TOKYO – Retired visually impaired swimmer Junichi Kawai was named the next commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency on Friday and will become the first Paralympian to assume the post when his appointment takes effect Oct. 1.

Kawai expressed his determination to fulfill his role, saying at a press conference in Tokyo, “My goal is to build a society where citizens recognize the value and appeal of sports.”

As it is rare for a government body to be led by someone who is totally visually impaired, he added, “The fact that someone like me has been appointed to this position shows that times have changed, and I hope this means a lot to many people.”

The 50-year-old, who has served as chairman of the Japanese Paralympic Committee, succeeds Olympic hammer throw gold medalist Koji Murofushi, whose term expires at the end of September.

Kawai won five Paralympic gold medals and competed in six consecutive Summer Paralympics, starting from the 1992 Barcelona Games, winning a total of 21 medals in swimming events for visually impaired athletes.

After retiring from competitive swimming, Kawai became chairman of the Japanese Paralympic Committee in 2020 and led the country’s delegation at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Paralympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics.

Established in October 2015, the Japan Sports Agency’s inaugural chief was Olympic swimming gold medalist Daichi Suzuki, followed by Murofushi in 2020.