Seven current and former Paralympic and Olympic athletes gathered for the event. (Courtesy of Ajinomoto)
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A "Thanksgiving Day" event bringing together Paralympians, Olympians, and members of the public was held on June 20 at Ajinomoto Stadium and Keio Arena Tokyo in Chofu, Tokyo.
Para-snowboarder Junta Kosuda, who represents Japan, shared a story about his daughter calling the leg he lost in an accident "cute."He said that moment taught him what a world without barriers between the non-disabled and disabled could look like.
What a Two-Year-Old Saw
When his two-year-old daughter looked at his right leg—amputated above the knee—and said, "Papa's little leg is cute," Kosuda said it stopped him in his tracks.
He wears a prosthetic at home, but takes it off in the bath and in bed. For his daughter, seeing him without it is simply part of everyday life. His disability isn't something to pity or treat as special—it's just one of his characteristics.
"If people could look at disability through those eyes, imagine how borderless a world could open up," he told the audience, sharing the insight a child had given him.
Frozen Over 30 Hours
The talk show also featured Shimpei Ashina from Ajinomoto's Victory Project, which provides nutritional support to para-athletes, and Tomo Kataoka from Ajinomoto Frozen Foods.
Reflecting on the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics held in March this year, Kosuda spoke about the difficulty of eating well while traveling overseas.
Food incompatibility abroad is common enough that losing two to three kilograms over a multi-week campaign isn't unusual. At the Paralympic Village, familiar Japanese food was almost entirely absent, and there were no nearby shops where Japanese ingredients could be bought.
What sustained him was Ajinomoto's frozen bento, Aete—a balanced meal containing vegetables, protein, and other nutrients.
"My lifeline was rice and the frozen bento Aete," he said.
The bento was transported from Japan to Italy, a journey of around 30 hours. In the entire history of Ajinomoto's Victory Project—which has supported elite athletes through food and nutrition since 2003—it was the first time frozen food had been shipped from Japan to an overseas competition.
"We ran simulations over and over," said Kataoka. "If it thawed partway through, the whole point of bringing it would have been lost."
For para-athletes, food is far more than fuel. Ashina explained that some athletes with severe disabilities manage their toilet routines by day and time, with the assistance of carers. If their diet changes, those schedules are thrown off, creating a serious burden. Providing stable, familiar Japanese food is therefore directly connected to maintaining physical condition.
Broken Elbow, No Regrets
Kosuda lost his right leg above the knee in a traffic accident at 21. Three years later, at a prosthetic running clinic, he met former para-athletics competitor Atsushi Yamamoto and entered the competitive world.
He went on to take up snowboarding alongside athletics, finishing seventh in athletics at the Tokyo Paralympics and seventh again in snowboarding at the Beijing Winter Paralympics. In 2025, he won the Banked Slalom at the World Championships and came to Milano aiming for two gold medals.
But shortly before the Games, he fractured his right elbow on an overseas training trip—then struck the same spot again in practice the day before competition. He competed in pain throughout.
"It was an injury from trying something new. I have no regrets about that choice," he said.
He finished fourth in snowboard cross and fifth in banked slalom, narrowly missing the podium. But he took it in stride: "It wasn't the injury—those results reflected my actual ability." Looking ahead, he added, "What I need is the experience of winning. It's not about winning here and there—the mindset of winning consistently is what matters."
The Price of Competing
Corporate support for para-athletes has expanded significantly since the Tokyo Paralympics—Kosuda noted that every member of the Japanese national para team at these Games was affiliated with a company.
But challenges remain. A prosthetic leg designed for para-snowboarding costs around ¥1.8 million (about $12,500) and is not covered by insurance, a major financial burden. Kosuda himself borrowed money from his parents when he started competing. "I've just been running on momentum," he said. He now lends out his own prosthetics to help grow participation in the sport.
Another issue is the lack of domestic snowboarding competitions that feed into international selection pathways. "There needs to be a goal to aim for. That's where it has to start," he said.
A Day at the Stadium
The event also featured athletes Atsushi Yamamoto, Kento Torii, Renshi Chokai, Yukihiro Iwabuchi, Kazuki Nanno, and Olympic swimming medallist Takeshi Matsuda, among others.
Around 14,000 visitors—many of them families—attended, taking part in sports activities, meeting top athletes, and learning about the joy of sport and the importance of nutrition.
And through it all, a two-year-old's offhand remark lingered—a glimpse of a world without barriers.
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Ajinomoto's Frozen Meals Powering Up Paralympians in Italy
Author: Mika Sugiura
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