Undokai - Sports Festival of Schools in Japan

Do you know about the Japanese school sports festivals called Undokai? This sports gathering consists of a huge amount of sports, games, and other activities involving students from the entire school.

The Undokai is an informal event that takes place on a weekend where parents and children gather at the school. During this event, children and young people interact in competitive activities for fun.

From elementary school to university, students and their families come together to participate in this unique sports event, with unique and fun games.

The competition is usually held outdoors and is an opportunity for students to show their sportsmanship and competitiveness, as well as to celebrate unity and cooperation among teams.

The History of Undokai

Undokai [運動会] originated in Japan around 1880 when it was declared in the constitution that families should gather at schools annually for fellowship.

Undokai is a compound word: “undō” means sport and movement, and “kai” is gathering in Japanese. However, the best translation for Undokai is family sports festival.

Usually, Undokais are held in the fall during the months of September, October, or November. The Undokai emerged as a way to celebrate the arrival of autumn and the good harvest.

In some schools, the Undokai is held in May, taking advantage of the start of classes in April for greater integration of students and teachers.

The most interesting thing is that the calendars are very well organized, so parents can participate in all Undokais, regardless of the grade their children are in.

Over the years, the Undokai has evolved to include a wide range of games and sports activities, including relay races, team games, physical skill tests, water games, and much more.

The Undokai lasts an entire day, colorful flags are stretched across the field, and various competitions happen simultaneously.

Each family brings their snack, and some schools usually have a place for a nice picnic. Parents often prepare their obento, onigiri, some snacks, and various other treats.

sports festival at a Japanese elementary school

What Does Undokai Mean?

We know that the meaning of Undokai is sports festival. But have you ever stopped to think about the etymology of the word and the ideograms?

Let me explain the ideograms that make up the word “Undokai”:

運 (Un): This ideogram means “luck” or “destiny.” It is used to represent the idea of “movement” or “activity” in the context of Undokai.
動 (Do): This ideogram means “to move” or “to act.” It indicates action or movement, which is the central part of “Undokai.”
会 (Kai): This ideogram is used to represent a “gathering” or “assembly.” In the context of “Undokai,” it implies a gathering of people to participate in sports activities.

Therefore, when combined, the ideograms “運動会” (Undokai) represent the gathering or event where people come together to participate in sports activities and promote movement and action, often in a spirit of camaraderie and healthy competition.

Games of the Undokai Event

There are countless games and activities, all diversified. No football, volleyball, baseball, or usual sports. Some schools tend to have another date to hold competitions and championships with sports and school clubs. In the Undokai, we have very different sports and some simple ones to interact with the whole family.

Races – The most traditional are the races, where the distance varies according to the age of the students. Generally between 50 and 200 meters.

Acrobatics – The school classes usually perform an acrobatic presentation. They often make a human pyramid.

Oodama (Big Ball) – In this particular game, children play in 2 ways, trying to pass the giant ball over the students. Others tend to push the giant ball around like crazy…

Samurai Fight – A game where 3 students serve as a horse (support) and the student who stands on top of the 3 students has to take the hat or bandana from the opponent.

Bands – A group of students forms their band and marches around the event playing their traditional instruments.

Dances – There are also dance performances and other cultural activities for the entertainment of the crowd. One of them is the famous radio taiso, which is a standardized exercise program.

Ball in the Basket – There are 2 ways to play this game. One way is that there is a huge basket, and the students must try to fill their basket using small puffs. The other is that the teacher has the basket on their back, and the students have to run after them to fill the basket.

Bo-taoshi – This is a Japanese flag-pulling game where two teams of about 150 people each compete to see who can protect their flag or knock down the enemy flag that is on a pole.

It is worth remembering that there is no age limit for these events. Even the adult community can organize similar events for the entire community regardless of whether they are studying or not.

Other Sports of the Undokai

See below some more sports available in some Undokai with their names in Japanese.

Sakasa Juku: (逆さ塾) – Inverted relay race: In this race, participants run backward, passing the baton to the next runner in an inverted manner.
Tokkuri Yubi: (徳利指) – Obstacle race: A race with obstacles, such as low fences, tires, and holes in the path that competitors must overcome.
Shotto Pūto: (ショットプート) – Shot put: Similar to “shot put” in Western sports, participants throw a heavy ball as far as possible.
Nawatobi: (縄跳び) – Jump rope: Teams compete in synchronized jump rope, often with specific rhythms.
Kyūdō: (弓道) – Archery: An archery competition where participants try to hit targets with arrows.
Tsuna Hiki: (綱引き) – Tug of war: Two teams compete by pulling a rope from opposite sides, trying to drag the opposing team to their side.
Sack Race: (麻袋競争 – Ami-bukuro kyōsō) – Sack race: Participants hop inside potato sacks or burlap sacks, jumping to the finish line.
Sanbon Shōbu: (三本勝負) – Miniature sumo fights: Miniature sumo competitions where participants try to push their opponent out of the circle.
Shinnyo-en Odori: (真如苑踊り) – Dances and performances: Presentations of traditional dances or creative choreographies.
Sunīku Tugowā: (スニーク・ツゴワー) – Three-legged race: A race where participants have their legs tied together at one leg and must run together.
Javurin Tōssu: (ジャヴリン投げ) – Javelin throw: A javelin throwing competition where participants try to throw javelins as far as possible.
Ekiden: (駅伝) – Endurance race: A long-distance relay race, often held as a team marathon.
Yōga to Yawarakasa: (ヨーガと柔らかさ) – Yoga and stretching: Activities that emphasize flexibility and balance, such as yoga poses and stretches.

It is important to remember that the variety of activities may vary from school to school and from company to company that holds these sports events.

How the Japanese School Works and How to Enroll?

My Experience at an Undokai

During my trip in 2023 to Japan, I had the chance to attend the Undokai of a friend’s grandchildren, which took place around the third week of October.

At this elementary school Undokai, I expected to see those different sports originating from Japan, but unfortunately, there were only races.

My friend said that due to COVID, the Undokai had their time reduced, so we only had common sports.

Fortunately, we had several music and dance performances. It was very nice to see all the interaction and the family ready to watch.

Below, I leave the video of my visit to the Undokai:

Videos of the Undokai

There is nothing better than ending our article with great videos for you to get to know the Undokai. Below we have the video from Velberan:

Undokai held among adult students. My ordinary day channel (JNDCD):

Video showing Undokai from Thalita Matsura:

Photos by: Steven Duncan
Credits: nikkeypedia and duncansensei