If I had to choose one Japanese word to describe the back-to-school September activities at my schools, it would be "undokai," or "Sports Day." Sometimes during August I'd feel bad that my middle school students weren't really getting a summer break-- they're required to go to school for club activities, like tennis or basketball, from 8 AM every morning... most clubs even meet on the weekend! But then, when school starts up again in early September and we spend a month not really having classes because of preparations for Sports Day, I don't feel so bad.
I could try to compare Japanese Sports Day with my hometown's elementary/middle school's Field Day, but it would be rather pointless. They are too completely different. While my memories of Field Day have blurred into a lot of frolicking about, playing different games and sports for the first time with a team randomly assembled by our teachers (never knowing what we'll be doing next on the actual day before our team leader announced it), every minute of Sports Day is planned out and practiced extensively. (There also aren't really any sports, aside from running, involved in Sports Day). The two Sports Day teams, red and white (which harken back to that epic Japanese tale, the Tale of the Heike, and its warring clans' colors), are required to prepare many things by themselves, including a choreographed team cheer and separate dance. Depending on the size of the school, everyone or individual classes do their own cultural dances and/or athletic feats. There are various relay races (straight sprinting and various obstacle-like courses) too. Oh, and of course Sports Day is on a weekend so that parents, grandparents, and the whole neighborhood can come hang out, battle for shade under the tarp tents (for September is still brutally hot), and cheer for their respective team. Everyone is invited out onto the athletic field for the local traditional dance, w hich usually occurs just before or after the students gorge themselves on delicious home-made boxed lunches that their mothers probably woke up at 4 AM to start making.
While Sports Day is generally the same each year, the team members and most of the dances/performances change yearly, so there is always a lot of planning to do. As soon as the kids come back to school, then (and sometimes still during "summer break"), everyone is focused on Sports Day. Rehearsals take up many afternoons, and whole days are spent outside doing run-throughs; students set up and dismantle equipment, practice saying announcements and playing the right music at the right time, marching in unison for the teams' initial entrance onto the field (which is a judged event), and doing the choreographed warm-up exercises. The teachers are highly attentive to the slightest deviation from the set routines and drill the kids for weeks.
It's a lot more work for the teachers, of course (who must think of all the things that could go wrong and then implement plans to avoid them or cope if they do happen), but it means a lot of standing around outside for me (oh, well, and the occasional chance to chat with my students outside of class, which is nice). I think if I was a student, I would've gotten bored by the routine of Sports Day by middle school, but the kids seem to enjoy it. Which is a good thing, since high schools have Sports Day, too.
Here are some pictures of Sports Day--
The actual day, Nanyo JHS set up!
(note the random country flags--no, I don't have an explanation--and tents)
Some examples of "athletic feats," usually choreographed with music and transitioning from one thing to the next (pictures taken on a practice day).
This is one of my favorites although it was a boys'-only relay. Boys hold a bamboo pole or ropes attached to it to keep it steady (it's --not-- stuck into the ground)....
...and another boy climbs up (aided by a few students acting as 'steps' up) to stick his flag into the open top.
This is one of my more racuous students who shimmied up rather nicely, monkey-style,
flag in teeth so he could use both hands.
My favorite physical feat at Nanyo JHS' Sports Day:
The Human Wave-Machine and Surfer!
(the student on top balances on a long wooden board while the students underneath roll in unison to propel the board forward)At one of the combined Sports Days, Toyo elementary and JHS students teamed up for tug of war--
--wearing their respective red and white caps, of course!
I didn't get any good pictures of the cultural dances (took videos this year instead), but I really liked Toyo JHS' outfits this year, long robes with everyone's hair tied back.
This is from one of the more wacky relay races (with a student and one parent cardboard-rolling along).
This is related to Sports Day, I swear.
I went to Nanyo Elementary/JHS' combined Sports Day last year. Even the teachers get involved in some of the relay races, and this year it was decided that certain teams would run in costume. My team (Nanyo Elementary teachers) decided to go as people/things related to Admiral Perry's opening up of Japan. Guess who got to be Admiral Perry? I thought I did a rather good job costume-wise for throwing things together the morning of, but another teacher build an awesome little cardboard boat that he stepped into (and held around his waist)... he got to be one of the "Black Ships."Another fun relay to watch was a three-legged race plus a soccer ball.
Yeah, I think the kids had fun.
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I played a --lot-- of taiko last July-November. So here are some pictures from one of my taiko concerts (the Yamaneko Music Festival). Don't we look cool? :)
This is from our song called 'Funaguro,' or a traditional small boat which is rowed with thin, straight oars.
Ughh, and this is from our Bon-odori (O-Bon Dance) song... the bane of my inner thigh muscles. Seriously, you have no idea how much it hurts to stand in this open squat for more than 5 minutes.
Wide group shot!
And our traditional post-performance photo shot. It's also traditional that we never look at the camera at the same time.
(I'm second from the left in the back row).
1 comment:
"the students gorge themselves on delicious home-made boxed lunches that their mothers probably woke up at 4 AM to start making."
Whew. I was a little worried that you were going to break the Foodshima string.
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