#ekiden

[freshthoughts2020]

[falseandrealultravival]

Marathon and Japanese people (Essay)

Pervert: "Idaten's logo"

In 2019, a work called ``Idaten=The god with a great run'' was created for the NHK Taiga drama, which deals with major events in Japanese history. This film depicts the acceptance of the marathon in Japan and its evolution, with a close-up look at the achievements of individual runners and the efforts of the politicians who support them.

However, although our family had been watching taiga dramas up until then, we didn't really think of the marathon as a big event, so we stopped watching taiga dramas after this one. In my house, taiga dramas have disappeared.

Japanese people's love of sports is on par with any other ethnic group. All sports are accepted, but marathons seem to especially strike a chord with Japanese people. Japanese people love the monotonous and boring sport of simply running a long distance of 42.195 km. So why is this so?

I think Japanese people ``add up the drama of their impossible lives'' about marathons. Marathons probably stimulate the stoic nature of Japanese people and awaken their imaginations.

Moreover, the Japanese created a derivative event of the marathon called ``ekiden,'' a relay race that connects sections. In particular, the ``Hakone Ekiden'' held during New Year's Day, in which university students run on a grueling course full of mountains and valleys, is deeply popular among Japanese people who ``see the drama of life'' in races. Although I don't watch such fictional dramas.

　Rei Morishita

マラソンと日本人

２０１９年、日本の歴史の大イベントを扱うNHK大河ドラマで「いだてん」という作品が作られた。日本におけるマラソンの受容とその変遷を描いたものだが、個々のランナーの活躍と、それを後押しする政治家の奮闘がクローズアップされていた。

　しかし、我が家ではそれまで大河ドラマを見ていたが、マラソンが大イベントとはとても思えず、この作品以降の大河ドラマは見なくなった。我が家では、大河ドラマは消滅したのだ。

　日本人のスポーツ好きは、他のどの民族にもひけをとらない。どんなスポーツも受容されるが、マラソンはとくに日本人の心の琴線に触れるようだ。４２．１９５ｋｍという長距離を、ただ走るだけの単調で退屈な競技を、日本人は愛するのである。ではなぜそうなのだろう？

思うに日本人はマラソンに、「ありもしない人生のドラマを重ねる」のだろう。マラソンは、ストイックな性質をもつ日本人を刺激し、想像力を喚起するのだろう。

　日本人は、その上、「駅伝」という区間をつなぐリレーレースという、マラソンの派生競技を創造した。とくに正月に行われる「箱根駅伝」は、山あり谷ありの過酷なコースで大学生たちが走るのだが、これがレースに「人生のドラマを見る」日本人には根強い人気がある。そんな架空のドラマ、私は見ないけれども。

[asiandragonsports]

Running in Japan

Written by: Luke Metcalf

While researching, I was presented with the question, “Why is Japan the most running obsessed culture in the world?” I believe this blog will answer that question and provide insight into the history of long-distance running in Japan. To answer the preceding question, both the generalized culture of Japanese people and an event called “Ekiden” must be analyzed. 

Japan’s social ideology is very dominantly collectivist, meaning they tend to emphasize community and helping each other to form the best society possible for everyone. In Japanese, the term “wa” means “group harmony,” and it is widely considered to be a vital aspect of sports in Japan. This aspect of collectivism is evident in the long-distance running community in Japan, especially in races called “Ekidens.” Ekiden literally translates to “relaying station,” and it is inspired by the couriers who carried messages between Tokyo and Kyoto in the Edo period (1603-1869). These couriers would work in somewhat of a relay fashion by running to one station, handing off the message to the next courier, and then continuing in this fashion until the message was delivered. Modern Ekiden relays began in 1917, and typically teams of six people complete legs of a twenty-six mile race over two days, while trying to win the competition as a group. Although the twenty-six mile distance is most traditional, Ekidens can range in distances up to 458 miles with about fifty members per relay team. Interestingly, instead of a baton being passed along from leg to leg, a tasuki (sash) is passed between runners on a team. You may notice that I continue emphasizing “team,” and that is because Ekidens turn a solitary sport (running) into a tight-knit team sport involving the whole community of Japan. If one leg of the relay does not run well, the whole team will suffer as a result, unlike the American sport of cross country, where runners each run the whole distance and are primarily scored as individuals. It would seem to the outsider as though Ekidens in Japan are comparable to cross country races in America, but that could not be further from the truth. The sport of cross country in America is extremely underfunded, and athletes typically participate purely for the love of the sport, whereas in Japan, universities spend large amounts of money on scholarships and creating nice facilities for runners to train on. This further emphasizes how central long-distance running is to Japan. 

Pictured: a tasuki handoff during an Ekiden.

Hakone Ekiden, occurring on the New Year holiday, is the most popular Ekiden in the nation, and it is likened to the Tour de France or the Super Bowl with all day television access, and about fifty million views per day over the two-day event. People come out of their homes to support the runners as they run through the streets and to ultimately support their community. The elite performances seen in Ekidens are by no mistake, and to understand why, it may help to compare Japanese runners to the legendary runners from Kenya and Ethiopia. The best long-distance runners are typically short to medium height and generally, many Kenyans, Ethiopians, and Japanese people fit that description. Not only that, but the training style of the three countries is very similar in that they all train in large groups and hold each other accountable for their training as a running community. Finally, a fun fact is that the typical Japanese diet naturally lends itself to support healthy and elite runners. A “runner’s diet” is not difficult to come by because it is already the staple of Japanese society, as opposed to a country like the United States, where runners must put in a little extra effort to find the foods necessary to fuel their bodies for elite performances.

References:

[squaringthacircle]

Hakone ekiden

[ayanos-pl]

あいにくの雨でしたが、わりといい感じの写真が撮れました。両足とも地面についてない写真が好きです。箱根駅伝2024

[yotanbo]

箱根駅伝は #出雲駅伝 と似た結果になりましたね！！ #駒澤大学 はさすがでしたが、 #吉居大和 選手とやっぱり #ヴィンセント 選手は速い！！ 明日も楽しみですね！ #箱根駅伝 #駅伝 #ekiden https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm5vWZ5L-_8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mark-india]

ランニングついでに箱根駅伝を応援。家から近いのに実は初観戦。 I supported “Hakone Ekiden” race near by my apartment. #hakoneekiden2023 #hakoneekiden #ekiden (at 東海橋) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm5N-54SoX2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[grrl-beetle]

Nike Air Streak Ekiden

[syncopatedid]

The 99th Hakone Ekiden special-edition Sapporo beer can is so pretty!  Edit: An updated thought the next morning: 

[bananaflip]

A scene from the 2022 Hakone Ekiden! I was stoked to see it in person and the energy was amazing

[tetsuyasogo]

January 1, 2023: Visited Gunma to watch the “New Year Ekiden”, an annual men's ekiden over 100 kilometers which takes place on 1st January. The race is a national championship contested between Japan's corporate running teams, and NTN team finished in 29th place this year. Although NTN team did not achieve its target of 15th place, I was very much encouraged by the powerful running of those top runners. “Happy New Year 2023 !!” 🥳

December 31, 2022: Hotel room in Gunma

[yuigadokson]

I have been very impulsive recently my god i need someone to hold me backkk dhsjakkaak

[zatsu-manga-dump]

Ekiden Danshi Project, Shin Takahashi, Weekly Big Comic Spirits 2022/50

[ruanbaijie]

THE HAKONE EKIDEN 箱根駅伝 [insp]

[xiexielians]

@animangacreators sports genre I most emotional match

Run With The Wind I 1.20 I Even If I Break ↳Hakone Ekiden I Shindo's section

[careysattheonsenagain]

And an audiobook!