Obama Elementary School - Meet the Kids - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
This article introduces Obama Elementary School in Kagoshima Prefecture, where students take classes, go canoeing, and farm vegetables against the majestic backdrop of the Sakurajima volcano.

Go - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Have you ever heard of go? Two people take turns placing black and white stones on a large wooden board. The player that controls more territory at the end of the game is the winner. This game is hugely popular with elementary and middle school students now.

Jump Rope - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Jump rope is popular the world over as a recreation and, more recently, a sport. Recently, many Japanese elementary school kids have been enjoying it as a competitive sport. Part of the reason for the rise in popularity is that a jump-rope national championship for junior athletes was held in Japan last year.

Beyblades - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
"Three, two, one, go shoot!" Since the beginning of this year, there has been a sharp increase in the number of elementary school students who can be seen standing in circles in toy stores or on street corners calling out these words as they battle with tops. These kids are called "bladers," and they spin plastic tops in a dish-shaped "stadium" about 40 centimeters (16 inches) in diameter. Two players spin their tops at the same time, and the battle between the tops is so intense that sometimes even sparks can be seen. The match is won when one top pushes the other out of the stadium or spins longer than the other.

Bob Sapp - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
A two-meter giant of a man weighing 170 kilograms and known as "The Beast" has captured the imagination of boys across Japan. Bob Sapp, a 28-year-old martial arts fighter from the United States, has a somewhat intimidating face and gigantic body that give him a frightening appearance. But children who love martial arts are fascinated by him and say, "Those muscles - he's superhuman!" And even kids who aren't crazy about martial arts adore him. Why? The secret lies in his curious character.

Unicycles - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Since around 10 years ago, more and more Japanese kids have been riding unicycles. At elementary schools and middle schools, you can see kids riding them around during recess or as a club activity. Some kids are really devoted; in 1992, a Kobe middle schooler named Akira Matsushima, who was 15 years old at the time, rode across North America on an oversized unicycle called the Big Wheel, covering a distance of about 5,400 kilometers, or 3,355 miles.

Lure Fishing - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Fishing for sport in Japan has usually meant using live bait. But over the past few years, a new technique that was introduced from the West has been enjoying a quiet boom--and not just with adults but also with kids, mainly boys in elementary or middle school. Lures that are made to look like worms, small fish, and other live bait are used to trick the fish into thinking it's the real thing.

Thirty-one-legged Race - Kids in Action - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
An event known as the 31-legged race is popular right now among Japanese elementary school students. In this event, 30 classmates line up in a single row with their legs tied together at the ankles. There is even a 31-legged race national championship for elementary school students, which is broadcast on national TV.

Bosnia - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
During the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano in 1998, Sanbonyanagi Elementary School in Nagano supported Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the "one school, one nation" program, where each local school learned about and supported one country during the games. Now friendship between students in Nagano and Sarajevo has grown strong.

Bike Trek - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Two Japanese schoolboys, accompanied by their parents, are in the middle of a trans-America trek on mountain bikes from New York to San Francisco, an adventure covering a distance of some 5,000 kilometers in two-and-a-half months.

Ai-chan - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Known as a table tennis genius since she was just three years old, Ai Fukuhara, now a sixth grader at Taisho Kita Elementary School in Yao, Osaka Prefecture, has become the youngest girl ever to be a member of the all-Japan table tennis squad.

Hayanari - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Formula One, or F1, is the top motor racing series in the world. It's very popular in Japan, as are all the levels of Formula racing below it. Hayanari Shimoda, a 16-year-old high school student from Tokyo, took a big step up the racing ladder when he made his Formula Renault debut at Vallelunga Race Track in Italy (about 30 kilometers north of Rome) on Sunday, April 22. Juggling academics with a racing career isn't easy, but Hayanari is doing his best to keep up with his school work--even while he competes in races around the world.

Go - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Yuta Iyama is a 12-year-old boy from Kusaka Elementary School in Osaka. In April he will become a professional Go player, only the fourth 12 year old ever to become a pro in Japan. He is the first elementary school student to become a pro for 17 years. The youngest pro ever was 11 years old.

Aerobics - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Sixteen-year-old Eiichi Omura wowed spectators with his stellar sportaerobics performance when he became the World Youth Varsity Champion in the Suzuki World Cup 2002, 13th International Aerobics Championship held in Tokyo on April 13 and 14.

Race - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Have you ever run a three-legged race? In Japan there is a similar sport in which teams of thirty - yes 30! - people tie their legs together and run for 50 meters. It's called the "thirty-one-legged race" (site is Japanese only). There's even a national thirty-one-legged race championship for teams of elementary-school students. In 2002 the championship was held on November 23 at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa Prefecture. About 1,000 kids took part, made up of members of the 29 teams that came through regional qualifying competitions.

Medal - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Japan's Ryoko Tamura scored her third consecutive World Championships victory on October 12 when she defeated Cuba's Amarilo Savon for the gold medal in the 48-kilogram (106-pound) class.

Hockey - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
With the aim of raising the level of female field hockey players in Japan by the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, the Japan Hockey Association launched a women's hockey league in May.

Rugby - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
About 50 elementary school students were introduced to tag rugby, a variation of rugby football that doesn't involve full body contact, in an event sponsored by the Japan Rugby Football Union in May. The new sport is perfect for youngsters and female players, the JRFU says, since it doesn't involve tackling or forming scrummages.

Unicycle - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
A fourth grader attending a Tokyo elementary school is traveling around Japan on a unicycle this summer. Ken Ichiyama began his journey from Yamagata Prefecture in late June. He's expected to cover a distance of 5,000 kilometers (around 3,000 miles) on a voyage that will take him through all 47 prefectures in Japan--from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south.

Porpoises - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Four finless porpoises at the Toba Aquarium in the city of Toba, Mie Prefecture, have taught themselves to play soccer, and they've been showing off their skills to children and adults visiting the aquarium during the summer months.