The second National Training Center (NTC) mainly designed for use by Paralympic athletes is due to open in June 2019 in the capital's Kita Ward. However problems not with the facility itself, but the route to get there, have arisen.... The second NTC is under construction near the government-sponsored High Performance Center (HPC) in Kita Ward's Nishigaoka district, which is used by both Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has been promoting training for both Olympians and Paralympians after the ministry took over the development of sports activities for people with disabilities from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in April 2014. The HPC is comprised of the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences (JISS), which opened in 2001, the current NTC, in operation since 2008, and other relevant facilities. The JISS is where men's long distance Nordic skier Yoshihiro Nitta underwent low-oxygen training to increase his heart and lung functions before he won a gold medal in the event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics in February. His success has boosted expectations regarding the second NTC, especially for Paralympic athletes. "The concept for the second NTC was to prioritize Paralympic athletes," pointed out PAJ chairman Junichi Kawai. "The use of the area around the facilities is expected to increase." The association plans to work with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the related municipal governments to secure the safety of those who wish to use the new center. "The inside of the building has a universal design for Paralympic athletes, but getting there is the issue," said Kawai. "We would like to thoroughly identify the problems and convey them properly so that everyone can use the facilities with ease."
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