The World Masters Games 2017 was held in Auckland from 21 to 30 April. Many athletes participated making the games a great success. CLAIR went to Auckland to learn about the operation and atmosphere of the games as the next games will be held in the Kansai region by the Union of Kansai Governments.
The Union of Kansai Governments was established by eight prefectures (Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Tottori and Tokushima) and four designated cities (Kyoto, Osaka, Sakai and Kobe) in central Japan. (It includes my hometown Nara and my former offices Sakai and Wakayama!)
These local governments are very close to each other, so they decided to establish this union which deals with wider regional matters such as tourism promotion, environmental protection and medical cooperation. This is the first extended inter-prefectural association of its kind in Japan.
The Kansai region has many famous temples (Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Todai-ji), castles (Himeji-jo, Hikone-jo), ancient mausoleums and pilgrimage routes (Kumano-kodo). Moreover, it is famous for delicious Japanese cuisine such as Shojin-ryouri and Kobe beef. The next World Masters Games is going to be held from 15 to 30 May in 2021 and the number of participants is estimated to be about 50,000. Please join in the Games and come see and taste Kansai!
Katsunori Kamibo
Director
