This event took place in mid-October but forgot to get around to it until now ^^;. Here’s yet another look at the “neighborhood life” of living here. Schools in Japan are noteworthy for throwing sports festivals 運動会, a cooperative competition event for the students. Every school level has one. Even Kansai Gaidai has an annual one (though I didn’t join and missed it ^^;). The host folks wanted me to attend this one at the nearby Kindergarten school (K-grade is separate from elementary school in Japan) to experience the community aspect of living in Japan so off I went with them.

 

I guess we came a bit late as the events have already started. The kids were separated into different color teams and performing all sorts of dances, choreography, shouts, and formations.

Changing gears for the next round of demonstrations. From time to time, people from the audience were asked to come out and join in on the fun.

So you have parents and kids racing together.

Then we got into the more sillier games like takoyaki run, where an adult and a kid ooperate to hold a “takoyaki” using a pair of “chopsticks” and run back together for the next person to bring it back.

Here was a race that was all adults. Ride the tiny tricycle for the first half, blow up a balloon, pop it with your butt, then jump rope their way the second half of the race.

The audience who joined in on the foray gets a little gift. Such as a box of tissue. Very useful!

Run kiddos! Run!

At the end, everyone is a winner and gets a medal for their effort. Most importantly, everyone enjoyed the event and had a good time.