IPC to open temporary Paralympic Museum in Tokyo

The International Olympic Committee will open a temporary Paralympic Museum in Tokyo this August and September.

The museum will feature exhibits about the history and growth of the Paralympic movement over its 60 years of existence.

It is being run in partnership with real estate firm Mitsui Fudosan, and will be located at Coredo Muromachi Terrace in Nihonbashi.

IPC President Andrew Parsons said: “As the Paralympic Games continue to grow in size and scale, it is vital that we chart the history of just how far the Paralympic Movement has come in a relatively short space of time…

“The Paralympic Museum will inform and excite visitors with stories and exhibitions of how the Movement has evolved from an event for 16 injured war veterans in 1948 to the world’s third-biggest sporting event in 2020. It is a remarkable history of how one man’s vision has helped transform global society, empowering and enriching the lives of millions of people around the world.”

The Paralympic Movement was founded in 1948 by by German neuro-scientist Sir Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England. It originally focused on the rehabilitation of injured World War Two veterans. the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, and involved 400 athletes from 23 countries. They have taken place every four years since.

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will involve 4,350 athletes from 165 countries.

The Paralympic Museum in Tokyo will be open from August 25 until late September.