Tuesday, October 15, 2024
The 53rd Hokuryu-cho Sunflower Olympics was held at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 10, at the Hokuryu-cho Rural Environmental Improvement Center.
- 1 The 53rd Hokuryu Town Sunflower Olympics
- 1.1 General Moderator: Mr. Yoshiki Miyazaki, Hokuryu Town Board of Education
- 1.2 Greetings from the President: Mr. Kazushi Arima, Superintendent of Education, Hokuryu Town Board of Education
- 1.3 Pledge of Allegiance: Kimiko Yamada, Class President, Himawari University
- 1.4 Referee's Note: Sports Promotion Committee, Ryo Kato, Vice-Chairman
- 1.5 Introduction of each team's coach
- 1.6 Hokuryu Town Sports Promotion Committee and Committee Members
- 1.7 warm-up exercises
- 1.8 Start of competition
- 1.9 closing ceremony
- 1.10 Big lottery for fun
- 2 Youtube Video
- 3 More Photos
- 4 Related Articles
The 53rd Hokuryu Town Sunflower Olympics
About 54 people aged 65 and over from various neighborhood associations, including university students from the Hokuryu-cho Himawari University and members of the Himawari Longevity Association, participated in the event and enjoyed the competition by exercising their bodies energetically.
- organizingHokuryu Town Board of Education
- cooperationHokuryu Town Sports Promotion Committee
General Moderator: Mr. Yoshiki Miyazaki, Hokuryu Town Board of Education
Mr. Yoshiki Miyazaki of the Hokuryu Town Board of Education served as general chairman for the competition.
Greetings from the President: Mr. Kazushi Arima, Superintendent of Education, Hokuryu Town Board of Education
Today, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of you for participating in the 53rd Sunflower Olympic Games.
In 1964, exactly 60 years ago, on October 10, the Tokyo Olympics were held. On this very day, October 10, the Sunflower Olympic Games will be held, and I hope you will be very excited about it.
We have prepared a variety of competitions for you today.
I hope that everyone who has become an athlete in each event, as well as those who were not selected as athletes, will make this competition a great success by applauding and cheering.
As this is the Sunflower Olympic Games, there are winners and losers, but I hope you will put the competition aside for today and have a lot of fun.
In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all the sports promoters, members of the Himawari Longevity Association, and members of Himawari University for their great cooperation in organizing today's event.
I wish you all the best today," said Mr. Arima, Superintendent of Education.
Pledge of Allegiance: Kimiko Yamada, Class President, Himawari University
Pledge! We, all athletes engaged in lifelong learning, pledge to deepen inter-community exchange at the Sunflower Olympics, to avoid injury, and to enjoy this day to the fullest.
October 10, 2024 Kimiko Yamada, Representative of the Players
Referee's Note: Sports Promotion Committee, Ryo Kato, Vice-Chairman
The venue is cold, so I hope you will enjoy yourself energetically and avoid injury by doing exercises before the competition.
Explanations of the competition will be given individually after the competitors have gathered for each event. Please be proactive and ask questions about any event you do not understand. Thank you for your cooperation today," said Vice Chairperson Kato.
Introduction of each team's coach
- Red group (Wa-machi, Wa-honmachi)・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Mr. Takao Yamada
- Yellow group (Itaya, Nishikawa, Sakuraoka, Wa, Wa-higashimachi, Mitani) Mr. Yoshiharu Yamashita
- White group (Mibaushi, Iwamura, Hekisui, Kyoei)・・・・・・・・・ Mr. Takeshi Yamamoto
Hokuryu Town Sports Promotion Committee and Committee Members
- vice-chairmanBy Ryo Kato
- committee memberby Masami Abe.
- committee memberHifumi Shimabayashi
warm-up exercises
Before the competition begins, the body is thoroughly relaxed with a full-body workout.
Start of competition
1. ladle relay
- Put the ball on the ladle and pass it from ladle to ladle, from No. 1 to No. 2, and from No. 2 to No. 3, and compete for the fastest relay.
2. bowling
- Each player throws the ball at the pins twice, and compete for the number of pins that fall down.
3. ladder getter
- Each competitor must throw the ladder three times, scoring three points for the upper rung, two points for the middle rung, and one point for the lower rung. If the ladder is thrown three times per person, three points are awarded for the upper rung, two points for the middle rung and one point for the lower rung.
4. barrier-breaking
- The keeper is the coach of each team. The team starts and plays rock-paper-scissors with the keeper; if the team wins, it returns to the keeper and passes the baton to the next person. If you lose, you play rock-paper-scissors once around the keeper and once more; if you lose three times, you go around the keeper once and pass the baton to the next person.
5. ball drop
- Compete for the fastest time to get all the balls in.
6. floor curling
- Flockers who pass through the middle cone frame receive 2 points and those who pass through the end cone frame receive 1 point. The team with the highest points wins. In case of a tie, two players from each team compete for the final.
7. Aim for an upset!
- Players throw balls at numbered targets on the board and compete for the total number of points for each target they hit. Five points are added if the player hits a bingo vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
closing ceremony
Announcement of results and awards
- championshipYellow team, 87 points
- finishing secondRed team: 64 points
- Third placeWhite team, 54 points
Comment: Koji Kawada, Chairman, Hokuryu-cho Sunflower Association of Longevity Groups
I am very pleased that you all had a good time today.
There is a lot going on in the world right now with the House of Representatives election starting on October 15. As I listen to the conversation, the issue of the exhausted local communities is becoming a major problem in each municipality.
In our own surroundings, we feel that the inconvenience of reduced or eliminated transportation services has been a great blow to us old people.
We are entering a long winter, and I believe that the elderly will be placed in a difficult environment due to increasingly poor transportation and cold winters.
Therefore, I would like to encourage everyone to get to know each other a little better as we have done today and get through this winter.
Today was a fun day. I sincerely hope that you will continue to participate in various events and that you will all be healthy old men and women. Thank you very much for today," said Chairman Kawada.
Big lottery for fun
Prizes are awarded by drawing lots for the numbers shown on the raffle tickets given in advance. The person who will draw the lots is Mr. Arima, Superintendent of Education.
Everyone was full of smiles after receiving the gorgeous prizes!
For those who were not selected, disappointment prizes were awarded and all participants received a prize!
With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers, the 53rd Sunflower Olympic Games in Hokuryu-cho will be held in the town of Hokuryu-cho, where the elderly gather to enjoy moving their minds and bodies with smiles and good cheer while engaging in congenial conversation.
Youtube Video
More Photos
Related Articles
Sunflower Olympics
November 18, 2022 (Friday) On Thursday, November 17, from 9:30 a.m., at the Hokuryu-cho Rural Environmental Improvement Center, the 51st Hokuryu-cho Sunflower O...
Monday, November 22, 2021 On Thursday, November 18, from 09:30, at the Hokuryu-cho Rural Environmental Improvement Center, the 50th Hokuryu-cho Sunflower Ori...
Sunflower Village in Hokuryu-cho, Hokkaido, a superb view of Japan. A sightseeing spot in Hokkaido. Please come and see it. Rice sommelier raves about "Oborozuki...
Hokuryu Town Senior Event
Thursday, October 10, 2024 On Tuesday, October 8, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., the Hokuryu Town Hall Resident Division will run the "Orange Cafe (Dementia...
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 On Monday, October 7, at 11:00 a.m., the "Smile Society" social event was held at Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen...
September 2, 2024 (Mon) From 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, the "2024 Sorachi District North Sorachi Prefectural Small Block Workshop" was...
◇ Reporting and writing by Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editorial assistance by Noboru Terauchi)
EN 
JA 
ID 
VI 
ZH