JAPAN AND SPORT

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 259, 2 August 1928, Page 11

JAPAN AND SPORT

QUICKENING NATIONAL

INTEREST Dominion Special Service. Auckland, August 1. In an interview on board the flagship to-day, Admiral Kobayashi, .of the Japanese squadron, gave practical proof of Japanese interest in sport by calling 101 a wireless message received daily H’Olii Tokio giving the results at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Japan, is particularly proud of one outstanding uoma.n athlete. Miss Kinuwe Hitomi, who is competing at Amsterdam. Three years ago, the Admiral said, Miss Hitomi attended the international womens games in Sweden. “She could not get any first prize, but she got sometimes second, sometimes third, so that in the total individual marks she was highest,” lie explained. “Such an achievement as that stimulates our womenfolk; it gives them an incentive toward these games and exercises. When the present Emperor’s grandfather died in 1012 the people, without Government assistance, built a very fine shrine, corresponding somewhat to our memorial halls, in Tokio. “Just outside the shrine there was provided every sort of playing ground for young people,” said the commander. “Every year now in our autumn, about the middle of October, boy and girl students from all tlie schools in Japan come to Tokio io take part in athletic ..contest s —rowing, horse riding, fencing, jui-jitsu, baseball, tennis, and so on. It is a most interesting sight to watch. There is no doubt that this encouragement of sport among our people is altering and improving the physique of our younger generation.” On board ship, as tlie Admiral explained, the Japanese still confine themselves mostly to their traditional sports. Th’ reason is that there is not sufficient room to play European games, but in barracks on shore they play baseball and tennis and all those games, he said.