Sports and Recreation in Japan

This first bit isn't about sports and recreation to Japan, this is really more of an echo to last week, my post about Takarazuka. I just wanted to put on here that I found a video-trailer for the performance I went to see, and I was so pleased I wanted to show it to you all:



In all honesty, I enjoy sparkly, fabulous drag kings much more than sports - but this post is about sports and recreation, so that's what I'll write about now. Although I have to admit, although this is technically irrelevant to this post and to this assignment, I really don't like sports that much: I don't like watching them; I don't like participating in them. Not in the UK, not in Japan. What this has meant is that I think my eye avoids sport - that is to say, although sport is obviously going on all the time, I kind of miss it, or block it out, because I'm not too bothered about it. That said...I ganbaru'd a little bit, in order to actually notice some sport happening, and I've come up with a couple of pictures. I don't pretend that this is a "Two-Frame Story" as it should be...



I took this picture in one of my first weeks here at Kansai Gaidai. I was on my way to get my bike from the bike parking lot, and I heard this enthusiastic screaming. Coming upon the tennis courts, there was a crowd of Japanese guys crowded round the net. I couldn't see the action (nor did I particularly care to) but it was clear that each time someone scored a point there was celebratory chaos, with much back-slapping and whooping. It was very interesting, like watching a group mentality in action. There was a lot of support there, and a lot of passion, even though it looked like it was just a casual game of tennis.



This picture was taken at Osaka-jo park, where there was some kind of sports meeting going on - baseball, it seemed. I couldn't see any banners proclaiming what was going on, and although I attempted to find out (from the people in the photo) what exactly was going on, my Japanese isn't such that I understood.

I like this photograph. A simple scene. A father and son, enjoying a game of catch. Is there really any simpler, deeper pleasure? It transcends country and culture.