The City of Tokyo Releases "Be The Hero", a Video Aiming to Promote the Public Awareness Towards the Disabled Sports. 5 Famous Japanese Manga Artists Took Part in this Project

    TOKYO, JAPAN, March 31, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- "Let's become a Tokyo-born hero."
In order to popularize the disabled sports and convey their splendor, the city of Tokyo recorded a video called "Be The Hero" for both disabled and non-disabled people.

Movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgEzbEQ5HfY
web site (Japanese only)
http://docs.donation.yahoo.co.jp/report/2016hero/

Our aim is to build a society where all the people who love sports could enjoy them, regardless whether they're disabled or not. We've also included the message "not only the athletes, but all the supporters are heroes" in our movie, "Be The Hero".
Just like we once...
Were fraught with great emotions while watching athletes...
Started competition after reading a manga comic...
Or cheered ourselves up before a crucial match by listening to some music...
We'd like to create TOKYO born heroes!
5 Japanese manga artists, a musician and a voice actor answered to this call, and sportsmen and women practicing either wheelchair tennis, blind football, athletics, goal ball or wheelchair rugby agreed to participate.

About the participating manga artists.

Globally famous and popular Japanese artists took part. Their works cover various sporting disciplines.

Naoki Urasawa (representative works: YAWARA!) Wheelchair tennis x Player Shingo Kunieda

Yoichi Takahashi (representative works: Captain Tsubasa) Blind football x Japanese national team

Eisaku Kubonouchi (representative works: Tsurumoku Dokushin Ryo) Athletics x Player Saki Takakuwa

Hiro Mashima (representative works: FAIRY TAIL) Goalball x Japan national players, other

Tetsuya Chiba (representative works: Tomorrow's Joe) Wheelchair rugby x 2015's Japan national players

About the participating athletes.

Ryo Kawamura (Blind soccer, Japan national Player, Captain).
He began to lose his sight at 7 to become completely blind at 24. He made a striking debut by scoring a goal in his first match in the Japanese national team. He then led his team as its ace.

Shingo Kunieda (professional wheelchair tennis Player).
He developed a spinal cord tumor at 9. Since then, he lives on a wheelchair. He was the first Japanese player to turn pro on 2009, and is now the player who completed the most men's Grand Slam in history, namely 5 times! His motto: "I'm the best!".

Saki Takakuwa (track and field Athlete).
She lost her left lower leg at 13 due to osteosarcoma. She participated in the London Paralympics at 20 and set the Japanese time record for the 100 meters in 2014 (Class T44).

About the music.

The music is produced by KenKen, member of the band "RIZE/LIFE IS GROOVE". He is active as the one of the rare "Bass Hero" in Japan thanks to his charisma and outstanding bass skills. After he joined RIZE in 2006, he formed the super funk band "LIFE IS GROOVE" along with Monsieur Kamayatsu and Ryunosuke Yamagishi.

About the vocals.

The commentary is done by Akira Kamiya, Actor and Voice Actor. He performed the voices of several globally popular anime characters such as Kenshiro (Fist of the North Star), Ryo Saeba (City Hunter) or Mouri Kogoro (Case Closed). He's a legendary voice actor in Japan!

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