Normally I go to Yuda on Wednesdays but for yesterday I was told that I didn't have to show up due to some sports festival. So I didn't think too much of it and figured I'd just have a day at the Kencho, but Amy's supervisor told her not to come to school and instead to head up here to Kofu and go watch some of the events so I decided to join her.
I didn't tell the Kencho what was going on because one, I figured they'd probably not find out about it, and two, because I didn't want to give them a chance to say "no". So yesterday morning Amy and I mounted our bikes and made off to Kose Sports Center, which is the same place where the Sumo guys came to last month.
This "Sports Day" involves nearly all the high schools in Yamanashi and I believe it cause there were a hell of a lot of students there. Kose is a big place with a big parking lot and nearly all of that parking lot was filled with bikes. I've never seen anything even remotely close to it in America.
When we got there we headed over to the large (by Kofu standards) stadium where we had seen a professional soccer game last year. The stadium is probably about the same size as you might find at a small college in America. Probably seats about eight to ten thousand or so. Anyway, around the soccer field is a nice track and this was where the track and field events were to take place. But when we got there they were doing some kind of an opening ceremony thing. We sat down and watched and found the lineup of Amy's school due to the fact that I recognized the kanji for "river" and thought the symbol next to it might be the one for "one" (Ichikawa means "one river"). I, of course, have multiple schools and still haven't quite learned all the kanji involved there. But I did find the Aviation Academy thanks to their military-like hats.
After the opening ceremony thing we headed over to an indoor gym type building and watched some kendo (Japanese fighting with bamboo swords). Kendo looks pretty fun but honestly I don't know much about it and therefore don't have a good eye for what is really going on. Looks like they are just trying to whack each other to me (and that is probably what really is happening) and I have no idea how you actually win because I don't know how to score it or what kind of tactics there are or anything. But it was nice to see kids in armor whacking each other with sticks.
While we were watching kendo I ran into some students from the Aviation Academy and a couple of the teachers and Amy went over to talk to some of her students who were there as spectators. It's great seeing the kids away from school because they always look at you and react to you as if they can't believe that you really are here in their country. I've had kids react to me and say things in Japanese that must mean something along the lines of "Whoa! It's Marcus-sensei and we're not in school. What are you doing here? I thought you flew back to America after class or at least, like Godzilla, slipped back into the ocean from whence you came!"
After kendo we went back to the track to take in some running events. Saw a few heats of the 400 meter run, both males and females, and then took in a male 5000 meter race. As those guys circled the 13 and a half laps I remembered my own high school track days and thought, "Hmmm, isn't it nice to be sitting in the shade with my yakisoba (grilled noodles) and a sports drink instead of out there running in circles and loosing electrolytes." Ok, really what I thought was, "Damn, you lazy fool, you need to start running again." And I do. It's been about a year since I stopped yet again.
After this Amy and I headed over to watch some kyudo (archery, I think that's how you might spell it). It was pretty cool because it wasn't so simple as just lining up and taking a shot at a target. There was a motion that all the archers went through and each guy had four team members out there with him. In all, three teams of five would shoot at once with each archer having his or her own target to shoot at. And each archer would wait until the teammate before him had shot to take his turn but during the other guy's shot he would be in his pre-shot routine so that when the guy before him shot he would be only a few seconds away from firing himself. Sorry that I can explain this any better than that. It's just one of those things you have to see for yourself.
So those were the sports we saw there. At Kose there was track and field, tennis, judo, kyudo, and kendo going on. And apparently at other places around Kofu there were more sports in action. So this whole thing seems like a big deal and felt a little like a mini-Olympics.
After the kyudo I headed to the Kencho to check in not sure if they'd know that I hadn't been at school. In fact, they didn't know but the new lady, who took Ono's place, asked me why my face was a bit sunburned. "Damn," I thought, "foiled again! Well, I'm not gonna lie." So I told her the truth and then another guy asked me about my day and I told him too. But hey hey, they seemed cool with it and wanted to know a little more about the day. I think they are aware that it really was better for me to go see sports day as opposed to sitting in the Kencho all day. I mean, hell, man, I ran into about five of my teachers and at least 20 of my students and they all seemed happy that I was attending something that is a part of school life over here. It really was great.
So that was that. Today I am in the Kencho and tomorrow I go to Yamanashi Gakuen.

Sumo is still going on and Asashoryu is now sitting on 34 straight wins. 4th place in the modern era of sumo. History in the making.