Celebrating Local Athletes: Joseph Nakajima and Mio Okada Honored in Tachikawa City Ceremony

Tachikawa City Honors Outstanding Athletes

On January 23, Tachikawa City proudly held a citizen merit award ceremony to recognize the exceptional achievements of local athletes, Joseph Nakajima and Mio Okada. The event showcased their impressive contributions to sports and served as an inspiration to the community.

Celebrating Joseph Nakajima

Joseph Nakajima, renowned for securing the highest-ever 6th place finish for Japan in the Men’s 400m finals at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, received his award in a special ceremony at his former elementary school, Tachikawa City First Elementary School. The presentation took place around 2:30 PM, just before a dedicated lesson aimed at inspiring students.

During the ceremony, Tachikawa Mayor Sakai presented the award in front of all the school children. Nakajima expressed his heartfelt gratitude, stating, “I am honored to receive this award. One of my goals has been to become an athlete supported by my local community. To have their support means a lot to me.” His words resonated with the future generation, encouraging them to pursue their own dreams in sports and beyond.

For more details about Joseph Nakajima’s achievements, you can visit his profile here.

Honoring Mio Okada

In addition to Nakajima, Mio Okada, captain of Japan's athletics team at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, was also honored during the ceremony held at the city hall. The mayor presented her award in the mayor's office, where she shared a warm conversation with the mayor and city council chairman after receiving her certificate. Following the ceremony, staff members at the city hall applauded her with sign language, showcasing the inclusive community spirit of Tachikawa City.

Okada shared her joy about receiving the Citizen Merit Award, saying, “I am very happy to receive this recognition. As an athlete from Tachikawa, I feel proud to have contributed to promoting our city. Thank you for your continued support.”

Find more details about Mio Okada’s achievements here.

Mayor’s Remarks

Mayor Sakai expressed his deep happiness regarding the ceremony, stating, “I am truly glad we could honor Joseph Nakajima and Mio Okada with the Tachikawa City Citizen Merit Award today. Their remarkable accomplishments in athletics have brought inspiration to the citizens of Tachikawa, especially to the children who are the future of our community. We expect even greater success from these proud representatives of our city, and we will continue to support them along with our citizens.”

This prestigious recognition not only honors the achievements of Nakajima and Okada but also serves to inspire the younger generation of Tachikawa. As they break barriers and reach new heights, their legacy will continue to motivate aspiring athletes.

To download the official press release and more images, please visit the Tachikawa City website. For any use of these materials, kindly acknowledge the source as 'Provided by Tachikawa City'.