TAIIKU NO HI HEALTH SPORTS DAY BY MADELINE

(たいいくのひ) TAIIKU NO HI HEALTH SPORTS DAY BY MADELINE HRABIK

General • Held on the 2 nd Monday in October. • Commemorates 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo • Promotes sports, an active and healthy lifestyle, and physical health

1964 Summer Olympics • Held in Tokyo, Japan, October 10 th through 24 th 1964 • Not held in summer as to avoid rainy season • First time Olympics were held in Asia • Held at Olympic Stadium (top) • Judo events held at Nippon Budokan (bottom) • Japan won 29 medals: 16 gold, 5 silver, 8 bronze

Health Sports Day • Originally October 10 th, the first day of the 1964 Summer Olympics, a day which historically has had beautiful sunny days. • Began in 1966 • After passage of Happy Monday Law (ハッピー マンデー制度) in 1998 (took effect in 2000), certain holiday dates were changed create more three-day weekends. • Since 2000, it as been the 2 nd Monday in October

Purpose • Enhance awareness of physical activity amongst all age groups • To develop physical and mental health through team-sports • Be informed about physical health.

A Typical Health Sports Day • • • Most communities and schools have their field days (運動 undoukai) on Health Sports Day. Individual and team competitions are held. Kyoiki no Mori Koen (教育の森公 園) is a popular place to go on Health Sports Day. Visitors receive statistical information on their physical ability, go horseback riding, receive health information from counselors, and play organized ball games.

Activities • Races: 100 meters, 4 x 100 meter relay • Tug-Of-War • Mock Cavalry Battle (騎馬戦 kiba-sen) – three students hoist a student wearing a hat up on their shoulders. These students race towards the opposing team and the goal is to knock the other team’s hat off. • Karimono-kyoso (かりもの競走 ) – a foot race where the runner is given a piece of paper with a type of person or item written on it. The runner must obtain that item or person to win.