The newly established tournament “IKAI Christmas CUP 1st All-Japan Student Judo Mixed Team Tournament” (December 20th to 21st, Numazu City Koryo Arena) attracted a lot of attention not only for the fun of the match itself, but also for its gorgeous production, careful live streaming, and playfulness such as “rolling the dice.” We spoke to Mr. Takamasa Anai, who served as the chairman of the tournament executive committee, about the aims of the tournament’s creation, the thoughts behind it, and the intentions behind the production.
[Interview]Executive Committee Chairman Takamasa Anai: “This is a tournament that aims to strengthen and spread the word, and I want both participants and viewers to enjoy it.”
–What led you to start the tournament?
To put it simply, there are two things: “strengthening and spreading.” First, “strengthening”. Japan won silver medals at the Tokyo Olympics and Paris Olympics for the second time in a row. I didn’t reach the money. Athletes who have only competed in gender-separated competitions since their school days are now competing in big tournaments such as the Asian Games, World Championships, and Olympics, where the public expects them to win, without having any experience.I want to somehow change that. I’m not saying that the policy of strengthening is good or bad, but I am saying that if you can create opportunities like this, it will lead to strengthening.
–The other thing is “diffusion.”
In fact, I am very conscious of this. It has been a long time since people have talked about the decline in the judo population, but women’s judo in particular is in an extremely critical situation. This is already clear from the number of participants in each prefecture’s preliminaries in the high school category. Some prefectures are unable to represent themselves. The problem of overconcentration is also a big one. When I think about why this happens, I think that more than just the fact that the competition is not fun or interesting, there is one thing that comes to mind: “I have no destination” and “I have no choice.” My impression of the university category is that while the male population is maintaining to some extent, the female population is on the decline. This has to be stopped.
–I think there is a tendency in the industry as a whole to not value women. Among them, the intention is to have women play the same role as men in the university category, to increase their value, and to create a place for women.
that’s right. This time, Meiji University showed us the ultimate example. I think the fact that there is a tournament in which even just one girl can compete will eventually lead to more career opportunities for female athletes. Okay, so it would be ideal if more schools were willing to work harder at scouting girls. Another thing I would like to point out is that when women become mothers, they have a great influence on their children. When you think about what you want your child to do, if you were able to continue doing judo, you’ll probably end up thinking, “I want my child to do judo.” It is extremely important that the careers of female judo athletes continue. The desire to popularize this technology is stronger than the desire to strengthen it.
–Watching the first day’s game, I honestly felt that we could expect positive effects similar to those achieved by Georgia through the mixed team.
As you say. As eJudo always talks about, Georgia used to have a shortage of female athletes, and when the mixed team was created, they couldn’t compete, but Georgia has started to seriously strengthen its women’s team.This year, the team won the World Championships, the European Championships, where the women saved the men’s mistakes and won the championship, and they even produced Georgia’s first women’s world champion in Eteri Riparteriani. I think this clearly means that the establishment of the system was the trigger for the spread and development of women’s judo. There is one big example. Let’s take the attitude that Japan will not be left behind. Creating a new tournament is a really difficult task, and it takes courage and energy to take the plunge, but fortunately, we were blessed with the cooperation and support of many people, and we were able to hold it this time.
–I think we can expect all of the positive effects that “mixed teams” have had on the international judo world to be had in Japan as well.
I think so. Although this message is from the student judo world, I hope it will be an opportunity for people to realize that “this kind of thing exists” even in categories such as high schools, junior high schools, or national sports tournaments. This is now my clear intention.
–There is an example of how it became easier for universities to scout lightweight athletes after the All-Japan Student Weight Group was established. Are you aiming for the same effect?
As you say. Through this tournament, I would like to increase the possibility that universities that have traditionally focused only on male athletes will focus on female athletes, or that universities that have traditionally focused on female athletes will begin to strengthen male athletes. And this time, we, who are in the position of accepting high school students, have moved to change our attitude first, but I hope that in the future this will lead to the next stage, such as the movement of those who accept university students.
–If there were an adult league and a mixed team, it would be tempting to imagine that the range of employment opportunities for players would be expanded. In fact, I think the regulations are suitable for team competitions for top athletes. …And I have the impression that “mixed gender groups” are very well received by the Japanese public, even at events such as the Olympics. I think the amount of attention it received exceeded the expectations of people in the industry. What do you think about the fun of this system itself?
Originally, there is a difference between an individual competition, which always ends in a decisive decision, and a team competition, which is fought within a four-minute limit and ends in a draw. However, although mixed teams have a strong element of individual competition, there is a sense of expectation that teamwork will work and even opponents with differing strengths will be able to turn things around in one shot, and it is interesting to combine the two. The same goes for men and women when it comes to “putting things together.” At Tenri University, the boys are at a much higher level than the girls, but I tell the girls, “Put on the boy’s armor. It will give you energy.” The girls worked extremely hard today as well. The games we lost were also different. It’s interesting to see the mysterious power that comes from combining the energies of boys and girls into one. Above all, I want everyone to understand that there are things here that are not found in Japan. To be honest, when the system of “mixed gender groups” was created, I was actually the biggest opponent. Why do 6 people do it? Why isn’t there a draw? I think they don’t understand the fun of team competitions. It’s so valuable and interesting that I changed my mind to, “This is good, too.” You’ll want to do it, if you can show it this far.
–I would also like to ask you about “Show Up.” The event included moving lights and sound effects, the installation of entrance gates, the hiring of an MC, the installation of a large screen, and a full-fledged broadcast that looked like a TV program. It’s as luxurious as an international tournament. It was a lively event worthy of the name “Christmas Cup.” I could feel their enthusiasm for making it a rewarding tournament.
Have you ever passed through an entrance gate? (laughs) Even in the past, there are very few tournaments in Japan where athletes enter through a gate. This time, my students worked hard to set up and prepare, and when I asked them at rehearsal, “Do you want to go through it?”, they said, “I want to do it!” (lol). Everyone wants to experience this performance. I think the athletes who are participating are very happy, and the students who come to support them may think, “I want to participate next year.”
–Athletes from local universities walked through the gate after their name was called and appeared with their most adorable smiles on their faces. You were so proud.
I think that’s important (lol). One gate, one aurora vision can greatly increase the motivation of the players. This is my first tournament and I don’t have any experience yet, so it’s very important that people want to participate. It was also interesting to enter each school using this gate. In normal tournaments, the cheering students would go home after their team’s game, but today (the first day of the tournament) they didn’t go home, right? That’s what makes this kind of performance so interesting. This is also encouraging for players who are playing until the end. Also, this experience of directing will be useful in the future.
–A little more details.
I think it would be a good idea to remind people of the enthusiasm and lively performance of the audience at the Paris Olympics. When it comes to the hectic atmosphere of international tournaments, players with little experience tend to get swept away. Athletes who have only competed in domestic tournaments may find it difficult to show their full potential when they are suddenly taken to an international tournament with flashy performances. That’s why I think you have the opportunity to develop a mentality that doesn’t take you too seriously, and that allows you to be excited by interesting productions, and to think, “Come on, come join me!” from your university days.
–The draw the day before and the opening ceremony with no athletes taking oaths have a hint of an international tournament, don’t you think?
that’s right. In conjunction with the international tournament, I approached the tournament with the attitude of wanting to get rid of the Japanese style once and for all. I’m sure there are pros and cons to this, but I would like to make it as close as possible to the specifications for international competitions, while still ensuring that we adhere to certain aspects such as the singing of the national anthem.
–I see. Also, the show-up and draw were purposely staged so that they could be seen in real time and projected on a large screen, and the dice roll to decide the national team match really gave me a sense of Mr. Anai’s childish spirit. We are turning a process that a normal tournament organizer would be able to handle in a practical manner and just pick up the results into entertainment.
First of all, continuing from what I was saying earlier, I would like to intentionally put an exciting and mentally taxing burden on the students. Who will we fight against? Who will appear? As for the “childhood” you mentioned, thankfully, I’ve already been able to do everything I really wanted to do (lol). The purpose is simply to strengthen and spread the word, so the show-up part is just a bonus to make the competition more entertaining. By enlivening the game, we make the players feel fulfilled, attract the attention of the audience, increase their motivation, and encourage them to compete well. This is the part that makes the judo content itself interesting and increases its value. However, this part is also important in gaining the understanding of those around you. In judo tournaments, only the athletes on the tatami mats, the officials, referees, and other officials near the tatami mats are entertained, and the spectators and people watching on TV tend to be left behind, but I want to take this in a direction where there is a sense of unity. This may be my personal wish, which is a little different from the original purpose of strengthening and spreading the word, but I think it is meaningful. I think that enlivening the content is a very important element in enriching the content. However, the more you do this part, the more it costs. This time, we were only able to make it possible with the great support of Mr. Ikai and the support and understanding of the local Numazu Shinkin Bank. Looking at the industry as a whole, we need more sponsors who will invest in the content of judo itself. How should we spend the money, increase the power of the content, and connect it to the next investment in the judo world? I would like to strike a good balance.
–In terms of attracting interest and understanding from fans and the general public, we will put out a list of athletes before the tournament and ask each university to promote themselves on Instagram. This attitude was also very good. Announcements about the tournament were buzzing on the Vision screen in front of the station, and with a judo class given by Hifumi Abe and Uta, the number of customers increased, and local media were also there.
thank you. Regarding self-promotion, this is something that is commonplace in other student sports, for example. It is commonly carried out at inter-college schools such as track and field. Even though I was in the same student-athlete world, I didn’t even know that. It was embarrassing. I felt like I was ahead of the pack in the judo world, but when I looked around me, I realized that was not the case at all. I’m thinking of going out with the mindset of producing a lot of output, getting people to know about judo, and getting people to come and see it. I don’t think anything like this could ever happen. I am proud that the National Sports Tournament in Nagahama was a very good event (I served as an “ambassador”), but I have to figure out how to get the word out about it, how to make it a good event, and how to get people to see it. I think the role of the unsung heroes is important. The director has already stepped down, so I’m focusing all my efforts here.
–The culture in the judo world is that “all you have to do is just hold the tournament,” and depending on the organizer, there are quite a few cases where organizers don’t publicly release the list of athletes, records, results, or even the event itself if they’re bad at it. There are many organizations that go to the trouble of conducting interviews and making inquiries, or even taking the trouble of creating records themselves, asking, “Why do we have to go to such lengths when the games are already being played?” From a dissemination perspective, this is extremely difficult, but I was surprised to see that the organizers clearly had a “viewing” point of view and brought it to the forefront.
If you’re going to do it, there’s no point in doing it unless people know about it. And if we can’t create a vortex where people are calling, it’s no good. There needs to be a vortex where people who have seen it or come into contact with it will want to go out and watch it together. If this vortex grows, the tension and motivation of the athletes will increase, the level of the competition will inevitably rise, and the overall level of the sport will also rise, and the population will also increase. I want to say this out loud. Getting people to know about it, getting people to come, that’s really important. To achieve this, the first step is to disseminate information. We will provide information in advance, perform live broadcasts, and, of course, provide accurate records. Let them know and see it. This will ultimately lead to an increase in the number of people who do it.
–Even though it was the first competition, 24 schools from all over the country participated. Was the number more than you expected?
Some teams may want to participate first since it’s their first time, while others may want to wait and see what kind of tournament it is. We have teams from far away, and there must be various circumstances going on in these times, but we did our best to reach out to them. I was really nervous about how many people would participate, but I was truly overwhelmed by the fact that 24 teams came. This makes me the happiest.
――Holding a tournament of this scale is an emotional experience in itself.
At the moment I first entered the venue, I wondered if it was possible to be this happy. There were so many good things that happened to me, and I wondered if things were going to be bad for me in the future (lol).
–At the opening ceremony, Tsuyoshi Ikai, chairman of the sponsor (Ikai Co., Ltd.), said, “We hope to continue this event for a long time.” About next year and beyond.
Thank you for your words. There may be some teams that look at this year’s tournament and say, “Oh, I wish they had participated,” and we’ve already received a few comments saying, “We’d like to participate next year, too.” I would like to respond to as many voices as possible, meet the expectations of various people, flesh out this tournament, and continue to make it stronger.
[Review]A big step forward for “Visible Judo”, a tournament that will be a turning point in history
The purpose of the project and the content are perfect. Chairman Anai raised two points: “strengthening and disseminating,” and the latter was particularly impressive to me.
When it comes to popularizing Judo, it is more important to focus on “Judo to see” than “Judo to do”. And for content that focuses on “Judo to watch”, a mixed-gender group is very suitable. First of all, this was an insight.
And the stance that swings it wide to “Judo to watch” is innovative. The tournament marked a historical turning point for judo events, as it diverted resources to the “viewers,” who were difficult to reach from those involved in judo, who were basically the “doers.”
In the first place, it was an exciting regulation in which the mixed men’s and women’s teams were very close to the “viewers” (*If a top player with a lot of skill draws out a “draw”, the match would hardly move, but under these regulations, there was no choice but to compete), but its characteristics and various productions were in perfect sync. If you can get things exciting and motivate the players, it will definitely be a good match. With this regulation, strong or weak motivation can only work in the direction of “attacking”. There is no salt match. There is an inevitability to the excitement itself. Since this is an event that originates from an international tournament, there is nothing out of place about the flashy production.
In introducing this international competition-style production into the conservative world of judo, they not only used the mixed-gender team as a substitute, but also cleverly named it the “Christmas Cup.” Regardless of the story, they communicated that it was an “enjoyable tournament” and “a festival,” and at the same time made it function as an excuse. The players’ “hasty” entrance may have been supported by the tournament’s name, which told them “it’s okay to do it.” It’s not just a formal tournament name chosen because it’s the end of the year. It would not have been possible to write in the guidelines, “We will make this a well-produced tournament that is fun to play, fun to watch,” but the name of the tournament was enough to express that spirit. It’s the perfect Christmas present that comes after the students have finished the “Gakujuren 3 Tournament,” which they put their lives on the line for. When all the events were over and the MC closed the event with a storm of applause, saying, “Thank you, everyone! Merry Christmas!” There was something that made me think, “Ah, I’m sure this will continue next year.”
The “communication attitude” before the tournament, represented by each university’s self-promotion, and the presentation at the venue are already described in the tournament article and interview text. The content of the matches was extremely interesting, and the production was so resourceful (money and brains) that it would have been meaningless if we didn’t go all the way. If I were to use Chairman Anai’s words in my question, it would be the power of a “childish mind,” but it is on a completely different level from “the work I am forced to do.” Good planning, good matches, good production, and a high-quality, easy-to-watch live broadcast. In any case, it was a tournament with high content. Overall, I think it would be fair to say that in this respect, it is by far the best of the current domestic tournaments.
Of course, it was a wonderful event from the perspective of strengthening the sport, or spreading it from the perspective of “creating a place for athletes.” Above all, it was amazing how they exclaimed that “a mixed-gender group can accomplish all of these things: “strengthening,” “spreading (yaru judo),” and “spreading (seen judo).” The vitality that was achieved was amazing. Hats off to you. Among them, his high level of understanding of “seeing” judo stood out to me, so I would like to focus on this one point and give a short review. I sincerely hope that the tournament will continue in better form next year and beyond, and that this culture will continue.
(Eiki Furuta)
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