People with Disabilities and Local Residents Connect at “Fureai” Exchange Event in Nishinomiya, Hyogo for 20th Year

From The Asahi Shimbun

October 6 2025

Nishinomiya, Hyogo – On October 5, the Fureai Network Festival, an event where people with disabilities and local residents interact, was held at Rokutanji Park in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. Staff from facilities that provide workplaces for people with disabilities, as well as the participants themselves, manned booths and engaged with visitors.

The festival was started in 2006 by volunteers including alumni of the Nishinomiya Junior Chamber, and this year marks its 20th anniversary. It is organized by the nonprofit group Nishinomiya Fureai Network, which supports people with disabilities in the city. Sixteen organizations set up booths, selling handmade knitwear and goods produced at their facilities, and also offered leathercraft workshops.

Shinji Saoka (42), representative of the workshop LaLa Kobo, spoke about the event’s significance: “It’s wonderful to have an event where people with disabilities working at our facility can connect with the local community.”