JAPANESE AND SPORT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3882, 7 August 1928, Page 74

JAPANESE AND SPORT.

KEEN INTEREST DISPLAYED

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 for the wireless message received daily from Tokio giving the results at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Japan is particularly proud of one outstanding woman athlete, Miss Kinuwe Hitomi, who is competing at Amsterdam. “ Three vears ago,” the admiral said, “Miss Hitomi attended the international women’s games in Sweden. She could not get any first prizes, but she got sometimes second and sometimes third, so that in the total individual marks she was highest. 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 1912,” said the admiral, “ the people, without Government assistance, built a very fine shrine corresponding somewhat with our memorial halls in Tokio. Just outside the shrine there was provided every sort of playing ground •for young people. Every year now in our autumn —about the middle of October—boy and girl students from all the schools in Japan come to Tokio to take part in athletic contests—rowing, horse riding, fencing, jujitsu, baseball, lawn 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 the admiral explained, the Japanese still confine themselves mostly to their traditional sports. The reason is that there is not sufficient room to play European games. " But in the barracks on shore they play baseball and lawn tennis and all those games. Nearly every morning, too, we have mass drill—Swedish exercises, you know,” added the admiral, illustrating the familiar “ arms bend, sideways stretch.” “Japan also had some very proficient swimmers,” he said, “but I think perhaps our smaller build is against us there. Our swimmers are good on short distance sprints, but not so good on the longer distances.” ■