Kashima Gatalympics
Encyclopedia
The Kashima Gatalympics is an event held in the mudflats of the Ariake Sea
off Kashima city
in Saga Prefecture
, Japan
. The event takes place every year at the end of May.
The Gatalympics are a series of fun-filled competitions that take place on the mudflats. The Ariake Sea is perfect for this kind of event as it has a tidal range of six meters - the biggest in Japan
. Participants compete in unique games, where they become covered with mud. The games consist of silly, game-show type contests such as a mud sumo tournament and a surf board race. It has grown into one of the most famous events of Saga Prefecture with a wide variety of people participating- Japanese and foreigners alike.
As the Gatalympics became famous, the mudflats that had been neglected before were improved in condition and status. Under a new perspective, the mudflats became an important and valued symbol for the growth of the city as a whole. It was therefore natural that the mudflats became the central reason for which Kashima is now recognized for.
The proposed name for this event translates as "The big athletic meet on the mudflats." Though accurate, it was also a little dry. A second title was proposed: "The Gata-olympic big athletic meet on the mudflats". Finally, whilst heavily under the influence of alcohol, somebody could only utter as much as "Gatalympic" and from then on, that name has stuck like mud.
Ariake Sea
The is a body of salt water surrounded by Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, and Kumamoto Prefectures, all of which lie on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. It is the largest bay in Kyūshū. Its deepest point is only about 50 m deep, and extreme tides exceed 4 m. It is used for aquaculture, with nori...
off Kashima city
Kashima, Saga
is a city located in the southern part of Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū, Japan.-Geography:Kashima is located about 60 kilometers southwest of Saga City. It borders the Ariake Sea to the east and Nagasaki Prefecture to the southwest...
in Saga Prefecture
Saga Prefecture
is located in the northwest part of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. It touches both the Sea of Japan and the Ariake Sea. The western part of the prefecture is a region famous for producing ceramics and porcelain, particularly the towns of Karatsu, Imari, and Arita...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The event takes place every year at the end of May.
The Gatalympics are a series of fun-filled competitions that take place on the mudflats. The Ariake Sea is perfect for this kind of event as it has a tidal range of six meters - the biggest in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Participants compete in unique games, where they become covered with mud. The games consist of silly, game-show type contests such as a mud sumo tournament and a surf board race. It has grown into one of the most famous events of Saga Prefecture with a wide variety of people participating- Japanese and foreigners alike.
History
When the prefecture plan for Saga was published in 1984, it was decided that Kashima City was never going to have a highway or a Shinkansen train connection. Mr. Masahiko Kuwahara, the mayor of Kashima, was also the president of the junior chamber. He created a committee called "Forum Kashima" to improve the city's cultural calendar. As a result, the 1st Kashima Gatalympic event was held on May 3, 1985.As the Gatalympics became famous, the mudflats that had been neglected before were improved in condition and status. Under a new perspective, the mudflats became an important and valued symbol for the growth of the city as a whole. It was therefore natural that the mudflats became the central reason for which Kashima is now recognized for.
The proposed name for this event translates as "The big athletic meet on the mudflats." Though accurate, it was also a little dry. A second title was proposed: "The Gata-olympic big athletic meet on the mudflats". Finally, whilst heavily under the influence of alcohol, somebody could only utter as much as "Gatalympic" and from then on, that name has stuck like mud.
Event Date
- The 2007 Event is on the 27th May. The opening ceremony starts at 10am, events are from 11am - 3pm.
- The 2009 Gatalympics will be held on June 7th.
External links
- Official Web Site in JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...