Followed by the pregame training camp for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which was held last month, a delegation of Paralympic athletes from the Kingdom of Bhutan uses SEISA Hakone Campus for pregame training camp to prepare for the Paralympics. In cooperation with Kanagawa Prefecture, Hakone Town, Odawara City, and Oiso Town, all the staff of SEISA are supporting the Paralympic athletes from Bhutan, which is their first time to participate in the Paralympics, with full effort.

On Friday, August 13th, 2021, the fourth day of the pregame training camp, flame lighting ceremony for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Torch Relay was held at SEISA Hakone Campus and the Paralympic athletes from Bhutan participated in the ceremony.

Flames from all over Japan will be used in the Paralympic Torch Relay, which is slightly different from the Olympic Torch Relay. In Kanagawa Prefecture, flame lighting ceremony will be held in all municipalities and each municipalities’ flame will be brought together in Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse. In order to send these flames to Tokyo, the host prefecture for the Paralympics, the ceremony will be held in Kanagawa Prefecture from Thursday, August 12th, 2021, to Sunday, August 15th, 2021.

Under such conditions, SEISA Hakone Campus was chosen to host the flame lighting ceremony of Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture. At the ceremony, pilot light collected from the alternative event for Torii Yaki Festival, an annual summer event taken place in Lake Ashi which was canceled this year, made an appearance at gymnasium of SEISA Hakone Campus. One of the townspeople in wheelchairs living in Hakone Town handed off the lantern to Mr. Hiroyuki KATSUMATA, mayor of Hakone Town.

After the flame lighting ceremony, Yudate Shishi-mai (lion dance) performance was held, which is the world-class traditional folk performing art handed down since the Edo period that represent Hakone Town and is designated as an intangible folk cultural property by Kanagawa Prefecture. The Paralympic delegation from Bhutan was glued to the beautiful lion dance.

Taking this opportunity, we learned the history and culture of Hakone Town. Besides, interaction beyond borders led us to think about creating a world which all people could live together in harmony (“KYOSEI” society). We would like to thank everyone in Hakone Town for your support.

Through nine days of pregame training camp, we will not only be supporting the athletes with full effort, but also learning a lot from every single thing so that we can make use of the experience next time.