Leisure Programmes in Japan

There are many types of leisure programmes in Japan. In sports, there are baseball and sumo wrestling. Japanese also love their Hanami which is the cherry blossom viewing happening one 1 week in March. Furthermore, Japanese engage in Onsen, whereby they would soak in a public bath. In Japan, there are also various festivals known as Matsuri and one famous Matsuri would be the Sanja Matsuri.

Sports

Baseball - It was introduced into Japan in 1872 and since then has become a very popular sport in Japan. Japan has many famous baseballers that participate in world known tournaments and competitions.

Sumo Wrestling - Sumo wrestling is an international sport in Japan. It originated in ancient times and was formerly to entertain the Shinto Gods. In sumo wrestling, the athletes are usually 20-35 years old and all of them stay in the same dormitory, eating the same food and having the same practices. There are 6 tournaments held every year, each lasting 15 days and the grand champion would be known as the yokozuna.

A video of sumo wrestling in Japan.

Hanami

The cherry blossoms in Japan is an unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated every year and hold a prominent position in the Japanese culture. There are many dozens of different cherry tree varieties in Japan, most of which bloom for just a couple of days in spring. The Japanese celebrate that time of the year with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties under the blooming trees.

Onsen

Onsen is a famous hot spring facility in Japan. As Japan is volcanically active, there are many onsen places scattered around the whole of Japan. There are many types of onsen but mainly the outdoor and indoor types. They are a major tourist attraction drawing Japanese couples, families or company groups who want to get away from the hectic life of the city to relax.

The Japanese people believe that Onsen has health benefits to their body, some benefits would be that it helps to heal aches, pains, diseases and illnesses.

An outdoor onsen in Hokkaido

Sanja Matsuri

The festival is held in honor of Hinokuma Hamanari, Hinokuma Takenari and Hajino Nakatomo, the three men who established and founded Senso-ji. Sanja Matsuri is held on the third weekend of every May at Asakusa Shrine.

Sanja Matsuri has several other popular draws. For example, festival goers can visit hundreds of shops found in the Nakamise, a street connecting the Kaminarimon and the Hōzōmon. Many small food stands are also erected in the surrounding areas for the entire weekend. Yakuza members also proudly show off their tattoos during the festival.