Japanese Sports Day

M goes to the International school here in town most of the time, but since HIS' holidays are longer than my work's holidays, she also goes to the local school a few weeks of the year, hopefully to remain in touch with her Japanese half as well. Comparing the two systems: for me, big picture, HIS fits my hopes for my child better than the Japanese system, but that by no means means that HIS is all great and the Japanese system is all bad.
One of the great things I love about the Japanese school system is the sense of community and cooperation it fosters. This was in abundant evidence yesterday at the local community sports day at the elementary school at the top of our hill. As there are only 150 or so kids at the school, the whole community is invited to take part, and there are alternate school races and events, and games for the local residents to take part in. We are divided into teams according to where we live in the district, and join one of the kids teams. There is something for everyone, young and old, and everyone is included.

The older folks in the local area really look forward to this event, and it is a great chance to get to know the community better. I come from a small village in Scotland and remember this with nostalgia, and know community spirit is not a uniquely Japanese thing, but you have to remember that I live in a city of more than a million people, and each little cell of the community still keeps these things going.
I was conscripted to the tug o war team and the "tamairi" (mad scramble to toss as many beanbags as possible into a basket on a high pole). I'm sure this had nothing to do with the white team losing both events as well as the whole day....
M got to run her races with her classmates, and we all enjoyed the shared sports day lunch with our next door . Sports day is the one day of the year when the self respecting Japanese mother gets up at 4am to prepare a picnic feast that will not let her family down in the neighbourhood bento stakes. I thought I'd do my bit this year, but then a Dr Dad patient related incident messed up all the shopping plans, so it was an early morning expedition to the one Deli type shop in town to find a selection of Bento worthy sandwiches to add to the picnic in our tent.
Mummy fail. Oh well, that's international exchange!