In Japan, the hot and humid summer has gone, and now October is the best month to participate in many different kinds of sports. Health Sports Day is a national holiday observed on the second Monday in October, chosen as it was the opening day of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. As a result, many schools in Japan choose to hold school sports day in October.
Popular events at school sports day include running races, obstacle courses, tug-of-war, mock cavalry battles (where students ride on the backs of others), and the final main event, the relay race. Typically, ball games are not part of the day’s events.
The school sports day is not only a festival for the school but also for the community as a whole. Schools, especially primary schools, play a central role in communities and municipalities. The students’ parents and other people often attend.
Western-style education was introduced in Japan around 140 years ago. Municipalities set up primary schools and, in a sense, school administration was and still is a fundamental task of Japanese local governments. The Japanese greatly respect and understand the importance of sound education. Although running a school is one duty of the board of education, most mayors attend and speak at school sports days and other school-related events, underlining the importance of schools and education. Primary schools (years 1-6) and junior high schools (years 7-9) are mostly operated by municipalities. Senior high schools (years 10-12) are managed at a prefectural level.