Japanese Elementary School Sports Festival

Sports festivals (undokai in Japanese) are an important and anticipated event in schools throughout Japan. These events were in the past most often held in the autumn though many schools today prefer to stage these events during the spring. The typically sports day will include an opening ceremony followed by speeches from such dignitaries as the school principal and representatives (kids) from each of the competing teams. Most schools divide the class body into three teams, identified by color (often the school colors) and composed of a fairly equal number of kids from each grade. The older kids typically take a leading role and will assist and guide their juniors through the events. You can spot a sixth grader helping little Emily (at that time a first grader) with her class dance. These helpers are called partners and are typically assigned to help the smaller kids throughout the school year.

Nearly all of the events are group-oriented and designed to help the kids learn to work as a team. Different schools may have unique events though some activities (such as the giant ball games and bean toss) seem to be popular with nearly all schools. Cheerleading is a very important part of a sports festival and especially energetic cheerleaders are greatly admired and appreciated. Watch the cheerleaders as the pull their bodies back to begin a cheer and urge their team members to join in and root hard for the competing athletes.

Sports festivals are not just for kids and many communities will stage these events for the benefit and pleasure of an entire neighborhood of village. Our little community has an annual sports festival in which adults and children compete together. This event is held on the grounds of this same elementary school and is great fun! The old folks of the community especially seem to appreciate our community sports festival and their turnout and management of the event is important and appreciated by all.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Japan
• Japanese
• Undokai
• Sports Day
• Sports festival
• sport
• elementary school
• school
• Tokaido
• Softypapa

[animelionking]

yeah i was adopted from siberia (russia) asia and i think theres a good chanced i ahve japanese relatives :)

[softypapa]

@animelionking Thank you for watching and sharing your comment and thoughts with us. I hope you have a chance to visit and explore Japan in the future. Perhaps you will enjoy seeing a part of the world where some of your ancestors may have come from. Have a great day! ~Kurt :-)

[WindUpFun]

Wow..so much school spirit! Where I'm from (california) there's never anything like this in my highschool. Even at homecoming games and such, the school was never really participates as a whole. Your video depicts a true community :)

[softypapa]

@WindUpFun Thank you for sharing about how such sports events are done in California. School and community spirit is indeed an important thing here in Japan. Have a great day! ~Kurt :-)

[blackhat2005]

Are events like these in Japan open for the public to watch? or is it only open for people in some way affiliated with the school?ie, parents,teachers?

[softypapa]

@blackhat2005 This is a very good question. There are at least two types of sports festivals in Japan. The school events such as the one shown in this video are really just for family and friends. However, some communities (such as ours) have an annual community sports festival in which anyone living in the community is invited to attend and participate. I'm pretty sure that this latter event is open to anyone who wants to come and watch. I hope that this helps. ~Kurt :-)

[DrCruel]

Japan has got to be the coolest country in the universe. I hope I can visit there once before I die.

[makeiteasyable]

nice ..i thought i will only see this in anime heheh

[WalkingInUtrecht]

3:30 is awesome!!! Wow!

[MooCow697]

This is what my school does every year as tradition.

watch?v=a_jIhFJ2qRw

[shadowismykittycat]

What is the game called at 4:43?

[sherminkiller]

I wish I was in a Japanese elementary school when I was younger. I was SO athletic back then, this would of been a DREAM!

[TheDrunkMexicano]

The only thing I would not like would e wearing the very skinny shorts up to my bellybutton.

[bhutanlhayul]

Elementary sports day in Bhutan. see my video :)

I really enjoy how kids all around the world do march past ;)

[Hitaru07]

Oh my that's seriously amazing how the Japanese school system is like..

If I didn't know that this is an Elementary School Sports Festival I would have thought it's something like the Olympics ..

I wish I would have been a Japanese kid attending to a Japanese School with all those Club activites !!

(That's what I'm gonna be/do in my next life ;))

[GiantMarkirs]

when i saw the giant balls I thought they were going to play omniball xDD

[HanakoFujita]

1 dislike?! WTF?!