Men's Rhythmic Gymnastics
Yes, it exists in Japan.
I’ve known about it for a while (my dad’s alma mater had a strong program for a long time) but this is the first time I’ve come across this video.
It’s the group from Aomori University but I’m not sure what competition this is from.
It’s an amazing display of artistry and athleticism!
Training Update
I’ve just hit the four month mark since my surgery. That said, I’ve started doing some new things like jumping on top of things and jumping down. I’ve started jogging as well, which will help with the strengthening of my leg tremendously. However, what’s more important is that I’ve been cleared to start doing some very (I mean very) basic stuff on some of the events. I just have to be careful when doing things in order to minimize the risk of falling. because falling will be bad news.
Today was a pretty exciting day because I just did my first giants on high bar since surgery. Of course it’s one of the most basic skill in gymnastics, but I have to admit that it felt a little strange. My hands are also super soft from not swinging for four months so I have to be careful not to overdo it. Doing so will lead to torn up hands, which I don’t want! All of my joints feel a bit stiff also. It’s not that I haven’t been training (I’ve been doing conditioning everyday) but it just goes to show that gymnastics-related movements uses a bunch of different muscles.
Nevertheless, I can tell that things are progressing!
Untitled
I’ve been in Japan for almost a month and I’ve been noticing a lot of interesting things here and there.
One interesting thing is that they start decorating for Christmas really early. A lot of the illuminations around town started right after Halloween. It’s crazy that Christmas decorations are up for two months before the actual day. It’s also interesting to see how big Christmas is here given that the majority of the people here do not celebrate Christmas religiously. Christmas is also mainly celebrated between couples rather than family members so there’s another big difference between here and the States.
Christmas in Japan
I’ve also noticed that I haven’t had one bad meal since I’ve been here. Everything is delicious. It doesn’t matter if I’m eating Japanese, Chinese, or western food. I assume that a lot of this has to do with the fact that there is so much competition between restaurants. There are restaurants everywhere here. Therefore they need to make sure that what they serve is quality stuff if they want to stay in business. I can also tell that they have a lot of pride for what they serve not only because of the taste but also because of the presentation of the food they serve. It doesn’t matter if I’m at a fancy place or a family restaurant. I’m noticing more and more that they really devote to the perfection of whatever they pursue (not just in restaurants but elsewhere else as well). The best part of all this is that service is excellent. They’re always attentive and they always treat their customers with respect. Treating their customers this way is standard and they don’t take tips. In fact, the other day I forgot and I left some extra money on the table. When I left the restaurant, the waitress ran out to give me back the money I left.
Dishes from a Japanese restaurant
I’m also enjoying the public baths here. I know it may sound a little strange to a lot of people but it’s normal here and part of the Japanese culture. I grew up with this so none of this is strange for me either. Of course the baths are separated by gender but these places have a number of large baths from cold plunges, to ones that bubble, to ones outside. It’s very relaxing and it is a good way to get rid of aches and pains after training. In fact I went last night with my friends on the team. Apparently they always go several days before a competition, and as I’ve said before, All Japan Championships is this weekend!
All Japan Championships (Preview)
All Japan Championships is next weekend! I’m excited to see the best gymnasts in Japan battle it out. However, there will be no all-around competition this time around but only individual events and team. Nevertheless it’ll be awesome to watch as there are many good individual event specialists in Japan, as well as strong teams.
Speaking of the team competition, it’ll be a 6-3-3 format where 3 of the best guys from each team will compete and all 3 scores will count. It’ll definitely be nerve wracking as there is no room for error but exciting to see who comes out on top. Another interesting aspect of this competition is that, a couple of the best high school teams will also participate. In Japan, a lot of kids leave their home for other prefectures in order to train at high schools with strong gym programs. If only it was like this in the US (I know it used to be like this…).
The competition will obviously include the best college programs including Juntendo University (the university where I’m currently training at) and company sponsored teams. There are several company sponsored teams throughout Japan and they are comprised of gymnasts who have graduated from college (and also who have built a reputation for themselves) and want to train full-time. Konami (the video game company for those who think it sounds familiar) has some great gymnasts as well as Tokushukai (a medical/pharmaceutical company) that has guys that competed in the Olympics like Takuya Nakase and Hisashi Mizutori. These company sponsored teams shows how much support elite gymnasts have in Japan, and it makes me wish that the US had a similar system.
Anyway, I’ve already got the tickets and looking forward to the competition. I’m excited to see my friends as well as go tour the city of Tokyo while I’m out there!
Athletic Trainers in Japan
Last night I had a great time seeing an old friend of mine. She was actually an athletic trainer for the women’s gym team for one year during my sophomore year. She came all the way out (2 hours) to the university to visit me during training.
Speaking of athletic trainers, I’ve learned that most universities in Japan do not have personal athletic trainers for each athletic team. On the other hand, most or all NCAA teams in the US has a trainer that assists during practices and travel with the team for competitions. I think it’s great that we have such a strong support system in the US but at the same time, I think that it works against us because we get spoiled and start to rely on it too much. Because the Japanese don’t have athletic trainers (they exist but you have to go to a clinic) on hand at all times, they need to think more about what they’re doing in terms of training, body condition, etc. I’ve realized that they’re more in tune with their own bodies as they don’t have trainers monitor everything. In other words, this type of situation makes them train smarter, making them much more responsible as athletes/people. I also felt similarly when I learned that they clean their own training environment twice a week…they take care of what is their own.
It’s a different culture but I’m definitely learning a lot of good things!
Random Pics From Various Places
Entrance to the university
It’s actually a pretty steep incline but I see it as good exercise for my knee. Sometimes I have to go up and down several times a day because I have a lot of time between class and practice.
Kimchi & Cheese Flavored Cup Noodle
No joke. I bought it at the supermarket the other day. I was reluctant to try it but it wasn’t all that bad. Interesting combo though…
Part of the Gym
It’s where champions are made…literally. Olympic gold medalists like Hiroyuki Tomita, Takehiro Kashima, and Isao Yoneda came out of this place, as well as other Olympians. It’s a privilege to be training at this gym with awesome athletes and coaches.
Humongous Buddha!
The Ushiku Daibutsu. My friends and I saw it from the highway on our way to watch the “Freshmen Championships.” The statue is huge! You might not be able to tell from the picture but the little hazy thing by the left hand is an electric tower. The Buddha is the tallest statue in Japan and the third largest in the world at 394 feet tall (got my facts from wikipedia). Pretty amazing!
Mercedes-Benz McLaren
I really liked it so I bought it…ok just kidding. No way I can afford a half-million dollar car but I saw it at a famous audio shop in Chiba Prefecture. Apparently there’s only a handful in Japan. I’d be way too afraid to drive such an expensive car especially in the narrow streets of Japan!
Go Go Godzilla!
It’s already been several days since the Yankees won the World Series but the news about Matsui’s MVP is still buzzing in Japan.
The fact that he has made such a big name for himself in the US is really awesome. It makes me proud to be a Japanese (Japanese-American) athlete in the US. But more importantly, I find the win inspiring because he had some rough and flat years with injuries for a while. Like Matsui, I’m hoping to recover from my knee injury and get back in action!
Godzilla!
"Freshmen Championships"
I was at the ”Freshmen Championships” with my gym friends in Ibaraki Prefecture (about 2 hours drive from where I am) just yesterday. Naturally I rooted for Juntendo University because it’s where I currently train but I did have friends at other participating universities as well. The competition was interesting, and was a close race until the end. Juntendo was down by 2 points behind Japan Sports Science University (aka Nittaidai – home of Kohei Uchimura), however Juntendo’s last event was high bar (a good event for the team), while Nittaidai finished on pommel horse (a relatively low scoring event). These two teams were in a league of their own, just going head-to-head. Unfortunately, some costly mistakes kept Juntendo from taking the lead. Nevertheless it was an exciting competition and it was great to see some familiar faces inluding Kohei (Uchimura). It was also a good chance for me to get away from campus and to just hang out with my friends from school.
The next competition for these guys is the All Japan Championships. All Japan should be intense and it’ll be a big reunion for sure. Can’t wait to see my old friends!
Learning to Drive (in Japan)
The last few days have been pretty busy for me. Spent some time at the DMV to get a Japanese driver’s license. The process is rather tedious though because I have to go in and take several tests before I can officially get it. To make things difficult, the roads are narrow and traffic laws are a bit different. There are more people on the roads and tons traffic lights. The fact that the driver’s side is on the right makes driving a little more confusing. I also need to make sure that I turn into the right lane and don’t go head-on into traffic (they drive on the left side of the road). In fact, a lot of Japanese people I know in the States said they’ve turned into the wrong lane by accident!
Driving in Japan
As far as training, I’ve been continuing with what I’ve been doing. Rehab has been progressing smoothly also. I see the PT every Wednesday at a location about 45 minutes from where I live. The facility is great and the person in charge was a former gymnast so I’m in good hands.
The rehab facility from the outside
This weekend will be pretty busy. I’ll be going to the “freshmen” championships in Ibaraki which is about a 2-hour drive. I’ll be going with a buddy from the gym, Koki Sakamoto, who was on the Olympic team in 2008. Seeing the freshmen go head to head should make the competition very interesting to watch!
Played Tourist
Since I had a day off from gym today, my teammates and I decided that it would be fun to visit the city of Tokyo. Luckily one of my friends had a car so he drove us there (about an hour from the university). We started the day off by visiting the Meiji Shrine. The cool thing about these places is that it’s very historical and the architectures are so intricate. For those of you who have never been, we usually cleanse our hands with purified water before entering. It’s also custom to throw in a 5-yen coin (equivalent to about 5 cents) into a large box in front of the shrine before we put our hands together to make a wish. This custom is also thought to bring good luck and to ward off evil spirits.
One of the Torii (gates) to the Shrine
Meiji Shrine
Unfortunately, it seemed as though I didn’t pray hard enough as I was met with an evil spirit at my next stop. Ok, I’m kidding but this girl we saw in the city definitely looked like she came straight out of a comic book. Who knows, maybe she got mixed up and forgot that Halloween was the day before…
She might need a haircut soon...
But no, one will see many people in costumes on the streets of Tokyo even on normal days. Don’t know where this ‘culture’ started but it’ll be interesting to learn about the origin. A quick research on the internet may help solve the puzzle.
Anyway we used the rest of the day to walk around and look around in a lot of shops. Too bad for me, everything was super expensive and the exchange rate from dollars to yen is no good. Either way, it was fun to have had the opportunity to hang out with my friends and to window shop. Plus, whenever you go to Tokyo it always feels like you step into a different universe. The place is always crowded with tons of interesting people like the one mentioned above. Regardless, today was an adventure-filled day and I had a lot of fun playing tourist in the capital of Japan!
Busy street of Harajuku
