Talking about Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Shiga LakeStars (in white) vs. Tokyo Apache
Just uploaded photos of Shiga LakeStars vs. Tokyo Apache held on March 6, 2009 at Komazawa Gymnasium in Tokyo. They wear white uniforms for away games. Very exciting game that went into overtime. LakeStars won.
Photos: http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=731
JT article here: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sk20090307b1.html
The Shiga LakeStars’ four American players have been writing a blog in English. It’s nice to see that they are enjoying their stay in Shiga and doing some local sightseeing. Bobby Nash and Brayden Billbe recently visited the Ninja house in Koka.
This first season is ending soon, so go and see them play when you can. The roster of players for next season will likely change, so see the current team if you can. Hope Bobby stays in Shiga.
Ryan Rouke’s blog:
http://lakesplayer.shiga-saku.net/c10820.html
Ray Schafer:
http://lakesplayer.shiga-saku.net/c10299.html
Bobby Nash
http://lakesplayer.shiga-saku.net/c10301.html
Brayden Billbe
http://lakesplayer.shiga-saku.net/c10346.html
Official Web site: http://www.lakestars.net/
Hino matsuri float
Miki Ito (伊藤みき) from Hino town snagged the silver medal (Uemura Aiko got the gold) for the women’s dual moguls of the FIS Freestyle World Championships in Inawashiro, Fukushima Prefecture on March 8, 2009. This has assured her a spot on Japan’s winter Olympic team for Vancouver in 2010.
Born in 1987, Ito graduated from Hino Jr. High School and Omi Kyodaisha High School. She’s currently a student at Chukyo University in Nagoya. Both her sisters are also free-style mogul skiers. Vancouver will be her second winter Olympics. At Torino in 2006, she placed 20th.
Caffee or Caffy (キャッフィー) has been called back to duty. The mascot character used for Sports Recreation Shiga 2008 has been sworn in by Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko on March 4, 2009 as one of Shiga’s official mascots, especially for sports events.
I saw an awful lot of Caffy mascot costumes last year at Spo-rec Shiga and wondered what they would do with Caffy afterward. His (or her) last appearance was at the Hikone Yuru-Character festival in Oct. 2008. I asked what would become of Caffy, and I was told that it would be discontinued.
Well, it will be good to see Caffy back again. He (or she) is a Lake Biwa catfish (ビワコオオナマズ), one of the native species of fish in Biwako found nowhere else in the world.
Held annually for 64 times since 1946, the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon is losing a major sponsor after March 1, 2009. Kyoto-based electronic parts maker ROHM Co., Ltd. has stated that it will no longer be a sponsor of the marathon after the 64th race on March 1, 2009. The company had shouldered about half the cost of holding the marathon.
The 42-km men-only marathon is held on the first Sunday of March mainly in Otsu, with part of the route in neighboring Kusatsu. The city of Otsu contributes 15 million yen, while Shiga Prefecture shells out 30 million yen to the hold one of Japan’s oldest marathons. With ROHM gone, officials are scrambling to find ways to make up for the shortfall and continue holding the marathon.
The marathon has seen numerous famous runners in the past, including winners Abebe Bikila in 1961 and 1965, Frank Shorter in 1973, and Toshihiko Seko in 1988. To qualify to enter the race, you must have recently run a full marathon within 2.5 hours.
Maibara Basho tent. Click on image to see more photos.
On Oct. 17, 2008, an exhibition sumo tournament was held in Maibara’s Green Park Santo. It was called Ozumo Maibara Basho 大相撲米原場所. It was held from 8 am to 3:30 pm and included many interesting activities besides sumo wrestling.
Unfortunately, Yokozuna Asashoryu was absent due to injury and recuperation in Mongolia. But all the other sumo stars were there: Ozeki Kotomitsuki/Kaio/Chiyotaikai/Kotooshu, popular Takamisakari, Kisenosato (photo), Baruto, etc. It was quite enjoyable because we could get autographs from the sumotori and take pictures with them. However, Takamisakari refused to sign autographs. He avoided the crowd by running past us. I guess he’s tired of being mobbed by fans. Yokozuna Hakuho signed autographs. He looked very good.
The cheapest seat was 4,000 yen, and most of the spectators were elderly. I did see many women as well. Some local kids also came and wrestled with the sumotori. It was great to see sumotori with Mt. Ibuki in the background.
Jamie and Megan Thompson sang “Lake Biwa Rowing Song” (Biwako Shuko no Uta) at Spo-Rec Shiga on Oct. 18, 2008 at Kibogaoka Park in Yasu, Shiga Prefecture. The performance was part of the side entertainment on the opening day of the sports festival. The MC was Chiho Ono, radio personality at e-radio (FM Shiga) which organized this stage entertainment.
Afterward, I went to see the Sports Recreation event at Kibogaoka Park in Yasu. They had the opening ceremony. Many people were there from all 47 prefectures and South Korea too.
It’s a great event and Kibogaoka Park is a perfect place. Many food booths, health/sports booths, stage entertainment, and Caffee. There are new sports which you can try out too. Lots of things for the kids. I highly recommend visiting Kibogaoka Park during Oct. 19-21.
Photos: http://photoguide.jp/pix/displayimage.php?album=718
On Oct. 11, 2008, I went to see the pro debut game of the Shiga LakeStars pro basketball team in Otsu’s 滋賀県立体育館. As you may know, the LakeStars is Shiga’s first professional sports team.
I enjoyed the game, and the fans were cheering loudly. But unfortunately, the LakeStars lost the game to Osaka by only 3 points, 78-81. They played Osaka again the next day, and lost again 73-89. Osaka is actually the strongest team in the bj league. They were the champions for four years in a row, since the start of the bj league.
I’m not a real basketball fan, but I plan to attend a LakeStars game whenever I can. I’m also very interested in the LakeStars because one of the players is from the University of Hawaii (my alma mater). He is Bobby Nash (No. 33). He’s a good player, and his father is the basketball coach at the University of Hawaii (UH). His father Bob Nash was a very famous basketball player for UH during 1970-1972. We called his team the “Fabulous Five.”
http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/10/26/news/story8.html
We should all support the LakeStars by attending their games. See their game schedule at their official Web site:
http://www.lakestars.net/
On Aug. 8, 2007, I went rowing on Biwako (琵琶湖周航) with the Imazu Jr. High School Rowing Club from Nagahama to Imazu. It was a very hot and sunny day with little wind. Almost 50 club members and three teachers went on this rowing trip.
I was allowed to join them. Every Aug., they row from Imazu to Nagahama, stopover in Nagahama, and row back to Imazu. This year, they couldn’t row from Imazu to Nagahama due to high waves. So on Aug. 7, they took a bus to Nagahama and stayed overnight.
They used six rowing boats including two fixed-seat boats (フィックス艇) made of wood. These two fixed-seat boats are replicas of the same type of rowing boat used by Oguchi Taro when he wrote the song “Biwako Shuko no Uta” 90 years ago. I really wanted to try rowing on this boat on Biwako to see what it was like. 小口太郎の気分になりたかった。
This fixed-seat boat has long been obsolete so it is quite rare to be able to row on one. Competitive rowing boats today all have sliding seats which make it easier to row. So fixed-seat boats have fixed seats which don’t move. And compared to modern rowing boats which are very narrow and light (made of fiberglass, etc.), fixed-seat boats are wider and heavier (wood), making it harder to row and slower.
But it was fun rowing with the jr. high students (more girls than boys). The fixed-seat boat looks very sleek and beautiful cuttting through the waters of Lake Biwa. I really like the design. It was like rowing on a classic piece of art.
The two replica boats were donated to Imazu where they are stored in a large boathouse. The first one is named “Chiaki/Taro” and the second is called “Yodo.”
See more photos here:
http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=589
This coming Sunday, there will be a citizens’ regatta (rowing boat race) on Seta River near Seta Karahashi Bridge.
It will be all day long from 9 am to 4 pm. Many rowing teams will race down the river for 250 meters.
The 本部 (headquarters) will be on the east side of the river near Seta-Karahashi Bridge. Map:
http://setarc.jp/2007resident/map.png
They will also sell my Lake Biwa Rowing Song CD for 800 yen. I will also be there most of the time to help sell the CD. So if you have time on Sunday, please drop by and say hello.
My CD will also be one of the prizes awarded to all the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of the regatta in all race categories. (Total of 75 winners.)
Web site:
http://setarc.jp/2007resident/point/
ボート体験教室
Seta Rowing Club
This past Sunday, I visited the Seta Rowing Club 瀬田漕艇倶楽部 near the Lake Biwa Rowing Course 琵琶湖漕艇場. They offer a 2-hour rowing lesson every Sunday during non-winter months.
First they show you a video about rowing. Then they teach you how to use the rowing machine called “ergo.” Then we boarded a sleek race boat and rowed. It was my first time to row on such a boat. We rowed all the way to the shinkansen tracks in Seta River. It’s very fast.
See pictures here:
http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=383
It’s quite good exercise and interesting experience. I highly recommend this rowing club.
http://www.setarc.jp/info/school/
