Recent Highlights
Activity Report of the UN CRPD (August 2025)
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was held in Geneva, Switzerland from August 11 to August 26, 2025. Attorney Tamon Hiroshi, elected from Japan, attended this meeting as a member of the committee.
Mr. Ádám Kósa, the new ICSD President, visited Japan
On September 9 and 10, 2022, the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), the governing body of international deaf sports and organizer of the Deaflympic Games, had its 49th Congress in Vienna, Austria. The Congress elected Mr. Ádám Kósa for the new President.
Tokyo has been selected to host the 2025 Deaflympics
Tokyo was officially selected as the host city of the 2025 Deaflympics at the Congress of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) held in Austria (Vienna) on 9 and 10 September 2022.
Our Achievements
Amendment of Article 11, Civil Code
Until 1979, deaf people were legally regarded as quasi-incompetent persons (people who were pronounced as incompetent by the family court, due to the mental and/or physical diminished capacity and wasteful habit. They were required to obtain the consent from curator when they perform important legal acts related to property), thus they were not able to apply for housing loan and succeed the family business. As a result of the sustained campaign by the JFD, the Civil Code was amended in 1979.
New Current of the Deaf Movement: Establishment of the Youth Section
The first discussion forum for the deaf youth was held in Kyoto in November 25 to 26, 1966. The young deaf participants, who even did not know the word, “sabetsu (discrimination),” learned about the issues violating the rights of the deaf people, as well as addressed their bitter experiences that their wishes and dreams were stumbled by the unreasonable obstacles. In order to pursue the reasons and to act toward, they went on to the launch of the JFD Youth Section. As a turning point of a series of deaf activism, from “asking for mercy” to “claiming for right,” this milestone discussion forum raised many deaf youth activists.
International Communication to Expand the Field of the Deaf People
More and more deaf people are participating into the international events, such as the quadrennial World Federation of the Deaf Congress and the Deaflympic Games (international sports competition for the Deaf). Our affiliated regional Deaf associations started active exchanges and communication with the deaf people living in Asia. Asian Deaf Friendship Fund (currently named the “Asian Deaf Friendship Aid Project”), launched as the JFD 50th anniversary project, has been expanded by continued supporters. The mutual communication with the deaf people overseas expands the field of the deaf people in Japan.