Here in Japan, some call it sports day. Some call it sports week. I think a more appropriate name would be sports month. Whatever you call it, it's pretty intense and requires weeks of practice, school on weekends, expansive lunches, and lots of patience. Sports day is kinda like field day in America...if field day mixed steroids and cocaine into its cereal every morning.
The event begins with practice. Lots of practice. I'm not sure how many times the entire school marched around the freshly moistened dirt track to the tune of 1960's department store music, but it was more than a few. Hidari, hidari, hidari migi hidari (left, left, left right left). At times they looked a little more like soldiers than students. Their discipline was not lost on my elder English teacher, Mr. Inobu, who non-chalantly mentioned that they looked like Japanese WWII pilots. Then he asked, "Did you learn about WWII in America?" Awk with a capital A.
After the marching was perfected, they delved into less-explored field exercises ranging from strength-based yoga poses to giant group dances. From there, they moved into building tremendous human pyramids (which often collapsed) and knight battles where three students formed a horse for another student to ride on. The mounted student clashed with other mounted students to try to steal their hats. The results were furtive punches, some scratching, and plenty of falls broken by unsuspecting teachers. Weirder still was a relay during which girls pushed each other around the track in wheelbarrows while wearing pumpkin, disco, and cartoon costumes. I'm actually still not sure what the point was, but surely it entertained. All in all it's hard to say what the strangest 'event' was, but when each student tied a balloon to his shoe, then took to the field to attempt to pop everyone else's, I was again reminded that this was no American field day.
Attire for sports day was fairly normal for kids, but for teachers, it was a marked change from daily routine. First, male teachers were allowed to wear track pants to school––I was more than ready to bid my khakis farewell. More notable, however, were fashion choices made by female teachers. They're a little afraid of the sun (read: understatement for comedic effect). Seeing the female teachers standing outside on a hot summer day was like happening upon a group of snow bunnies at a ski resort. Barely any skin left exposed, they hid beneath mammoth hats, flashy jackets, and sometimes even arm socks with mittens. Yep, arm socks. If the temperature soared above 77º F, they scurried around muttering 'atsui' between concerned sighs. I didn't have the heart to tell them that they might have been so 'hot' because they were wearing clothes fit for an Antarctic expedition.
So, was it an overgrown team-building exercise or just an excuse to break the monotony of the classroom? I'm not entirely sure, but in all its absurdity, I thoroughly enjoyed sports day. At the very least, I was happy to get to know my students better outside the ever-intimidating environs of English class.
