Let's Do Crazy Stunts...Formally

In September and October, schools all over Japan have Sport's Day. One class from each grade join forces to create a team, represented by a color, which competes against the other team(s) in running races, and a variety of crazy stunts such as jumping rope as a group of 10 or more...on one rope!

You would think the kids would end up running wild, but the whole thing is so ceremonious! There is a school-flag raising and a formal greeting from the principal complete with standing at attention and bowing. In addition to practicing for the events they will compete in, they practice entering the field as a team and getting into the right spot over and over again!

At Minami Joyo Junior High School they have "centipede races" where they run one in front of the other with their feet tied to a rope so they all have to step with the same foot at the same time.

They have "hurricane relay races" where they run next to each other while holding a length of bamboo

and have to circle around cones.

And of course they do tug of war.

But this was the craziest event, and I have no idea what to call it! First they stand shoulder to shoulder and bend over so their backs are parallel with the ground. Then two kids help with balance as one kid runs from start to finish by stepping on his teammates' backs!

The team isn't big enough to cover the length of the race at one time, so once they have been stepped on, they have to run to the other end and get ready to be stepped on again!

It had been a hot sunny day, but after lunch it started pouring!

It didn't last too long but it was really hard rain, and was close to flooding the sandy dirt field. But when the dark clouds left, the students came back outside and prepared for the last few races. Instead of turning to mud, there were puddles everywhere. I couldn't believe the students and teachers got big pieces of foam rubber out of a shed and started soaking up the water!! They used huge push brooms to get the water off of the track, dragged flat rake-like things to smooth things out and re-chalked the lanes! Unbelievable!