[Shikoku Edition] Infrastructure engineers participated in the "Yuru Sports Experience Session" in Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture

Before getting to the main topic

happy new year。

My name is Mizusawa and I work as an infrastructure engineer in Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture

Recently, the bitterly cold weather has been continuing, making us feel the winter in our bones

The other day, it got so cold that the water heater in my neighborhood froze and we couldn't get hot water out for about two days... (tears)

On the other hand, the "tiramisu bed" I made at home to protect myself from the cold has paid off, and I'm enjoying a good night's sleep!

Specifically, it is a combination of "N Sleep mattress + deep blanket + Mizusawa + electric blanket + comforter."

Thanks to this, I think he has become accustomed to the feeling of "a cat relaxing in a kotatsu."

Well, even though it's such a cold season, on January 16th, 2022, I went to a place that warmed my body and soul

It was a "Yuru Sports Experience Event" held at the Miyoshi City Ikeda General Gymnasium in Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture

As a result, it was a time of deep learning for me and one that will lead to my next actions

So, I would like to share my experience with you

Although this site is in Japanese, we have also prepared English and Spanish versions at the links below

Please check as necessary.
English version

https://beyondjapan.com/blog/2022/02/sports-2/

・Spanish version

https://beyondjapan.com/blog/2022/02/deportes/

Well, let's get started

Background of the "Yuru Sports Experience Event"

① Purpose

・"Promoting the health of citizens"

・"Sports Promotion"

・"Regional revitalization through sports"

 

② Background　

For the above purpose, the Miyoshi City Board of Education has been hosting workshops together with the World Yuru Sports Association and active athletes for the past four months.

Miyoshi City's original "Yuru Sports" was devised based on ideas rooted in the city's history and sports culture

In addition to these, they were also providing an opportunity to try out the "Yuru Sports" that had been devised by the World Yuru Sports Association, a general incorporated association

 

③ Introduction of the World Yurusports Association

The members of the World Yuru Sports Association, a general incorporated association , were established on April 11, 2016

The organization operates projects such as "increasing the sports population rate and promoting sports education," "developing new sports that anyone can enjoy," and "creating and revitalizing a sports environment that can be experienced nationwide."

They are a group of sports creators who create laid-back sports

https://yurusports.com/

④ Configuration

・10:00 AM to 12:00 PM: For parents and children under 10 years old. Up to 40 pairs (80 people) in total

・14:00-16:00: For those aged 10 and over. Up to 40 groups (80 people) in total.

Introducing the "Yuru Sports" that I actually experienced

① Seesaw ball throw

The goal is to put balls into a basket within 30 seconds, and the team with the most balls at the end wins

What makes this game different from the familiar ball toss game seen at elementary school sports days is that if too many balls are put in, the seesaw will tip over and the balls will be gone. Both teams can put balls in at the same time, and the offensive team must try to keep as many balls as possible

The defending team decides on their tactics based on a strategy of how to reduce the number of balls to zero

As a result, both the attacking and defending teams need to control the movement of the balls while determining how far the opponent is trying to get the balls

Therefore, I think it is a sport that is suited to strategists who can instantly correct their stance and lead to victory

Oh, and I also learned that tall people are incredibly strong (laughs)

② Laundry Tennis

Play tennis in pairs

What makes it different from regular tennis is that it uses a balance ball, which is several times larger than a tennis ball

Instead of rackets, they use laundry such as bath towels, uniforms, and jeans

Catching the ball and launching an attack into the opponent's court

And after each attack, they hang out the used laundry in a net and take out new laundry to prepare for the next attack

The rules are simple and easy to understand, and the entertainment factor is in choosing the best tools for laundry from everyday items

I also thought it was a friendly sport with a community feel that encouraged conversations with partners and opposing teams

3. Yamabiko Baseball (Miyoshi City Original)

The baseball team of Ikeda High School in Tokushima Prefecture has won the spring and summer Koshien tournaments

"Yuru Sports" is an original Miyoshi City concept based on the "Yamabiko Batting Line," named after the baseball team's stance of winning through powerful hits, which they valued

Specifically, it is a sport in which players hit a ball against a wall and compete for the total points displayed at the point where the ball bounces and stops

A batter is out if the ball lands in the out zone or if the batter forgets to shout "Yahoo!" before hitting the ball

And if, after activating "Attack Daruma," the ball lands in the glove of the opposing team, it falls under the "Fine Play" rule, which ends the batter's turn at bat

Incidentally, I was on a team called "5th grade class 2," and we won our way through to the finals against a "high school sports team" that averaged 12 points. In the final inning, we used our "Attack Daruma" to try and turn the game around, but the ball was beautifully sucked into the glove of the opposing team, resulting in a dramatic ending to the story that turned out to be a "fine play."

In the end, we lost the game, but as a sports experience, it was a great atmosphere where everyone was a winner

④ Pompoko Battle (Miyoshi City original)

In 2017, Miyoshi City in Tokushima Prefecture was the location of Japan's first ever Rafting World Championship, attracting worldwide attention for its water sports

The "Pompoko Battle" was created based on the story of a group of raccoons who watched the rafting athletes practice from deep in the forest and decided to play with raft balls themselves

Specifically, participants transformed into Pompoko, a raccoon dog dressed in rafting gear,

This is a sport in which players form groups of three and compete for points by landing a ball (worth 1 point) or a fish (worth 5 points) on the opponent's rafting boat, plus an additional 5 points per person if the boat has a raccoon belly button

Furthermore, the person who gave us an explanation of the sport was an active athlete who had won the World Championships!

We were given instructions on how to prepare before boarding the buoyant rafting boat and what to be careful of when boarding the raft, and then we got on the rafting board and started

The balls and fish thrown by the opponent can be deflected off the board with the paddle

Perhaps due to the influence of the wind from the Yoshino River, this was extremely difficult..

As we were throwing balls and fish on our side, time passed quickly and the event ended

Of course, my belly button dropped... (tears)

Summary (relationship between sports and community)

What did you think?。

Many people may have learned for the first time that there is a field called "Yuru Sports."

I myself was one of the people who was fortunate enough to learn about your activities for the first time

In fact, it was only through this "easy sports" experience that people of all ages, genders, and nationalities could come together

Spending time with local people who have exercise habits was a valuable opportunity for me as an immigrant

In addition, the time we spent together as a team, discussing tactics, feeling the frustration of losing a match, and sharing the joy of winning a match by bumping fists, was a great opportunity to once again experience the joy of sports, which allows us to share emotions through physical experiences

Personally, I was particularly impressed by "Laundry Tennis" and "Pompoko Battle."

Also, when I was cleaning up, I mustered up the courage to talk to someone about the interest I had developed, and they said,

I was able to receive detailed instruction with a natural smile. Thank you!

After doing some research on my own, I found that there are commonalities such as "Mizusawa," "Kyoto," and "clubs," so it already feels strange, but I'll just go with the flow

Thank you to everyone who provided us with this valuable opportunity

Thank you so much!