Before I begin, last time I mentioned that Neko has been making a habit of escaping when I open the door. She did it again Saturday, and this time Mori was around holding my camera, so here is me, taking that bad girl back inside.



So, the Undokai (sports day). Sunday was the big day for Higashino, and I was assigned to be the photographer. I was also assigned to be fifth leg of the 150m relay, but that's besides the point. I arrived bright and early, memory card empty, batteries charged, multiple lenses in tow. I took almost 350 pictures, but at the end of the day, I am not happy with them. I don't know what it is exactly, maybe just a number of things conspiring against me. The light was pretty flat and uninteresting for most of the day, the field was huge and the action took place in the middle, but really I don't know. I'm just making excuses. I think these pictures are frustratingly boring, but maybe I'm just bored with photographing these sports days. I don't believe that though, because I just got back from a full rehearsal at Kinoe, and I am really happy with the pictures I took there. It's a mystery, and a frustrating one at that. Either way, here are the pictures and the stories, and really it's not all bad. I'm just not thrilled with them.


Before anyone showed up, it was time to put on hachimaki - headbands. This is not so simple as tying it on your head, especially if you're a Japanese middle school girl. Looks and hair are very important considerations.


Inevitably, the folding mirror comes out for final hachimaki styling.

The gear gets rolled out, the balloons get taped up, the kids stake claim to their spots, and things start to come together in a busy and colorful way.





The too-cool-for-school third year boys find a place away from the other kids to hang out.


I wasn't the only one photographing everyone getting ready. I can perfectly imagine the picture that the teacher is taking, can you?


A couple kids took spills before the day even started. I think that bandage is an excellent fashion accessory. It looks perfect.

And then with a shot from the starter pistol, we were under way. The marching music started up, the flags were hoisted, and the regiments rolled out.



With the usual ceremonial transferring of the flags (I think I have seen the flags transferred more than 20 times now), the opening words, some more marching, and the clapping by the parents, we got started.


Like the military, there's a lot of hurry up and wait. Maybe it's a side effect of marching.

The Undokai was a combined elementary and middle school event, and the middle schoolers had the first race. They don't mess around with their cheerleading (giant flags waved by tiny children) or with their shouts of encouragement.


Shrill screams of encouragement is actually more like it.


Then it was time for the walking on backs of your classmates race. The funny part of this one is that after it was over, I saw a lot of nice dusty footprints on people's backs. It looked like someone had been going around karate kicking everyone in the back.



The elementary school kids do not mess around when it comes to their races. The boy with the bandage actually sort of broke down on the last straight, he lost his pace, drifted over into the next lane over, and then went crashing into a tent full of kid as he crossed the finish line. It was very dramatic. They gave him some green tea and he was ok.

Another part of Undokai is the recently graduated alums coming back to hang out and run in some races. More importantly is that they show up looking as cool as possible.


They never wear just sports clothes either. All these guys had to shed a hefty pile of jackets, pants, hats, and other accessories before they could run. The girls come too, but they do different events. We'll get back to them.


The first graders running - they are tiny.

Next up: feats of strength.


They look so relaxed, hanging out like that. Also, I need to tell you about that girl on top, we'll get back to her too.


Oh no! Crash!


Daaang. There's always some nice oohing and aahing when they pull off these kinds of maneuvers.


Don't forget the pyramids. I would show you the picture of this one all complete, but they collapsed right as the girl got on top. It wasn't very exciting; I was hoping for some serious toppling action.


I was walking around the field when I saw this excellent group of fans.

I don't know what to call the next race. It starts out as a three legged race, but every lap, each team adds a runner. At the end it's eight people and seven legs. The potential for gigantic meltdowns is enormous, so I love this one.


They really haul ass with just two people.


So, then I was photographing this team getting their sixth runner on, and I wasn't paying any attention to the group in the back. Watch what happened next though.




Ow! They took a pretty big spill, but they got right back up, got their sixth runner, and then finished the race without falling again. Nicely done, team red. In all my pictures of people falling (skateboarding, for example) whenever I have a picture of someone about to take a huge spill, there's always an older woman grinning in the background. Maybe it's always the same woman.

A little explanation for a silly picture. The PTA runs a race where they have to run, inflate a balloon, pop it by sitting on it, and then do some other silly thing that I can't remember. Either way it wasn't particularly exciting, except for when the balloons wouldn't pop. I think this is just a really funny picture.






This sports day was covered in full HDTV - better than what most major league baseball games get in the states. Oh Japan, I will miss your incredibly cool gadgets.

Check out the next bunch of athletes.




I think this is their coach. (Actually, I don't think that.)

Before the older ladies went on, there was another game. This one was basically chicken fights with rules. Groups of four elementary school kids made a stack and stuck three balloons on the backs of the supporters. Each team had to pop the other teams' balloons but protect theirs. If anyone reading this has ever played Mario Kart, you know how this works - I guess now we know where the idea for Mario Kart battle mode comes from.

So now we can get back to the old ladies and the graduated girls in one shot, because it's time for the folk dance. The folk dance is actually supposed to be an "Oklahoma style" dance, I guess it's kind of squaredance-ish, but frankly if you hadn't told me it was a dance from "okurahoma" - I would never have guessed.


The dance happens in a big circle, with the groups making their way around, men on the inside, girls on the outside.


The girl alums. They come to show off style too, but they can't run, because they are all showing off their shoes. Those are some awesome shoes. I like this picture because everyone looks like they are thinking something completely different.

The girl on the left looks like she can't believe she is doing something so pathetic on her weekend, and moreover, she is amazed to remember that she used to take this all so seriously. Boy holding her hand is totally embarrassed, and probably had a huge crush on this girl when she was still in school with him. Girl in the middle is my favorite. It's like she just realized how silly this whole thing is, but what could bring her down? Nothing as long as she's wearing those shoes. Boy on the right is just thinking "Is this almost over?"

Indeed it was almost over, at which point something really strange happened.



The old ladies took the field, in their fiery red polo shirts and yellow hand pom-poms, and danced the whole length of YMCA by the Village People.


It was surreal, and perhaps more so because not a single one of them was smiling. I wonder if they had any choice in this. They all did the dance though, out in the heat and humidity, in front of a couple hundred people.


Yeah, that was strange.

Now we can get back to that girl I pointed out earlier. I was sitting with her and two of her friends, and I started to listen in on their conversation. I had just taken a picture of them, and they were teasing her about something. It turns out they were teasing her about her skin. She has slightly darker skin than the rest of her friends, and while it's playful and among friends, they are constantly making fun of her for being darker. I asked them what they were talking about and they pointed at her and said "black! black!"

How do you even begin to broach that subject with students whose extent of English is "How are you?" and "I'm hungry"? I had no idea. The girl in question is beautiful and a good athlete, and when I took a picture they were like "oh, I bet you can't see it because it's all black" and I just said "no, beautiful." I think more than anything else, she was just really embarrassed, but it is a nice picture, and this is my blow against low-level racism in Japan.



Enough seriousness, this is my blow against people who don't like cute children.


Have at thee!

After the big jump rope...




...and another relay, the day started wrapping up.


The melodicas came out to play some songs.


The signal was sent to start the last race.


And like the tape says, we were finished.

Remember these pictures, so you can see how much better the next ones are on Wednesday.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 05, 2006 at 2:26 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.