Dating back several generations, undookai or taiikusai (“sports days”) and bunkasai (“culture festivals”) are celebrated on a variety of levels. Public schools at all levels spend a considerable amount of time and energy organizing events to compete with each other physically or to display artistic and creative talents.

A Day of Activity

In the shade of awnings erected specifically for the festival, grandmas and grandpas can stretch out on woven straw mats and enjoy the o-bentoo (“boxed lunch”) brought from home. Parents are often roped into participating in a few events themselves. It is a busy day for some, but relaxing for others. In exchange for coming to school all day on a Sunday, the following Monday is awarded as a day off.

For the sports festival, students are divided into two teams: akagumi and shirogumi (“red team” and “white team”). For weeks leading up to the actual day, students practice running, tugs-of-war, three-legged races, hurdles, high jumps, and long jumps. More traditional activities like climbing a bamboo pole barefoot to retrieve the flag of the opposing team, or working as a team to get as many balls as possible into a basket held high, are also rehearsed.

In addition to these physical challenges, students must practice organized cheerleading and marching-band formations. Each team has a designated cheerleader, ooendancho, or group of leaders, ooendan, who conduct a call-and-response type of cheer. These cheers might be original, or they might be passed down from previous years. Though sports festivals date back to before World War II, some elements were adopted from the western world following the war.