17 - Sports culture

Summary

Sport, as an idea, has come to mean a fusion of modern forms and traditional exercise in Japanese culture. Modern forms of sport represent the inclusion of foreign culture in Japanese thought. Since the Meiji Restoration, traditional physical exercise has represented traditional culture and has been practiced in close relation to Shinto rituals or the samurai code. These activities include sumo wrestling, kyūsha (ceremonial Japanese archery), kenjutsu (traditional Japanese fencing and the predecessor of kendo) and jūjutsu (judo's predecessor). During the Meiji Restoration, physical training was systematised into taiiku (physical education) through the introduction of modern school education systems and Western-style military training. When attempting to understand Japanese sports culture, we must bear in mind that it is a complex amalgamation of physical exercise, including foreign sports, traditional culture that follows uniquely traditional codes, and physical education carried out in the school system. This fusion of foreign and traditional physical exercise cultures takes a particular shape. The paradoxes contained in this fusion have often caused disagreement over Japan's comprehension of its own sports culture. In particular, the fact that foreign sports were initially established for students to emphasise the significance of training mind and body through activity, prioritised seriousness over enjoyment in practising sports. This remains a key feature of contemporary Japanese sports culture.