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Many schools are having their annual Sports Festival or what they call “undokai” (運動会). The entire school and the community, especially the teacher-advisers and students are pushing themselves very hard to come up with a very organized and fun undokai. Strenuous rehearsals are done many times a week.

Everyone is looking forward to the big day, which is usually a Saturday or a Sunday. With all their might, strength and agility, kids perform in various events.

1.      Oodama okuri 大玉送り

       tsubaki-e.esnet.ed.jp
This is a really fun and exciting Sports Festival event and is sure to make you shout and tingle. Literally, “oodama” means giant ball and “okuri” means to send. Students are divided into teams (two-four) and are given a giant ball (colored according to their team) which they have to push with their hands above their heads starting from the front line to the back and forth in the shortest possible time. You can view this video and see how fun it is.
http://youtu.be/X3VbYoO0P9k

 

2.      Tama ire 玉いれ

allabout.com.jp

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​Another fun event that uses ball, tama ire (ball-toss game) requires speed and accuracy. To explain, “tama” means ball and “ire” means to enter, it is a game which balls (usually made of cloth) are thrown into a basket on a high pole within a specified time. The team that has more balls in the basket wins. Watch the video here

 

3.      Mukade 百足     

       ar75ts.exblog.jp
“Mukade” means centipede. It’s not a game using that creepy centipede bug, so don’t be scared. It is centipede race. It is a running contest where students in the same team form a line or two and tie their legs together and run. Coordination and timing is very important in this game. Just imagine running fast with one of your legs tied to another leg.

 

4.       Taifu no me 台風の目

      cms.edu.city.hiroshima.jp
The mechanics of this game is first, a group of students from a team carry a pole and then run as fast as they could and must rotate on a barrier twice like the eye (me) of a typhoon (taifu). I think that this is the only time that the word “typhoon” means fun.

 

5.       Kumitaiso　組体操 

       hiromiphoto.com
I consider this as the ultimate event in the Sports Festival. Kumitaisou is a coordinated group gymnastics. It is breathtakingly awesome. It requires strength, concentration, coordination, teamwork and balance. Kumi組み means group, tai 体  means body, and sou操means maneuver. Watch the video and see for yourself.
http://youtu.be/PEMdfqZFiR0