Japanese Sports Day.

We've now been practicing for the last 2 weeks. The Japanese sports day. Sports day is unlike most western sports days. Or more fairly unlike anything i've ever seen or experienced. One of the interesting things I find is the amount of time dedicated to the practicing of the sports day. Afternoon classes are cancelled for training- and then..closer to the day, they get entire days off to practice.

Its almost paramilitary complete with marching and regiments etc. Ive been told (but haveyet to check it up) that this is a throw back from the post WW2 days when Japan was prevented from having an Army. Obviously to offer some sort of training this form of sports day was introduced- or so im told.

More on this later.... (or not)