A Turning Point

Abstract

This chapter highlights key differences between Tokyo and Nagano which explain why the 1998 Games came to be seen as a turning point and fostered the “normalization” of disability sports in Japan. It situates the Games in their larger sociohistorical context in order to understand the differences apparent in Nagano and their consequent impacts. It also reviews how the 1998 Winter Paralympics were organized and held against a backdrop of increased attention to disability-related issues. The chapter refers to Japan's deep engagement in several international disability awareness and rights programs that linked to the United Nations. It discusses the 1990s in Japan, which was marked by significant changes in national activism, policies, and approaches related to disability.