Undo-kai (sports festival)

The kids and I enjoyed Undo-kai today at the Japan club. Undo-kai is a festival/recreation centered around team-oriented games. The teams were Red and White (symbolizing the Japanese flag)...me and the boys were on the white team, and Aoishi & family were on the Red....our white team kicked butt. lol but it's not about that of course...just fun.

maybe aoishi can explain better the cultural significance of the day...to me, it was meeting and talking with people while helping setup, curry rice lunch, and all in fun games like relay race, tug o war, etc. mostly for kids but it was fun that the adults got in on some of the action. we had to leave a bit early since we are having friends visit....we had alot of fun. how did the festivities end, Jeremy?

Ed, this year they didn't keep score like we usually do. I think this is a (politically correct) trend much like the ones we see here in the US where a kid can't even friggin' play dodgeball anymore without that the morality police popping out.
Culturally, undo-kai (sports day) is, like many holdiays, imported from the West when Japan started to emulate all things Western in the 1880's. It has a pseudo-martial feel to it still with the "rajio taisou" and I understand that up until 1990, the Nazi salute was still performed at some of these in Japan (a vestigial remnant of the Axis days...)
One of my kids' favorite events is the "pan kui kyousou" (bread-eating competition) in which a kid pulls some anpan (red bean bun) off a dangling string with there hands behind their backs.

it was good seeing you and family there. so undo-kai is only the past 100 years? never thought about it, but that makes sense. I've only ever participated in one other in Japan...it was more rigid and formal, but fun too.

now, what is the deal with the 'talent show' day in November coming up? (forgot the name of that one...geez what little I had, my japanese language skills are fading fast ).

Actually it's the 1st Saturday in December. "Gaku Geikai" or "Talent Show". The teachers will prepare everything and the food is done there too, so fortunately, you have no responsibilities other than arriving there hungry.