Cheers and medals at Yokota: US, Japanese athletes unite for Special Olympics

A Japanese athlete seated in a wheelchair tosses a disc on a field.

A Japanese athlete tosses a disc during the 46th annual Kanto Plains Special Olympics at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, Nov. 22, 2025. (Marc Castaneda/Stars and Stripes)

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Cheers, flying discs and sprinting athletes filled this western Tokyo installation over the weekend as more than 100 American and Japanese competitors with disabilities — supported by 700 volunteers — gathered for the 46th Kanto Plains Special Olympics.

The long-running event brings together student and adult athletes from U.S. bases, Defense Department schools and Japanese schools and organizations across the Tokyo metropolitan area for a day of competition and community.

Throughout the morning and afternoon on Yokota High’s football field, athletes dashed through 50-, 100- and 200-meter races, hurled softballs and flying discs for distance and leapt into the standing long jump.

Two runners approach a finish line.

Japanese athletes cross the finish line during the 46th annual Kanto Plains Special Olympics at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, Nov. 22, 2025. (Marc Castaneda/Stars and Stripes)

Swimming events took place at the base’s natatorium. Volunteers and teammates shouted “gambatte!” — Japanese for “do your best.”

“The annual celebration is a testament to the enduring relationship we have nurtured across the Kanto Plains over the decades,” air base commander Col. Richard McElhaney said at the opening ceremony. “What began with three athletes from base schools has grown to approximately 100 participants we have here today.”

Launched in the late 1970s, the Kanto Plains games have steadily expanded in participation and community support. Months of planning go into coordinating the competitions, from scheduling events and arranging transportation to organizing volunteer “buddies” who assist athletes through the day, organizers said.

“It’s definitely busy — a lot of moving parts — but at the end of it, when you see all the athletes finish and they’re awarded their medals, it’s definitely rewarding,” Air Force Master Sgt. Jay Quick, a fabrication flight chief for the 374th Maintenance Squadron, said at the event.

A Japanese athlete prepares to long jump while people cheer.

A Japanese athlete prepares to long jump during the 46th annual Kanto Plains Special Olympics at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, Nov. 22, 2025. (Marc Castaneda/Stars and Stripes)

This year’s games drew 780 volunteers — 200 from the U.S. military and 580 from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. For some, the mission is personal.

“One of the main reasons why I volunteered is because of my brother — he also has special needs,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Julie Pepper, president of the event’s executive committee. “I grew up volunteering as my brother participated in Special Olympics in California. Since I’m not able to be home, this is sort of my way of supporting him from far away.”

Family members filled the bleachers, waving signs and applauding as athletes crossed the finish lines and accepted medals.

A person holds up a torch made of paper and symbollically lights a large urn while another person throws streamers.

Athletes and volunteers take part in an opening ceremony for the 46th annual Kanto Plains Special Olympics at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, Nov. 22, 2025. (Marc Castaneda/Stars and Stripes)

The games last only a day, but their impact stretches far beyond, Pepper said.

“This event is important because it makes them feel included,” she said while catching her breath by the Special Olympics cauldron. “I don’t think they have something like this in Japan, so it’s important for them to feel included and celebrated.”