Running Blind
Today in Yoyogi Park I saw a big group of runners warming up near the place where I regularly fall off the slackline. That’s not unusual – packs of them regularly lope through Tokyo, getting their exercise on.
What was different about this group is that half of them couldn’t see, and some couldn’t hear. The rest were guides. Volunteers are matched one on one with those who would otherwise have a bit of trouble navigating through the throngs of picnickers, costumed dogs and performers in the park.
As I walked home through the park later, I saw pairs like this, whose jerseys told me who they were, but their pace didn’t.
If you’d like to visit Yoyogi Park the next time you’re in Tokyo, directions & a map are on my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had.
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Jonelle Patrick View All
Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!
Wow! I am so impressed! This is wonderful!
It’s something I hadn’t seen anywhere, not even in ultra-access-for-all California!