TEAM JAPAN

Helping to connect people with different backgrounds with sports

Kento Yokose, representing Japan (from Kyoto Institute of Technology^*)
*As of when the SPORTS CHANGE MAKERS project started

The SPORTS CHANGE MAKER representing Japan was Kento Yokose, who joined the SPORTS CHANGE MAKERS project all by himself. Kento came to know about the project while studying in Finland as an exchange student. “I learned about the competition through a tweet sent by Nobuyuki Hayashi, one of the judges. I was drawn to the competition's unique appeal, such as the opportunity to present to the IOC and the possibility of bringing ideas to life. My childhood memories of playing soccer were also a great motivation to participate in the competition.”

Sharing his story and explaining his Vision Statement, he said, “It's been over 10 years since I played sports regularly, but I look back at those days I played soccer and realize they were the most memorable and enjoyable moments. And those moments weren't made up of me watching professionals play on TV; they were playing soccer with my friends until the sun set over the soccer field. That type of casual, everyday communication is exactly at the heart of my appreciation for sports. I wanted to create an opportunity for the children in 2021 to enjoy sports just like I did when I was younger. I'd like to help them experience sports in such a way that in 10 to 20 years, they can look back on their memories and sporting experience and remember it as something very precious and irreplaceable. I participated in this project with this goal in mind.”

Idea

“Our Play Park”

Barrier

People can feel the greatness of the sports more when we experience with our bodies than watching sports through screens

Target

Children

Solution

A park where children can experience the movements of athletes with playground equipment

Presentation Movie

Prototype

With technological support from Panasonic, Kento created a prototype for his idea, “Our Play Park.” The motions of athletes competing in the Olympics and Paralympics, captured through Panasonic’s video technology, are translated into three-dimensional objects. Here, the trajectory of a long jump athlete and the movement of the athlete’s hands and feet when landing are transformed into a piece of playground equipment.

Prototype

With technological support from Panasonic, Kento created a prototype for his idea, “Our Play Park.” The motions of athletes competing in the Olympics and Paralympics, captured through Panasonic’s video technology, are translated into three-dimensional objects. Here, the trajectory of a long jump athlete and the movement of the athlete’s hands and feet when landing are transformed into a piece of playground equipment.

From Advisors

At the Final Presentation livestreamed worldwide, the team honed their idea by discussing with advisors, who had various perspectives.

Timo Lumme
Managing Director, Television & Marketing Services, The International Olympic Committee

The way you’ve come into this perfectly merged and fused sports and culture. The purpose of the Olympic Games is to have young people choose sports. I think you’ve really nailed it, Kento, in the sense that you’re providing an access point to people, and hopefully making people choose sports. After that, we see the barrier of choice. There are so many choices for young people these days, like video games. Why should they naturally choose sports? I think this is a really powerful way to do it. My perspective is that your idea is really aimed at young people, particularly children. Is it your idea that you would want to have them be inspired to participate in sports afterwards?

If I really think about who needs it the most, it’s mostly the kids. Children may not fully understand the Olympics and Paralympics, or maybe they don’t know how a sport is played. If children who don’t know the rules can touch the equipment in this park, then they could learn just from playing together here. For example, thinking about this jump can elicit excitement if we can take a different approach to sports with which we can expand a bit on play.

Kento Yokose
SPORTS CHANGE MAKER from Japan

If I really think about who needs it the most, it’s mostly the kids. Children may not fully understand the Olympics and Paralympics, or maybe they don’t know how a sport is played. If children who don’t know the rules can touch the equipment in this park, then they could learn just from playing together here. For example, thinking about this jump can elicit excitement if we can take a different approach to sports with which we can expand a bit on play.

Yeah, just to say again, I’m really struck by Kento’s artistic and creative vision through which he invites people to participate and discover new sports. In Lausanne, Switzerland, which is where the IOC is based, we have a big Olympic Museum, and in the outside areas of the museum, we have works of art that are representative of sport. I think your idea would be a perfect addition to start demonstrating your creative vision for a “Our Play Park” installed in the outside spaces of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.

Christel Saneh
IOC Young Leader (2019-2020)/ Lebanese long jumper

Great ideas always emerge from a great concept! What you did is, I think, groundbreaking, because translating movements into objects is something that has not been seen before. Congratulations for this idea. But I have some concerns. As I see from the prototype, it blends with nature and has a shape that is almost like a tree branch. My only concern is how children are going to recognize this as playground equipment that they can play with. Toys are always bright and colorful, and children have this natural feeling of wanting to play with something because it’s different from what we see in nature. Have you thought about how children are going to interact with it and understand your strong concept of where this object came from?

Colors and materials were a topic that came up during the team’s planning. We ended up using this wood material because we thought it was important to not have people design too much. Also, we wanted to install equipment that won’t clash with the park’s current setting. We chose wood because we wanted to avoid bright colors, as they would disrupt the park’s familiar natural surroundings. If we use very vivid colors, then it’s certainly easier for children to understand. But discovery that leads to understanding of the unknown is also a key concept. The point is that I hope that this equipment will lead to discoveries. That’s why we gave the material the texture it has.

Colors and materials were a topic that came up during the team’s planning. We ended up using this wood material because we thought it was important to not have people design too much. Also, we wanted to install equipment that won’t clash with the park’s current setting. We chose wood because we wanted to avoid bright colors, as they would disrupt the park’s familiar natural surroundings. If we use very vivid colors, then it’s certainly easier for children to understand. But discovery that leads to understanding of the unknown is also a key concept. The point is that I hope that this equipment will lead to discoveries. That’s why we gave the material the texture it has.

Watch our archived video to see all discussions＞

Epilogue

All in Panasonic’s team that supported Kento were impressed by his pure passion just to create “Our Play Park.” Whatever questions we asked him, Kento expressed his unwavering desire to give children the chance to make precious memories. We saw that it was not an interest in career planning or business that drives him. He just wants to create things and bring joy. He reminded us of what manufacturing should be.

Asked about how he felt when winning the qualifying round, Kento answered:

“I feel the panel selected me as regional representative because I was sincere in proposing a future landscape that I really wanted to see. As a student, I may not yet know everything about advancing such a big project, but being a student also allows me to propose ideas that are unique to me at this stage of life. I decided to believe in the things that only I can do.”

My dream is that I continue to love creating things, and that I continue to love what I create.

Kento Yokose, SPORTS CHANGE MAKER representing Japan

The students have just begun taking on new challenges.
There will be many difficulties and hardships for those entering the workforce.
Hoping that this SPORTS CHANGE MAKERS project will provide clues as to how they will overcome the barriers that may await them, we shall further pursue our activities.

Panasonic is the Official Worldwide Olympic & Paralympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category.
Should any these projects be implemented and involve products/services outside Panasonic product category, collaboration with other TOPs/OCOGs/NOCs partners is required depending on their respective product categories.

Panasonic is the Official Worldwide Olympic & Paralympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category. Should any these projects be implemented and involve products/services outside Panasonic product category, collaboration with other TOPs/OCOGs/NOCs partners is required depending on their respective product categories.