Sports

The thought of sports generally provokes a feeling of activity, health and determination. Maybe these are team orientated or maybe they are singular players when collected add to a bigger picture. Still, whatever these activities are, I’m the wrong the person to ask. I have to be honest here, I am not a very sports savvy person and the thought of hand-eye coordination, competition and the possibly of objects leaving the ground and into the air generally frighten me.

Though, when I am confronted with the question of sports in Japan I can regularly see them around my campus or if I walk through the streets, people playing against each other, for fun or health or both. Japan is no less an active country than the next. Although I think my general disinterest in “sports” makes me a bit blind to the types popular or significant in the culture.

I can see the hype of foreign sports such as Base ball and soccer and I am familiar with Japan’s own traditional sports such as Sumo and various kinds of Martial Arts. But I have no personal grasp on them or experience enough to feel a passion to write about them.

When I look at Japan I always try to catch the different details that are always present but no one really appreciates.

That is when I thought of cycling. The idea of cycling as a sport is pretty uncommon here but there are bicycles everywhere, I even have one. The mountainous scenery that is Japan has with long trails to follow it, it is seemingly perfect for the sport.

I have a friend who is a competitive cyclist in Tokyo. And when ask him from a Japanese perspective, what does cycling mean to him he responds by saying he likes the self control, that even though in a competition the other cyclists there really is no third party. Just the track, trail or what have you and cyclist.
Because outside the races cycling mainly is just that. Cycling is mostly a competition with oneself and seeing how far one can push the body into endurance.
How that makes it a Japanese perspective I am not completely sure because I am sure that is common feeling among all cyclists.
But the in depth description what I got was that even though cycling is a person against self sport compared to other countries there is more of a brotherhood feeling in Japan, and that possibly can be applied to many sports, how humble teams and supporters become of one another. My friend told that many foreigners not only come to cycle in Japan for its beauty but because of the less competitive or selfish atmosphere.
When he had cycled in the United States and Europe he said many people even on practice or leisure are competing to beat one another. To win.
Although he describes to me that in Japan they are pushing each other to faster same sponsor or not because they are all cyclists, making them the same nearly because everyone enjoys this cycling feeling or spirit. What makes it different in Japan is that it is more about respect and feeling and self satisfaction through trying then how many medals one can win.

For me, when I think about cycling in Japan or bike riding in general it seems to fit.
Japan is a country of old and new, traditions, buildings and etc.
A bike is still a modern invention but from this day in age with cars and motorcycles it has a bit of an old era feeling. I feel that both complement each other well in their paradoxes. As I said before, I wonder what the future of cycling in Japan will be like, since bikes are so commonly used. However, maybe that is it’s secret, cycling may be popular but as a secret kind of sport that can be so great and remain timi.

Here is a link to Japan's cycling website
http://www.j-cycling.org/about/
and a link to a thread about cyclists in Japan and their thoughts
http://www.tokyocycle.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=367