The first exhibition organized by Special Olympics! Introducing the behind the scenes of the project

Introduction

NOMURA Co., Ltd. is a member of Special Olympics Japan (SON), an international sports organization that provides people with intellectual disabilities with various sports training and competitions where they can present their results. We planned, designed, and constructed a special exhibition held in March 2023. Ido, who was in charge of planning, would like to introduce the details of their activities and the contents of the exhibition in the form of an interview.

Amazingly fast delivery! Is it possible to hold a special exhibition?

well
In the second half, we will once again consider the story of the special exhibition held at Chukyo University, which we were involved in this time. (This interview was conducted on April 17, 2023)

well
I was originally in charge of the exhibition room of the Chukyo University Sports Museum together with our designer Atsushi Suzuki, and I have also done a lot of work related to sports museums, such as the renovation of the Sadaharu Oh Baseball Museum and the Daisuke Matsuzaka Memorial Museum. I was interested in sports exhibits. Then, I was told about this exhibition, and the delivery time was surprisingly short: I received an email in December and it opened in February, so to be honest, I was wondering if it would be okay? I thought.

Was the plan something that started earlier?

Shishido
I agree. Originally, when Chukyo University and SON signed a comprehensive partnership agreement, in consultation with the members of the Sports Promotion Department, including Professor Kuda of the Faculty of Sports Science at Chukyo University, in May of last year, we decided to hold a special exhibition at the Sports Museum. It would be great if there was an opportunity to do that.''

Shishido
After that, in September, at an event with Chukyo University, President Arimori (at the time) and Professor Kuda showed us the sports museum at a joint event for students and local citizens. We started talking about how great it would be to have a SO exhibit here.

What is the significance of what we do at Chukyo University Sports Museum?

well
What makes the Sports Museum a little special is that it introduces the Olympic Games. From the beginning, our goal was to join the Olympic Museum Network. This is the first academic institution in the world to become a member. Not only the first in Japan, but also the first in the world. The content is not just a celebration of the Olympics, but an approach to the Olympics from an academic standpoint. So, of course, you can take an objective view.

Shishido/Shinya
Yes, that's right.

well
Professor Kuda once said, ``The Olympics are a mirror that reflects society.'' In this case, although they share the Olympic name, they are different organizations, and I think it is meaningful for this sports museum to introduce their activities. With that in mind, I think the teacher probably spoke with a lot of foresight. You are able to see into the future and give very clear advice. It is relied upon in the sports world, and they are trying to create a new network of sports museums, so I think it will be related to that.

What we want to convey through this exhibition is the idea of ``Be with all®,'' with a view to a ``society where we can live together.''

Shishido
The first thing I thought about was where I wanted to convey my SO activities. There are so many things I want to convey, from explaining the organization's origins and activities to the message I want to send, so I found it difficult to figure out how to express it in an easy-to-understand way. The concept we wanted to convey was the slogan "Be with all®," which means connecting with society and "realizing a society where we can live together."

Shishido
"Be with all®" is the vision and slogan of Special Olympics Japan from 2021 to 2025.

well
Is this unique to Japan and not the world?

Shishido
Yes, this is SON's own slogan. SON will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. We have established regional organizations across the country, trained coaches to run daily sports programs, continued to hold national games, and continued to send athletes to world championships, and we have continued to focus on these sports activities. From now on, in addition to that, we have been planning for the past few years to further expand their social participation as an area, so we have made it clear that the theme of this exhibition will be connected to social participation. I was able to do it.
When the concept of SDGs came up and we communicated how our activities are connected to society, the perception of the audience has changed dramatically. In the past, I would say, ``You're doing some good things.'' Instead, I would say, ``So how can I get involved?'' ``What exactly are you thinking about?'' ``What can we do together?'' ” is the reaction.

well
I think there was talk about Mr. Kitazawa (former Japanese national soccer player) in the first part, and I feel like he truly represents diversity. I think it's important that the ideal image of everyone having equal opportunities and being able to play an active role in that environment is well expressed. It is important to expand this further. Has there never been public relations in the form of an exhibition like this before?

Shishido
There wasn't. We have previously held photo exhibitions of Japanese athletes participating in world championships at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Gallery, but this was the first time that we had professionals create the exhibition from the planning stage. . Even if you have decided on a theme, how do you make it a reality? Do you want to convey it in an appealing way? You all have given shape to this idea.

well
Even so, I couldn't give it a concrete form all of a sudden, so I thought my first big mission was to come to a common understanding of what was most important.

Shishido
Not only did you not know about the organization itself, but you were overwhelmed with so much information that you couldn't understand it.

well
To be honest, I didn't understand it at first. However, this time, we had already seen the location, and as we were talking about what we wanted to convey in the current collaboration agreement, we had a little idea of the space in the materials we received at the beginning.

Everyone
laughter

well
It is important to have a will. There's a place, and there's a message I want to convey, but I also want to let people know more about what's not known about it, so when it came to figuring out what to do, I felt like the challenge was surprisingly clear.
On the other hand, what we don't understand, the general public doesn't understand either, so how can we figure it out? I tried to think about it paradoxically.

Shishido
I see.

well
I also think the best thing was that I had the opportunity to talk with our designers, Atsushi Suzuki and Rie Makigara, at the office early on. We talked about what kind of materials and issues there were, and as we communicated, we developed a sense of empathy, and as we were trying to figure out how to connect and expand that empathy, we became a little closer together. I think it has become easier to design. It's important to go to the site and listen to the stories.

Shishido
I agree. It was really because I had the time at that time. When we work in an organization, we tend to take things for granted or stop questioning them, but by breaking things down one by one, we have the opportunity to reevaluate our activities. It has also become. It made us realize how important things are when we have people we don't know look at it, so we learned a lot from them as well.

well
When creating an exhibition facility such as a museum, the process is very important, and our job is to discover things like reconsidering our own activities and discovering what we have accumulated. I do it. However, I didn't have time, so I needed to get things into shape quickly, and if I didn't shorten various times, I wouldn't have time for later production, so it was tough.

Shishido
I agree. I also felt like I was receiving consulting work that explained various things to me.

well
However, we really learned a lot, and there were a lot of new discoveries, such as this flyer design (which condensed all our thoughts).

★A flyer for a special exhibition that emphasizes the SO symbol mark, making you wonder what it is. The left is the adopted proposal, the right is the rejected proposal.

Shishido
That's right. I also really liked the other design idea.

well
I was really worried about it. The most important thing we want to convey here is "Be with all®," so how can we visualize that? Also, when thinking about the traveling exhibition, I didn't just put information in the usual way, but if I didn't include something with a strong message and appeal in the design, it would be a little weak, and the message would be weak. I was thinking about it.

Shishido
This flyer alone is an attractive piece that can sufficiently introduce SON's activities. I wanted something like this!

well
This flyer stands out. It stands out especially when lined up with flyers from other museums.

Shishido
I agree. It's hard to find!

well
It is said that the impactful flyer will encourage people to pick it up and take a look.

Shintani
That's excellent.

well
It's difficult to convey things just through things, and in this case in particular, the real purpose is not to show things, but to also convey the activities behind them and the state of the organization. Because it was.

★Spatial image of the completed exhibition. Red color and spherical “Be with all®” Accented with a welcome graphic featuring

★Hands-on model in the form of a podium where all the players can praise each other.

well
Also, for people who can't easily come, places like this have an impact and can be communicated, so we placed a lot of emphasis on that.

Shishido
I agree. The moment I first saw (the spatial image), I was really surprised.

well
I'm also happy to hear you say that.

Issues of social good considered from the SON exhibition

well
In the form of this interview, there are some people (?) who were not able to go to the exhibition, so I think it is important to spread the opportunity as much as possible. As part of NOMURA Co., Ltd. 's recent initiatives, a trend of social good* has emerged, in which we work together with stakeholders to solve social issues and turn them into businesses. As part of this trend, we decided to include ``design support sponsorship'' this time, and the theme and field matched what the company was working on, so in that sense, it was easy for everyone to support.
* Click here for information on NOMURA Co., Ltd. 's social good initiatives.

Shintani
It means the timing was right.

★Logo mark plus, design support display.

Shishido
Since when have you been involved in social good initiatives?

well
Social Good will start in 2021. As a company, we are trying to stay ahead of the trends in the world and the times, and this is at the same time as the SDGs.

Shishido
The reason that you are able to embody and propose various issues that you have, and that you are able to embody and resolve them, is because of your abilities as professionals.

well
The concept of inclusive design has recently emerged in museum exhibitions, and exhibits are created by incorporating things like workshops. Along the way, we also consider the opinions of children and people with disabilities.

Shintani
It is interesting.

well
A process called inclusive workshops, where people with children and other diverse groups think about what they really need, has been increasing. There was also an idea of inclusive workshops that are linked to social good, so there was a bit of affinity this time.

Shishido
SO too, there are athletes who are talented in the field of art such as painting, and there are also people who do painting instead of sports. It would be great to experience art and music with local people, or play sports with the people you enjoyed there. Recently, we have held an event called Art Fireworks, where we watch fireworks together with local people, and in addition to watching the fireworks, we also try to contribute to the community by cleaning up and picking up trash.

well
I agree. I feel like there are many ways to approach participation. As society continues to change, some people will find new value by combining things. I wish there was a system that could create an ideal virtuous cycle. It's also important that everyone has fun.

Regarding the future development of SON exhibitions

well
On a slightly different topic, I get the impression that SO has a lot of people who support him. Dream supporters, corporate sponsors, etc. How do you feel about the spread? Do you feel like it's gradually expanding?

Shishido
We have a lot of people who have really supported us for a long time, and some companies have been supporting us for over 15 years. Recently, the more our business has expanded into various fields, the more friends and supporters we have. In addition to that, I think it is important to have sites where volunteers can participate, and in the past National Games, a total of about 4,000 volunteers participated over three days, and in 47 prefectures nationwide, we have volunteer participation sites every weekend and weekday. There are also many volunteer sites that support the operation of the program, including at night.
There is a permanent place, not a spot. In addition to the glamor of the event, I think the reason SO has so many supporters is because everyone can get involved in creating new value. That is also an important meaning included in "Be with all®".

well
It's not just about raising funds, it's about spreading the word if people empathize with it. Otherwise, it will be difficult to sustain the activity.

Shishido
In the past, there was a sense of urgency to raise the profile of the Special Olympics, but now I want to expand our activities, and I think it's more important to expand our activities. . I think that by doing so, many people will actually participate, and as a result, the name recognition will increase. First of all, I don't just want people to know about this activity, I want them to get involved. We have activities all over the country that we would like you to visit, and we also hold events and competitions in a variety of ways. I started to think that a long-term movement that involves increasing the number of warmly involved people is the way to expand activities that are unique to SO.

well
Now that we are finally able to go outside (after the coronavirus has ended), what kind of people would you like to see this exhibition?

Shishido
I agree. Of course, I wanted as many students as possible to see it, but I also wanted to tour it, so I would like as many people in the area as possible to know about it. . In the end, of course, we want students to learn about SO, but it would be wonderful if students felt something from this exhibition and the philosophy and thoughts of SO activities, or if they realized something about their own lives. I'm looking forward to that as well.

well
Current athletes at Chukyo University may find out about a sports environment that is different from their own, and that may become a hook, and Chukyo University is not only for athletes, but also for sociology, and people from other departments. It may be stimulating for you, as it can also be a bit of a challenge. Isn't it really important to learn about the world that you don't know about?

well
Immediately after the store opened, Mr. Arimori spoke at a symposium and held an academic conference to commemorate the exhibition.

Shishido
I heard that about 150 people watched it at once during the conference.

well
As I listened to the stories, I realized that what is important as a mission is social participation, and how do we communicate that? Or, I thought it was important to put a system in place. I think it would be great if an exhibition like this could increase the number of people who support us, and not only increase awareness but also deepen understanding.
Also, if you hold a traveling exhibition, you will have more opportunities to get your work featured, and depending on where you hold it, the demographic of visitors may differ. What are your plans for the future?

Shishido
In the future, the Winter National Games will be held in Nagano in November of this year, and in Nagano, Hokkaido in February of next year, so we would like to host the games in the locations where those national games are being held. I think there are many people who volunteer to participate in the tournament, and I hope that by holding the tournament after the tournament, many people will become interested and get involved. I hope that the local community will work towards creating a cohesive society, and I think this exhibition will give everyone a lot of inspiration for that purpose.

well
The possibilities are expanding, such as combining exhibitions and events, or combining experiences.

Shishido
Yes, I would like to make it more familiar to people in the area. We will also be thinking about plans for the facilities and lobbies of the companies that support us so that even more people can see them.

well
As you continue your activities, assets and archives will increase, things will increase, and information will increase as well. How to do that is quite a challenge. I hope that the exhibition can be used and utilized effectively as an asset that will successfully link past activities to the next one.

SO has hints to enrich your life

well
We're running out of time, so I'd like to ask you a few questions at the end. As I listen to various stories, I think that the best part of sports is the condensation of the fun that enriches life. I thought it would be possible to think of hints to enrich my life if I thought about it through my SO, so I wanted to know how I would answer if I was asked that question, so I asked for an answer in advance. I would like to receive some comments and conclude with my final words.

Shintani
I really think that the "s" in Special Olympics is embedded in it. I believe that by giving you an opportunity to reconsider things that you take for granted and what you value, you can find hints for enriching your life. Of course, results are important, but even small things like an athlete who is doing his best just by walking into the gym building relationships with volunteers and coaches other than his family, participating in the program, and being able to hold the ball. I think being able to share things with people other than their families who support them makes a difference for the athletes themselves, their families, and the people around them. Through my SO activities, I am able to reconsider things that I took for granted and things that I value, which I believe will have an impact on my later life.

well
thank you. Now, Mr. Shishido, please.

Shishido
yes. I believe that knowing society will enrich your life. The feeling of trying to understand others, and trying to understand others by thinking about them, are very common in SO activities, and I think that doing this will lead to knowing yourself. think. When you know yourself and know others, think about society. SO involves a lot of people, there are a lot of different sites, and it's filled with a lot of challenges and a lot of hopes, so you can feel that when you come into contact with SO. However, it's not just about knowing, but knowing where you are now allows you to think of a future where you want to do something like this, or a future where you think you can do something like this, as an extension of yourself. I feel that thinking about society through SO has enriched my life because it gives me a sense of expectation and hope that can be realized.

well
I think it would be great if all the people involved with SO had that kind of mindset, and we could create a more virtuous cycle and share the same values and dreams. thank you very much. I received some nice words.

well
We also wanted to not only create it, but also support it, which is why we planned this opportunity. Since my field is narrow, I may not be able to communicate very well, but I hope I can do something little by little.

Shishido/Shinya
thank you.

Shishido
I'm glad that I've had this opportunity to make new SO friends who are truly reassuring and wonderful.

well
I was able to reaffirm what I'm doing, and I realized that even though it's a different field, there are some things that are the same, so I learned a lot as well. Thank you for today.

★Finally, a commemorative photo was taken inside the SON office.

Note ①: The special exhibition “Special Olympics ~Be with All® Towards a society where everyone can thrive~” was held at the Chukyo University Sports Museum from March 15th to July 13th, 2023.
https://sportsmuseum.chukyo-u.ac.jp/xo_event/202303_7th_special-olympics
It was co-sponsored by Special Olympics Japan and the Chukyo University Sports Museum, NOMURA Co., Ltd. provided sponsorship support as "Designed by NOMURA Co., Ltd.."

Note ②: Another exhibition is planned at the Special Olympics National Games venue to be held in Nagano from November.
November 18-19: White Ring (Nagano City Majima Sports Arena)
February 24-25: Nagano City Wakasato Civic Culture Hall