The Tokyo Paralympic Superhero: Manga and Narratives of Disability in Japan

Veere, A.P. van der (2020)

Article / Letter to editor

The Paralympic Games are founded on ideals of inclusivity and diversity for people with a disability. Consequently, there is an emphasis on athlete empowerment within the Paralympic Movement. One consistent criticism of the idea of athlete empowerment is that it relies on the concept of the ‘supercrip’, narratives of overcoming the tragedy of one’s disability through superhero-like qualities. The role of society is largely left out. This article shows that such narratives are prevalent in discourses surrounding the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Games, specifically in popular culture products designed to promote the Paralympic Games. This is problematic because such narratives individualize disability, rather than address larger social issues that people with a disability face in Japan.

• disability
• Japan
• sport
• Tokyo 2020
• Paralympics
• manga

• All authors: Veere, A.P. van der
• Date: 2020-03-01
• Journal: The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 1 - 12
• Link: https://apjjf.org/2020/5/Veere.html