Sports

      Sports in Japan range from the traditional to the international. Soccer, martial arts, snow sports, baseball and water sports are especially popular among the Japanese people. At the different schools we visited, we had the opportunity to observe students practicing martial arts (kendo, judo) and rugby. Traditional martial arts like judo and kendo involve a sense of discipline and concentration different from that found in team sports. Judo is now part of the summer Olympics and increasing number of school girls practice it in Japan.

      Another traditional sport well-known internationally is sumo wresting. Two very large wrestlers, wearing one thick, heavy belted loincloths made of cotton or silk (mawashi), try to throw each other down or push each other out of a straw ring. The bouts usually last less than a minute and each bout starts with rituals like throwing a handful of salt into the ring as a sign of purification. Soccer has gained popularity and in 2002 Japan will host World Cup Soccer with the Republic of Korea.