Do you have a field day in your country? Japan has a national holiday in October called Sports Day, and most secondary schools celebrate it by organizing field day activities. It’s called Undokai at elementary schools or Taiikusai at middle and high schools. Let me talk about the kind of events students participated in.

There are a variety of events depending on the school.

For example, you will probably see a relay where different classes (homerooms) compete by passing a　baton. 

Obstacle race, such as going through a net, running while jump roping, finding candies in sand, etc. is another popular event at a field day.

Have you seen a bean bag toss where competitors toss bean bags in baskets hung　very high?

Tug of war, of course, is a very popular group competition.

In addition to those athletic competitions, students often organize dance performances. Folk dances were common in the past, but most student dancers nowadays choreograph popular dances like hip hop. Last but not least,  Ouendan (cheerleading) is an important participant at Undokai. Japanese Undokai typically divides students in two teams – Red and White. Cheerleading group for each team works to elevate the energy level of team members, sometimes bringing in high scores with its own performance.

As you can see, students often compete in Undokai by cooperating with one another, very much like daily life in Japan in general. I hope you have a chance to experience Undokai.