Report: Universal Tourism Symposium 'Tabi wa Michizure, Yowa no Tane' #2

On May 22, 2025 (Thursday), the second universal tourism symposium "Tabi wa Michizure, Yowa no Tane" was held at SCC Sendagaya Community Center (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).

A total of 114 participants gathered, including wheelchair users, people with visual and hearing impairments, elderly attendees, families with children, families of people with disabilities, non-disabled individuals, government officials, and corporate representatives, to collectively explore what it means for everyone to enjoy outings.

Part 1: "Summer Outing Strategy Session — Let's Go Together with Our Wheelchair-Using Friends!"

In a participatory workshop format, attendees worked with wheelchair influencer Ryoko Nakajima to develop outing plans that everyone could join. The MVP (best plan) was "A private festival and private fireworks in Nagano Prefecture," which MinQ plans to bring to life.

Part 2: "Universal Tourism? Inclusive? What's the Secret to Making Difficult Concepts Fun?"

Panelists from government, corporate, disability family, and entertainment perspectives explored how to communicate frequently heard but poorly understood concepts like "universal tourism" and "inclusive" in an engaging and accessible way. The shared conclusion: "Explain it so that elementary and middle school students can understand."

Part 3: "Sight Isn't Everything! Travel for People with Visual Impairments"

Masahiro Taniguchi, a totally blind attendant at Dialogue in the Dark, shared stories about his travel and daily life. The audience was captivated by episodes such as "different regions have different smells," his near-complete memorization of train route maps, and trips to remote islands with groups of blind travelers.

• Nobuhiro Mizutani (former CEO, Yoshimoto Creative Agency / Principal, "School of PR")
• Ryoko Nakajima (wheelchair influencer / YouTuber)
• Sakura Kato (Representative, mogmog engine and multiple social projects)
• Yukio Ida (Executive Director, Sustainability Division, KOKUYO Corporation)
• Reiko Ushiyama (Representative, Universal Support Suwa)
• Masahiro Taniguchi (Attend, Dialogue in the Dark / former Japan National Team blind runner)
• Yoshiro Tasaka (CEO, Shibuya Startups Inc.)
• Yusuke Terada (Representative, HELPUSH / MinQ Project)
• MC: Kenta Furuya (comedian)
• Sign Language Interpretation: Kema Toma
• Exhibition Booth: Ryoke Green Gables (coffee roasting by a visually impaired roaster)

"I learned so much — explaining things so that elementary students can understand, using the right brain instead of the left, 'serendipity instead of plans.' The open-minded atmosphere made networking with other participants and organizers truly enjoyable." (Male, 50s)

"I was surprised to learn that people facing difficulties going out can actually do far more than I imagined. The simple idea of thinking 'how can we make it happen?' instead of giving up applies to everyone, with or without challenges." (Female, 40s, parent)

"I discovered perspectives I'd never considered before. The story about how Tokyo and Osaka smell different, and how facial expressions are as important in sign language as articulation is in speech — that was truly memorable." (Male, 20s)

ISVD participated as a cooperating organization, continuing its role in design direction and spatial production from the first edition. Through the power of design, ISVD contributes to creating events that make social themes approachable and engaging.

• Report: Universal Tourism Symposium "Tabi wa Michizure, Yowa no Tane" — Report from the inaugural symposium held in November 2024.
• Stakeholder Mapping Guide for NPOs — A practical guide for visualizing diverse stakeholder relationships and designing collaboration.