The Sensory Friendly Project: Inclusive sports spectating that everyone can enjoy with peace of mind

Japan Women's Professional Football League 2024-25 WE League Kracie Cup Knockout Stage Final
Men's Professional Basketball Resona Group B.LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME WEEKEND 2024 IN FUNABASHI

NOMURA Co.,Ltd. is advancing its R&D activities to realize its sustainability policy of "creating spaces that are easy for everyone to use." As part of these activities, the company is working on the "Sensory Friendly Project," which aims to create spaces where everyone can feel safe and comfortable, in partnership with researchers, people directly affected, and experts, targeting those who have difficulty going out for various reasons or who have given up on experiencing things outside their homes.

Since 2022, we have been conducting research and experimentally installing "sensory rooms" in sports and public facilities, where psychological safety is guaranteed through private rooms and small groups. In the process, we have found that there is also a need for spaces and operations that can be flexibly customized to meet the needs of visitors and businesses and the installation environment. In 2024, we will begin offering a service that allows many people to share experiences at once, and will be conducting a trial run of "Sensory Friendly Bags," original bags designed and produced by our company that contain items that promote comfortable sensations, at Tokyo Dome. To date, we have installed sensory rooms 14 times and provided sensory bags twice.

We are now teaming up with the Japan Women's Professional Football League (WE LEAGUE) and the men's professional basketball league (B.LEAGUE) to set up "sensorial rooms" in stadiums and provide "sensorial friendly bags" at arenas, in order to create spaces where a diverse range of people can enjoy watching sports in safety, with the aim of realizing inclusive sports spectating.
 

Stadium facilities | Sensory room installation
Implementation date: December 29, 2024
Location: Japan Women's Professional Football League 2024-25 WE League Kracie Cup Knockout Stage Final
Location: National Stadium

Arena facilities | Sensory friendly bags provided　
Implementation dates: January 18th and 19th, 2025
Venue: Resona Group Men's Professional Basketball B.LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME WEEKEND 2024 IN FUNABASHI
Location: LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY

The implementation of sensory rooms and sensory-friendly bags will address the latent needs of people who have found it difficult to take the first step to watch sporting events and provide a real, moving experience, and is expected to increase visitor satisfaction and facility usage. It is expected that the deployment will expand beyond sports and entertainment facilities to commercial and public facilities where reasonable consideration is required, as well as schools and offices where diverse people study and work. Going forward, we will continue to work with our partners to provide peace of mind when going out in any situation and moving experiences in inclusive spaces.

2024-25 WE League Kracie Cup Knockout Stage Final Overview

The WE League wants to create an environment where children and their families who love soccer but have had to give up on watching games can watch games in peace of mind, so will be setting up "sensory rooms" where people with sensory hypersensitivity, such as hearing or vision, and their families can spend time in peace.

Date and time: December 29, 2024 (Sunday) 13:00~
Venue: National Stadium
Details of the event:
・Up to 3 groups can use the facility (lottery system)
・Free of charge
If you are interested, please apply using the application form.
・The results of the lottery will be announced by contacting the winners.
Dedicated application form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2br7uY9ZuNCccpo8ZfgB3zsALT0jQqYGN17MIoJyDNjeK2Q/closedform
Organizers: Japan Football Association / Japan Women's Professional Football League
Organized by: Japan Women's Professional Football League (Public Interest Incorporated Association)
Official website: https://weleague.jp/kraciecup/2024-25/

Overview of Resona Group B.LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME WEEKEND 2025 IN FUNABASHI

B.LEAGUE is promoting its CSR activity "B.LEAGUE Hope" through the power of sports. We are working to create opportunities for everyone to enjoy watching sports and to promote understanding of a symbiotic society. At "B.LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME WEEKEND 2025", we aim to provide many visitors with peace of mind by "providing items to support watching the game", mainly for people with sensory sensitivities.

On the day of the event, we will provide "Sensory-Friendly Bags" and lend out items that are effective in caring for sensory sensitivities and restoring calmness. The bags feature artwork created by contracted artists of "Herabony," which has collaborated with NOMURA Co.,Ltd. on various projects.

Date and time: January 18, 2025 (Sat) 13:00~ (Doors open 12:00) / January 19, 2025 (Sun) 11:00~ (Doors open 10:00)
Venue: LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY (Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture)
Implementation details: Sensory-friendly bags ("Shared Viewing Bags") will be provided at the reception desk, and other items will be available for loan.
Provided by: Sensory-Friendly Bag (Original product NOMURA Co.,Ltd. R&D Sensory-Friendly Project)

[Contents] Sensory items such as squishy balls and fidget spinners
Items available for loan: sunglasses, earmuffs, blankets, etc.
*After using the bag, we would appreciate your cooperation in completing a survey to help us improve our service.
*Please note that the number of bags and merchandise is limited, and distribution will end once supplies run out.
Organizers: Japan Basketball Association / Japan Professional Basketball League
Official website: https://www.bleague.jp/all-stargame2025/