The Life is Climbing documentary film viewing and Q&A with Koichiro ‘Koba’ Kobayashi and Naoya Suzuki held on April 19th was a great success. The large room at Arcadia Ichigaya was filled to capacity with attendance of a diverse group of 130 people – people with a visual impairment, students, and media in addition to the public and CWAJ members. Hearing the audience’s reaction during the thrilling, humorous, and heartwarming scenes of the film made it clear they enjoyed the film. There were many questions during the Q&A which gave us even more insights into the experiences and friendship of Koba and Naoya.
This was a wonderful tribute to highlight 50 years of CWAJ providing programs for the visually impaired, especially through our community service committee, Volunteers for the Visually Impaired (VVI).
Before the film, participants enjoyed seeing the displays about Hands-on Art (exhibit at CWAJ’s annual Print Show), VVI, and CWAJ, and watching the slide show about VVI. It was also a chance to chat with old friends and make new acquaintances. 50 years ago, CWAJ members formed a group to provide English language support to university students with a visual impairment. We were honored to have one of those students at the event! Chuji Sashida is currently the Executive Director, National Committee of Welfare for the Blind in Japan. Formerly, as President of the World Blind Union Asia Pacific, he laid the groundwork to promote international exchange of visually impaired. We were also pleased to introduce Haruna Tamaoki, one of the 2024 recipients of the Scholarship for the Visually Impaired.
Another very special aspect of this event was the collaboration with students from International School of the Sacred Heart High School who volunteered as guides for high school students from the Special Needs Education School for the Visually Impaired, University of Tsukuba, and also other attendees with a visual impairment.
Some comments about the event from participants:
What was particularly memorable was when Naoya-san said, “I like Koba-san not as a physically challenged person, but as an equal human being, and I am his friend.” I myself am blind, but I often feel sorry for my friends and colleagues because they often support me, and I sometimes worry that it is difficult to establish an “equal relationship” with them. However, I would like to keep in mind what Naoya said, “I believe in Koba even though he is totally blind. I can entrust my life to him.” And I would like to spend days with sincerity so that people will think, “She is totally blind, but she is trustworthy and can be trusted” in my personal and professional life.
From International School of the Sacred Heart high school student:
Thank you so much for providing such an incredible opportunity. The event was a great success, and we have never had such a meaningful experience before. All of our club members kept saying how much they genuinely enjoyed the entire day. We are truly blessed to have been given this chance and to be part of such an amazing event.
