Sekiya Sonoda
Honorary Member of the Japanese Society for the Study of Human Welfare and Culture

1. What Constitutes an Environment for Recreation?

While I believe that no one disagrees with the proposal to enhance recreational activities, the discussion often begins with the question, “What kind of activities should we engage in?” In this column, we have mainly focused on activities such as sports, music, art, and everyone’s favorite, travel. However, since this is the final installment, let’s shift our perspective a bit and consider the development of the various preconditions for recreation.
Every activity requires a designated “space” to do it. To achieve enjoyable recreation, there must be spaces and facilities that make it possible. Whether playing games together or singing songs, the situation and atmosphere of the place can either enhance or hinder the activity’s enjoyment. If possible, we need to secure dedicated spaces for recreation and equip them with the instruments and apparatuses. Later, I will discuss ways of implementing a wide range of recreational programs. Besides indoor spaces, if open spaces that can be freely used in the vicinity are available, it further expands the possibilities for enjoyable recreation.
In addition to the aspect of activities requiring an environment, it is worth considering that the environment itself can generate activities. A lush “natural” environment naturally leads to recreational activities that take advantage of it. In the presence of a forest, people may go for walks, climb trees, or explore, while open fields encourage running around and playing with balls. The game of golf originated in Scotland, a land of cold, windy, flat fields that are ideal for rolling a ball and having a picnic, and the game’s birth is easy to understand. On the contrary, in Japan, a hot and humid climate would quickly turn an unused open space into underbrush requiring a significant amount of labor and weed killers to maintain a golf course’s surface. From the perspective of the climate, golf is not an appropriate sport for this country. There should be a greater emphasis on sports and cultural activities that are more suited to the lush and distinctly seasonal environment of this country.

2. Providing Basic Equipment and Supplies

In order to engage in sports, you need proper equipment. Ball games, for instance, require a ball, but beyond that, baseball requires a bat and glove, while tennis or table tennis requires a racket. Similarly, musical activities require musical instruments. Even if you’re singing in unison or chorus, singing itself doesn’t require any instruments, but to enrich the performance, an accompanying piano or guitar would be desired. Enjoying art and crafts also requires various materials such as drawing paper, canvas, and paints, as well as wood, paper, clay, and tools for cutting, shaping, and assembling.Furthermore, there is a wide range of play equipment for those who simply want to have fun. Starting from children’s toys to playing cards, board games like Shogi or Go, Mahjong tiles and boards, and electronic gaming devices like computers and smartphones, which have become essential for modern individuals. The variety of play equipment one has to have can make a big difference in the content of the recreation.
In facilities and organizations, I recommend examining and organizing the inventory of recreational equipment to see what is currently owned and how much of it there is. Reconsider how you can use them for different recreational activities. Moreover, you’ll likely come up with a list of equipment that should be available but isn’t. It’s desirable to systematically acquire the missing tools and devices based on the preferences of individual users. To live an enjoyable and healthy life, five essential items are needed: (1) sports equipment, (2) musical instruments, (3) various art supplies, (4) play equipment such as games, and (5) books related to recreation (picture books, comics, art collections, travel and cooking guides, light reading, etc.). These are essential not only for personal and household life but also for living in communal facilities, making it an important consideration.

3. Recreation Environment for Severe Disabilities – Snoezelen

Providing some form of recreation for individuals with severe disabilities who find it difficult to engage in physical activities, let alone communication, has always been a sought-after desire. As long as people are alive, enjoyment and pleasure are essential to their daily lives, and this should be no different for those with serious disabilities. Taking this into account, in the 1970s, an environmental concept called “Snoezelen” was developed in the Netherlands and spread to various countries. Snoezelen is essentially a combination of sensory stimulation devices, including sparkling balls attached to the ceiling of a room that rotate while emitting beautiful light, an auditory system playing soothing melodies, a soft and bouncy bed, and fragrant incense burners. These devices aim to create an environment that moderately stimulates the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and smell, providing a pleasant experience for those who enter. Even for individuals with limited mobility and communication barriers, it is never impossible to activate their basic senses and experience some form of pleasure. It can be seen as an attempt to transform the environment into a recreational space.
Considering this concept and exploring a Japanese version of Snoezelen, one can envision programs that involve arranging a quiet garden surrounded by greenery, hanging wind chimes to enjoy their gentle sounds, preparing tea, burning incense, playing the melodies of a koto (a Japanese stringed musical instrument), and appreciating the softly lit lanterns. Traditional Japanese culture often involves finding beauty and delight through small innovations in everyday life. Incorporating this concept into the world of recreation for individuals with disabilities may lead to new developments. This is because the foundation of recreation is to find, expand, and deepen the “pleasures of life,” and the goal of recreational support is to create spaces for this purpose.

4. Organizing for the Promotion of Recreation

To diversify recreational activities and create environments that enable them, it is necessary to develop clear recreational plans. Currently, recreation is often incorporated into event schedules at most, and many of these events follow annual traditions. However, as mentioned from various angles before, recreation is a crucial component of facility or organization activities, and it can significantly impact the quality of life for both users and supporters. The foundation for achieving this lies in planning.
While there isn’t enough space here to detail the planning process, I would like to highlight several points. Philosophy must be at the root of the plan. This requires a series of thorough discussions among the related people, and in particular, we must not forget to include the participation of the parties involved. Recreation should not be something imposed but rather something co-created by participants and support providers. Without this collaboration, achieving recreation that truly brings joy to everyone is impossible.
Additionally, program development, budget allocation, staffing, and environmental considerations should be discussed. It is desirable to clearly define a Recreation Coordinator as the key personnel responsible for these activities. In our country, the specialization of recreation has not yet been fully established, making it difficult to assign staff solely dedicated to recreation support. However, to enhance recreational support for users, it is important to designate individuals from relevant staff who will serve as the core of recreational support activities and clarify their roles and authority. I recommend that Recreation Coordinators explore training programs, such as those offered by the National Welfare Center for Persons with Disabilities (Toyama Sunrise) and make use of information services from their website.

Snoezelen: In a dimly lit room, soft light shines from the bottom of a ball pool. Projector images on the wall also create a pleasant atmosphere with gentle colors.

Edited and published by the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities. Published on May 25th, 2023.