Category Archives: JET Events

The Shikoku Field Day Event

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By Lisa Cross, AJET Block 8 Representative.

Shikoku is comprised of four beautiful prefectures, Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi and Tokushima. Shikoku is home of the famous 88th temple of pilgrimage, a vibrant community spirit and its natural scenic beauty.

The Shikoku Field Day is the main Block Eight event of the year. The event is open to the entire block and beyond for the purpose of coming together and having lots of fun while forming and maintaining friendships. The event is also supported by all the prefectures on Shikoku.

The Field Day is a one-day (overnight optional) gathering of Shikoku-ites and their friends to play games more focused on fun than competition. The games followed by a barbecue will take place at Shikoku Saburo no Sato, in Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture, on the afternoon of Saturday, November 26th afterward; attendees can stay the night in a tent or a cottage and participate in the evening’s ongoing revelries, or head back home.

The event will give you the opportunity to relive some of your childhood memories. Remember when there was a time in our childhood when we didn’t play for results, there was no tournament bracket, no championship round, no record-keeping and sometimes there weren’t even any points. You just showed up, played hard, had lots of fun and went home.

Many of the day’s games are taken from the New Games Movement of the 1970s. No prior knowledge of the rules is required to participate. Exciting games may include; capture the flag, catch the dragon’s tail, bola, slaughter, caterpillar and rock-paper-scissors. In keeping with the spirit of the event, teams will be randomly determined on the day and distinguished by bandanas (provided), which will have the side effect of making participants look totally great. Awards will be given, but not all of them will be for winning. Some awards will have inherently magical properties.

Shikoku Field Day promises to be an exciting and unpredictable day to remember! Eat, drink, play, and be merry. Looking forward to a fun filled day!

Bi-annual ALT Soccer Tournament

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This year’s bi-annual ALT hosted soccer tournament, Japan’s biggest foreign footie tournament, will be hosted on November 19th and 20th, in Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture for Western Japan, and on October 1st and 2nd on Sugadaira Kogen, Nagano Prefecture for Eastern Japan. The tournament features an 11 vs 11 format for men, and 6 v 6 for women. Supporters are also welcome, and can purchase a package which includes lodging, food, charity raffle tickets, entrance to the party, and bus shuttle fees, for a paltry ￥15000 for both days. You can check out the website and find more information here. Be sure to check out the Facebook page as well at this link.

IVG Presents – Tokyo Yamathon 2011

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What is the Tokyo Yamathon?

The Tokyo Yamathon is a fundraising challenge where teams of three or four people compete to walk or run through Tokyo visiting all 29 stations of the famous JR Yamanote train line in under 12 hours. The Yamanote line is Japan’s busiest and most important commuter rail lines which circles the capital, travelling through Tokyo’s major districts as it goes. Our second Yamathon in April 2011 featured 355 people, 100 teams and an amazing 1,027,501 yen raised for Oxfam Japan’s relief efforts in Tohoku.

 

Who is IVG?

The IVG is a group of English-speaking volunteers who work together to support Oxfam Japan in their mission to find solutions to global poverty and injustice.

The IVG aims to create awareness within Japan about the issues that Oxfam deals with, and raises funds to support Oxfam’s work. We are an entirely volunteer-run group of people from all over the world with a desire to make a difference!

FAQ’s
Q. What is the Tokyo Yamathon?
A. The Yamathon is a physical and navigational challenge where teams of three or four people walk around the Yamanote line in under 12 hours. The Yamanote line is Japan’s busiest and most important commuter rail line which circles the capital and is famous around the world.

Q. Why should I get involved in this?
A. Ask yourself a question – do you honestly know Tokyo? This will be a fantastic opportunity to see all the sights in one day and to also check out new places: places where normally you would never think of going to. Think of starting out in the dew-kissed surroundings of Yoyogi Park in the morning and returning past the skyscrapers & neon lights of Shinjuku before arriving back at Harajuku at night.

This is a physical challenge in which, you will start together, stick together, and finish together as a team. This is also a fundraising event. 6,000 yen may not seem much to you. But it will mean a lot more to those who live in poverty around the world.

Q. Can our team run???
A. You can walk or run! Whichever! The faster you walk the quicker you can get to the after-party! All team members must finish together as a team.

See: http://www.tokyo-yamathon.com/ for more details!

When: Saturday 19th November 2011
Meeting Time: 06:15
Starting time: 07:00
Meeting point: At the entrance of Yoyogi Park (2mins from Harajuku Station)
Donation to Oxfam Japan: 6,000 yen (+1000 yen for insurance) per team

2011 Iwamizawa International Mini Festival

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NorwayWarm greetings from Iwamizawa, Hokkaido. With one of the highest concentrations of JET participants in Hokkaido, the Iwamizawa and many other JET participants living on the island along with their families and friends have been organising the Iwamizawa International Mini Festival for the past 5 years. The goal of this event is to foster awareness of Iwamizawa’s cultural diversity and is a logical extension of the JET Programme’s aim for local internationalisation. Every year, with an average of 250 people in attendance and it has become one of the most successful international events in the city.
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Taj Ultimate

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Taj Ultimate is a two day ultimate frisbee tournament where teams and players gather from all over Japan and even from all over the globe. Taj Ultimate is also famous for its BBQ dance party. During the party players get a rare chance to relax together and get to know each other. It isn’t often that you get to meet people from all over Japan in one area. We pride ourselves on creating an event that encourages grassroots exchange. Over the past seven years Taj Ultimate has grown into one of the largest sporting events in Tajima, Northern Hyogo Prefecture. The first tournament was held on the weekend of June 5th – 6th, 2004. The tournament has grown over the years. In the past seven years the number of teams has increased to twenty teams and over 300 participants. Taj Ultimate players are extremely diverse. Players living in Japan from abroad and Japanese nationals of all ages and genders make up the players. This past tournament we proudly received recognition from National AJET as the “The Best Sporting Event”. We hope that Taj Ultimate will continue to be such a great success.

What has made Taj Ultimate a success is the dedication and support of our volunteers. Taj Ultimate is organized entirely by volunteers. It takes many hours of planning to ensure that Taj Ultimate runs smoothly. Planning usually begins as early as six to eight months before the tournament is to take place. We begin preparations for the tournament and also for the massive BBQ dance party that takes place at night after the first day of play.

Organizing the event is a production in its own. This was my first year acting as chairman for Taj Ultimate. It was a great learning experience. It was a challenge because this was my first time helping put together and coordinating an event of this size. I learned the basics of promoting, gathering sponsors, booking spaces, ordering and gathering supplies, and the list goes on. This however would be nearly impossible to do on my own, that is why I am ever so grateful to the other committee members and our volunteers for their support. The committee is made up of both internationals and locals. Some have been doing it for a few years and others for the first time. We are always looking for and welcoming new faces into the circle. We hope to pass on our knowledge so that we may keep the spirit of Taj Ultimate going for several years to come. If you are interested in or have any questions about Taj Ultimate or ultimate frisbee please feel free to check out our homepage: tajultimate.com

We hope to see some new and also familiar faces at next years tournament.

VIA: Hyogo Times