Monday, September 1, 2025
Disaster prevention and a circle of smiles! Hokuryu Town Welfare Association for the Physically Disabled hosts evacuation drills and a Mölkky tournament
On Tuesday, August 26th, a fire evacuation drill and Mölkky tournament for members of the Hokuryu Town Physical Disability Welfare Association (Chairman Yamashita Yoshiharu) was held at the Hokuryu Town Senior Citizens Welfare Center, sponsored by the Hokuryu Town Social Welfare Council (Chairman Yamamoto Tsuyoshi).
fire evacuation training
Before the Mölkky Festival, the first thing they did was a fire evacuation drill. The drill started with the scenario of a fire breaking out in the kitchenette. As the fire alarm siren sounded, all participants calmly evacuated to the front entrance. Firefighters rushed to the scene and gave instructions on how to use the fire extinguishers and other precautions, and the participants listened intently.
Afterwards, we moved to the parking lot of the Senior Citizens' Welfare Center. Together with the staff of the Social Welfare Council, we participated in initial fire extinguishing training using fire extinguishers. Each person worked calmly and carefully, checking the procedures. Everyone was able to complete the training safely.
Mölkky Tournament
After successfully completing the evacuation drill, it's finally time for the long-awaited Mölkky competition!
What is the Finnish sport of Mölkky?
Mölkky is a sport that originated in Finland, in which participants compete for points by throwing a wooden stick called a mölkky to knock down pins called skittles. Megumi Murai, Support System Section Chief at the Hokuryu Town Social Welfare Council, gave us an easy-to-understand explanation of the rules.
This is an organization that aims to promote the Finnish sport of "mölkky."
Mölkky Tools and Rules
- tool:
- Mölkky:A wooden stick for throwing.
- Skittles:Twelve wooden pins numbered 1 to 12 are knocked down.
- Molckery:This is a tool that is placed on the ground to indicate where to throw the Mölkky.
- How to throw:
- The skittles are lined up in a specific order and the player throws the Mölkky from the position where the Mölkkäli is placed.
- The basic throwing technique is underhand.
- You can enjoy using different techniques depending on the situation, such as holding the Mölkky horizontally to knock them all down at once, or holding it vertically to aim at specific targets.
- How to count points:
- SkittlesJust oneIf a skittle falls over, the number written on the skittle is the score.
- Skittles2 or moreIf they fall, the number of pieces that fall will be counted as points.
- The total score isExactly 50 pointsIf the team that reaches 50 points wins, the points are reduced to half, 25 points, and the game continues from there.
The game begins! A heated battle filled with smiles
The players were divided into two groups (three people per group) and began playing in a three-game series!
"So, where should we aim?" "There!" they say to each other, taking aim and throwing the Mölkky.
At first, it seemed unexpectedly difficult for them to get the hang of how to throw, but as they all worked together and scored points, their smiles began to spread!
Cheers could be heard all around: "Four points!" "Nice!" "Yay! 50 points!"
There were a variety of strategies, such as concentrating on one pin or aiming for a high score with multiple pins. The venue was filled with a friendly atmosphere.
Ending a fun time
After the three matches, everyone took a break and enjoyed some drinks. Everyone looked happy and refreshed, as if they had just worked up a good sweat. Finally, everyone was presented with a participation prize before leaving.
My first attempt at the Mölkky Tournament!
It's surprisingly difficult to get the feel for how to throw!
With boundless love, gratitude and prayers, we hope to see everyone join forces and see smiles erupt with every point scored in this fun Mölkky tournament!
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◇ ◇ 🖋️ Content planning, article writing, photo selection, and video creation: Ikuko Terauchi
Photography, editing, and website management: Noboru Terauchi 
