free food distribution service for those who are in need, with food that would have otherwise been wasted.

In the second half, Ms. Shigenami – the Director of S.C.P. Japan, facilitated a discussion for Mr. Doi and the participants. Someone suggested Mr. Doi to work closely with schools and City Hall to advertise the service to a wider community. Mr. Doi responded that in Ishikawa Prefecture, the current regulation is that schools are unable to make an independent decision whether they should inform the community of the children’s cafeteria or not. The Prefectural Board of Education is responsible for this decision. They then discussed the importance of building a good relationship between schools and the service. Mr. Doi also explained that the family support section of City Hall distributes pamphlets that include information on the children’s cafeteria, but it has not reached all of those who are in need. They also discussed how to maximize “word of mouth” reviews from the participants and volunteers in order to promote the service further. They also talked about the possibility of asking for help from those who have direct contacts with the target households, such as the people who regularly collect money from them for services, etc.

Finally, Mr. Doi emphasized that the future of the socially vulnerable children can change for the better – with the right support. It is extremely important to keep believing in them, and never stop supporting them as we continue to pursue new initiatives.

Through these Break Talks, S.C.P.Japan will continue to introduce inspirational guests and their activities to create a place where people from diverse backgrounds can get together and learn. Our aim is to encourage discussions about achieving a more diverse and inclusive society.

We would like to thank all 22 participants and everyone who helped us organize this event. 

Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Doi for participating as our special guest speaker. We would also like to thank the volunteer staff and sign language interpreters who worked very hard to make this happen.

【NEWS】Renewal of the collaboration agreement between Barça Foundation and S.C.P. Japan

We are pleased to announce that we renewed the collaboration agreement with Barça Foundation for 2021 season. Since 2020, we are working with Barça Foundation to promote the FutbolNet methodology developed by Barça Foundation that uses sports and physical activities as educational tools to foster the sense of values necessary for an inclusive society. Through this collaboration, we continue to commit to promoting Diversity and Inclusion and creating more inclusive society in Japan.

【Report】The First BreakTalks – LGBTQ+ – (Guest Speaker: Airi Murakami) on June 15th, 2021.

On June 15th (Tuesday), S.C.P. Japan held the first BreakTalks event. To celebrate Pride Month, we invited a professional rugby player, Airi Murakami, as our guest speaker. She made an official announcement of having a same gender partner in April this year. The theme of the event was “Sexual Orientation, Gender Indentity and Expression (SOGIE) and Sports – Importance of an environment where people can play in their own way and how each of us can contribute to a more inclusive society.”

Currently Murakami is playing for the Yokohama Musashino Artemi Stars, a rugby team in Tokyo, but until 2015, she was a basketball player at the Akita Bank of the East Japan Regional League. In 2019, she competed and represented Japan as a rugby player in an international match of rugby union (a 15-person rugby) game . In April this year, she publicly announced that she has a same gender partner, which was the first time for a national representative elite athlete to do so. She also actively advocates for LGBTQ+ rights on social media, including the legalization of same gender marriage, and positively interacts through online platforms with those who struggle with sexual orientation and gender identity, and stereotypes and prejudices based on gender.

In the first half of the event, Machi Orime, an intern at SCP Japan, interviewed Murakami about her experience, her thoughts on coming out as an athlete and what she thinks about the society we live in as well as the world of sports. 

What made you decide to come out?

Ever since I was a kid, I have been tired of hiding my sexuality and worrying about it. I always wanted to be open about it. When I joined my current rugby team, my coach and teammates accepted me and my sexuality in such a laid-back manner. Also, my current partner is open about her sexuality and she was in favor of me coming out. I have also left the national team due to an injury, so the circumstances are less restrictive for me now. These days it is also easier to make personal statements on social media. I thought this is the time to do it.

I happened to make the decision to come out, but the decision is up to a LGBTQ+ individual as to how or what coming out should be. Why do we even need to come out in the first place? I believe that the ideal society is one where coming out is not necessary, where people can talk about their lovers and partners regardless of their sexuality and gender identity.

What struggles did you face with your sexuality and what messages can you share with others who are doing through a similar process?

When I was in high school, I experienced bullying and rejection by people around me because of my sexuality. My mother and friends at school supported me through these hard times. Also, the coach of my current team is someone who warmly accepts me for who I am, and that positively influences the atmosphere of the team and teammates. It has made me feel that the entire team is accepting and that I am in a safe place. This inspires me to be the person who can do the same for others. When I was being bullied, I had thought that being a LGBTQ+ was my weakness, but now I think it is a part of my unique personality.

If you are worried about your sexuality, we encourage you to talk to other LGBTQ+ individuals. I think that the LGBTQ+ community has grown much larger, and there are more opportunities to connect with others. I didn’t have the opportunity to get counseling when I was having a hard time, so I would like to help children who are in the same position as I was, to receive the counseling. We are currently offering free consultation through social media, so please do get in touch.

In the second half, we had a discussion with Murakami and the participants. The participants brought diverse backgrounds and experiences with them, such as those who were not familiar with the situation and problems surrounding LGBTQ+, those who are not interested in sports, and those who are involved in teaching competitive sports. 

Participants asked various questions, “How can we support LGBTQ+ players?” “ Murakami said she felt warmly welcomed by the team when joining the team, but it is hard for LGBTQ+ athletes to know if a team is going to be LGBTQ+ friendly before joining. Others asked, “ given this circumstance, how can I show that the team I coach is LGBTQ+ friendly and actively welcome LGBTQ+ athletes?”  Other questions included, “what kind of practical consideration should be given when interacting with LGBTQ+ athletes in everyday life?” In response, Murakami shared her experience and opinions. In addition, participants actively exchanged opinions among themselves, and it was a great opportunity for all to think about LGBTQ+ and diversity and to learn what others think about it.

Finally, Murakami introduced the concept of an “LGBTQ+ ally”, someone who is supportive for LGBTQ+ individuals. She thinks that having more “allies” in the society will eliminate the need for people to come out altogether. She also commented, from her own experience of being bullied and rejected, that it is crucial for adults to reach out to children who might be going through a hard time.

Through the BreakTalks events, S.C.P. Japan will continue to welcome diverse guests, introduce interesting initiatives, and provide a place where people from various backgrounds can meet to exchange and work together to achieve a more diverse and inclusive society. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all twenty participants as well as everyone who helped us make this event happen.

Finally, we would like to thank Murakami who kindly accepted to be the keynote speaker, the volunteer staff, and the sign language interpreters. 

【Report】Special Webinar to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (6th April, 2021)

April 6 is the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace: IDSDP, set by the United Nations. As we, S.C.P. Japan, aim to build more inclusive societies through sport, we hosted a special webinar to celebrate this occasion.

We held a panel discussion on “Sport for Development and Peace:  Demand and Potential for Specialists in the Field”. We welcomed our distinguished panelists; Mr. Taku Yamaguchi, Assistant Professor of the University of Tsukuba, who runs the International Development and Peace through Sport (IDS) course from the Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, Ms. Mai Sakaguchi and Ms. Kaho Shinohara, a graduate and faculty staff of the IDS course at the University of Tsukuba who are now working as Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) specialists tackling social issues through sport. Ms. Inoue, who is a co-director and founder of S.C.P. Japan, also working as a methodological coordinator of the Barca Foundation Japan project, joined the panel, while Ms. Noguchi, another co-director and founder of S.C.P. Japan facilitated the discussion.
Discussion topics included case studies of SDP, its potential for further development and the importance of nurturing the next generation of SDP specialists.

【Comments from the Panelists on SDP Specialist】

“I think a SDP specialist is someone who understands both strengths and weaknesses of sport. They know the limit of sport when they use it as a practical tool to solve social issues. Many people are involved in SDP by different capacities, such as volunteers, project workers, people working with funding etc. In future, what we need is people with leadership skills, who can lead these various members working in various roles as a team.
In Japan, we have traditions that are very much in line with the concept of SDP. For example, Kendo has historically been used as an educational system for youth development. Or local festivals have always been the social occasion to bond the community. We don’t necessarily need to invent something new. We can redefine and add a new meaning to existing activities. We can also bring good practices from overseas.”
(Mr. Taku Yamaguchi, Assistant Professor of the University of Tsukuba, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences)

“Sport can be useful to tackle various social issues such as gender and health. But we need to bear in mind that the same issue can be interpreted very differently, depending on where you are, which countries, geopolitical areas and so on. Therefore, sport should be applied accordingly based on the specific social context. At the University of Tsukuba, I had an opportunity to learn the systematic framework of how sport can contribute to solving social issues by analysing numerous cases, as well as valuable lessons from the past SDP programmes. I think that if professionals, armed with the systematic knowledge of SDP, can expand their careers into other fields, bringing their expertise with them, it would be truly beneficial for the society. We must first recognise the challenges that Japan is facing now, then critically think how sport can be applied to solve them and then take an action based on the analysis. These steps are very important.”
(Ms. Mai Sakaguchi, Program Officer, Department of Information & International Relations, Japan Sport Council)

“Think globally, act locally” That was my thinking when I changed my job, from previously working for an international sporting organisation based in Germany to my current role in Laureus Sport for Good. I am overseeing funding for domestic social projects through sport and we measure and analyse Japanese sport policy and needs, as well as the effectiveness of these projects. For me, a SDP specialist is someone who can spot the societal value of sport, who can create the link between the society and sport. Internationally, the West has been the dominant force in the world of sport but we need the next generation of talent who can understand and globally communicate the unique edge of the East and Japan.”
(Ms. Kaho Shinohara, Programmes and Grants Manager, Laureus Sport for Good)

“Through my postgraduate study at the University of Tsukuba, I have learnt the importance of understanding the weakness of sport with an eye for objectivity. I am currently working on the issue of social inclusion of Japanese youth through S.C.P. Japan. It is very important to first understand that all communities are unique and there are many definitions of social inclusion. Then we can start thinking about and discussing how we can create an environment where children can feel safe and comfortable.”
(Ms. Yuiko Inoue, Co-Director of S.C.P.Japan, Barça Foundation Local Coordinator of Japan Project)

After the panel discussion, we had a Q&A session with the participants and we also discussed a relationship between sport and foreign diplomacy, coaching, environment etc.
At the end of the webinar, we participated in #WhiteCard, an initiative to show one’s commitment for peace effort around the world through sport, started by an SDP organisation Peace and Sport who are based in Monaco.  All participants held up a white card for a photo shoot, in a gesture to demonstrate our support for the peace through sport movement.

We didn’t have enough time to cover everything and it was clear that there was much more to discuss. Please be assured that we will be planning a following session on the subject soon.

One of S.C.P. Japan’s missions is to develop young practitioners who can use sport for social inclusion. Therefore, we are very pleased to have had this opportunity to invite professionals who are already involved in SDP in academia and hands-on projects. We sincerely hope that more discussions like this will be held and create further opportunities to build a bridge between the society and sport.

We would like to thank all 51 participants who are working in the field of sport, studying in the sport and development courses, coaches, teachers and other professionals from diverse backgrounds.
Finally, we would like to give our special thanks to all panelists who have kindly accepted our invitation, all volunteer staff as well as sign language translators who made this webinar possible. We could not have done this without you!

【Report】Our Special Online Event to Celebrate International Women’s Day (6th & 7th March, 2021)

S.C.P. Japan promotes an inclusive society through sport. Our mission includes achieving equality regardless of gender and sexuality. We would like to share the news of our special online event to celebrate International Women’s Day, in collaboration with Girls Soccer Bridge Program.

Girls Soccer Bridge Program is a program that has been arranging short tours as well as longer term courses to the US for Japanese female soccer players for the last 30 years. They have greatly empowered the young female players through their commitment. Two Co-Director of S.C.P. Japan have also been “alumni”, having been trained in the US university with their support. That is why we are so grateful for this wonderful collaboration to happen.  

The event took place on 6th (Saturday) and 7th (Sunday) March over 2 days. 
On the first day’s talk session, we welcomed the two Co-Director of Girls Soccer Bridge Program as guest speakers, Ms. Miyuki Kobayashi (a.k.a. Mimi) and Ms. Kanae Haneishi (a.k.a. Kana-P), also joined by Ms. Marika Fukuda from Girls Soccer Bridge Program and Ms. Noguchi, the Co-Director of S.C.P. Japan. 

The guest speakers shared the personal stories of the organisation’s history during the event.

【Special Messages to mark International Women’s Day】

“Do not limit your own potential. If you feel you want to do something, that is exactly when you are ready for it. Age or gender shouldn’t stop you. Be honest with yourself and live the way you want to live. This principle will lead to create a better future where everyone can be who they truly are.”

(Ms. Kanae Haneishi, a.k.a. Kana-P)

“If you are passionate about something, you will achieve something. Your passion will drive you to act. Do it anyway, don’t think about failure. With such dedication, you will no doubt encourage others to do the same and that will eventually lead to the happier world for all.

(Ms. Miyuki Kobayashi, a.k.a. Mimi)

 Participants wrote down “What you want to do now”, “Your goal” and “Your Dream” and held them up for a photo shoot.

We would like to thank all 28 participants from diverse backgrounds to attend the first day’s event; such as those who are involved in soccer, players who are thinking about training abroad, coaches from other sports, teachers as well as supporters of women’s soccer.


On the second day, we held “the Sharing meeting of Women’s Soccer Study Abroad in the United States” attended by 15 female panelists who all shared their experience. By setting up several breakout rooms, participants could choose the room they want to communicate with the speakers directly.

【Comment by Ms. Marika Fukuda, the organiser and facilitator on the second day】

“Universities in the United States provide a great environment for female soccer players.  They could play soccer on a scholarship regardless of their level of soccer skill. I hope we could convey that training in the US is much more than soccer. You will experience so much more. It will broaden your perspectives and enhance your future career. We want to stress that, through such training in the US the possibilities are endless.

(Ms. Marika Fukuta, Former Student who have studied in the US through Girls Soccer Bridge Program)   

We also want to thank 27 participants who attended the second day event. 

At last, but not the least, we would like to give our special thanks to;
all members of Girls Soccer Bridge Program, all members of NPO Japanese Association for Women in Sport (JWS), all speakers who have kindly accepted our invitation, all volunteer staff as well as sign language translators who made this event possible. We could not have done this without you!

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