Showcase sports

Similar to golf, disc golf is a sport played on a course of 9 or 18 holes. Players throw flying discs, and the one with the lowest number of total throws wins. Courses are built in and around undulating woody areas with natural obstacles that make it difficult to throw the discs.

Paddle tennis is played on a court about one-third of the size of a tennis court and involves the use of a plate-shaped racket (paddle) and a soft felt ball. Paddle tennis is popular as a lifelong recreational sport activity in local communities. In a standard single-set match, the first player to win six games is the winner.
The basic skills and rules of paddle tennis are almost identical to those of tennis. It is a safe and easy-to-approach sport suitable for all people regardless of age, sex and physical disability and can be enjoyed at an intensity or difficulty level corresponding to each player’s fitness and physical ability.

Diversification in leisure activities and health-mindedness have made mountain climbing and marathoning popular pastimes. Trail running is an activity which combines and develops the features of mountain climbing and marathoning and involves running through hilly areas, and has been attracting increasing attention.
Unlike marathons that take place in a paved course, trail running is mainly held on unpaved natural road surfaces. A trail running course is defined according to road surface and distance and must satisfy the following four conditions: (1) natural road surfaces account for 75% or more of the course, (2) the course has natural obstacles, (3) the course is characterised by a significantly undulating terrain and (4) the course offers beautiful scenery.
The competition, known as the Fairy Trail event, is held in Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture, and was first held in 2014. In this trail running event, both runners and members of the local community can have a great time through enjoying Takashima’s nature, climate and food culture. The course runs through a forest with an atmosphere so magical that you would think fairies live there.

(1) In bouldering, competitors tackle multiple courses (challenges) that are set on a wall with a height of five metres or less and require up to about 12 moves. The competitor who climbs the most courses wins. After starting at the designated position, a competitor is deemed to have completed a course once he or she grabs the final hold with both hands and assumes a stable posture.
(2) Lead climbing involves competitors attempting to climb as high as they can on a wall with a height of 12 metres of more along a course (route) requiring up to around 60 moves. Wearing a harness tied to a rope, competitors climb up the wall while attaching the rope to anchoring points provided along the course. Climbing up a high wall requires endurance, and whether a competitor can be strategic about how much energy to conserve, among other elements, has a large impact on the outcome.

Rowing involves racing on a straight course on the water on a boat propelled by oars.
Unlike canoeing, rowers row with their backs facing the direction of movement. Their legs are fixed to the boat, and their seats slide back and forth along rails. Rowers mainly use their legs to propel the boat.
All rowing events except the single scull (with a single rower) are carried out by teams which consist of two to eight rowers depending on the boat. In some events, each rowing team also includes a coxswain who steers the boat.
The whole crew must work together in order to win. Enjoy watching how teams adjust their speed, employ various tactics to outwit their opponent and muster all their remaining strength in the final stage of the race.

Baton twirling involves rotating (twirling) a rod-like tool (baton). It is a highly artistic sport where competitors combine their baton manipulating skills with body movements to express music. Baton twirling competitions feature three events: the freestyle individual, pairs and teams.

Igoball is a new sport where competitors play gobang with wooden sticks similar to those used in gateball. Seven vertical and horizontal lines are drawn on an artificial lawn five metres long and two metres wide to make it look like a go board with squares, and the 49 points where the lines intersect are recessed so as to receive balls. The first player uses black balls, while the second player uses white balls. The players take turns to hit 10 balls each across a distance of three metres using a specially-designed stick, aiming to line up their own balls along the squares on the lawn.

Lawn bowls is a sport where the objective is to roll synthetic resin biased bowls across a lawn so that they stop close to a jack, or target ball. Games are played on a special court (bowling green), of which each side is approximately 40 metres long. The bowling green is divided into six or seven rectangles with an area of little less than 6 by 40 metres (rinks), and a single event is held on each rink. Since the bowls are biased, they roll in a curve as they lose speed. Players face the difficult but exciting challenge of rolling bowls so that they stop as close to the jack as possible while anticipating how the bowl will curve and assessing lawn conditions.

Nordic walking is an effective aerobic exercise that involves using specially-designed poles and moving the whole body, including not only the lower body but also the arms and upper body muscles. Nordic walking was developed in Finland in the 1930s as a summer training exercise for cross-country skiing teams. Today, the exercise is carried out in over 40 countries across the world, and 20% of the Finnish adult population, that is 820,000 people, enjoy it on a daily basis.
In the open event, competitors will walk through Arima Fuji Park’s lush natural environment while keeping track of their posture and rhythm.

In petanque, a target ball known as a but is thrown within 6 to 10 metres of a throwing circle (diameter: 50 cm) drawn on the ground, and the objective is for teams to gain points by throwing metal balls (boules) so that they land closer to the target ball than the opponent’s. Landing balls close to the target ball is not the only way to win, and the game involves other strategies such as knocking away the opponent’s balls and hitting a team member’s ball closer to the target ball. The sport is not physically demanding, making it easy for everyone from elementary school children to elderly people to enjoy playing while communicating with each other.

Walking is considered the ideal aerobic exercise that anybody can easily carry out to keep fit, and is the foundation of all exercises and sports. Furthermore, it is a lifelong sport that anybody can enjoy at their own pace regardless of age.
The course runs through a charming area of Awaji Island where you can enjoy the island’s extensive nature, including the sea and mountains, historical sites and culture.
A 5 km course, 10 km course and 20 km course are offered to meet the needs of a wide range of participants, including those who want to enjoy sport walking, beginners and families.
After the walking activity, you can enjoy the delicacies of Awaji Island, known as a “miketsukuni” (land of imperial provisions). In other words, you can enjoy sports, sightseeing and great food.

This is an event where you can experience wheelchair basketball, rolling volleyball and boccia.
Experience the fun of disabled sports!
Summary of scheduled events:
(Wheelchair basketball)
The rules are almost identical to those of basketball: five-person teams try to take control of the ball and score points by throwing it into a goal 3.05 metres high, which is the same height as a regular basketball goal.
(Rolling volleyball)
Rolling volleyball is a disability-friendly sport where people with disabled limbs can play on equal terms with non-disabled people. Specifically, six-people teams consisting of both disabled and non-disabled players are formed, and players play sitting down or with their knees on the court. The rules are almost identical to those of regular volleyball: basically, players must roll the ball, and they are not allowed to make shots that stay in the air for too long.
(Boccia)
The objective of boccia is to land six red and six blue balls as close to a white ball known as a jack ball (target ball) as possible. As in curling, players can knock away their opponent’s balls to create an advantageous position. However, as the target itself can be hit and moved, boccia involves some exciting strategies different from those of curling.

In kin-ball, three teams of four people play at once. Each team works together to keep a huge balloon-like ball with a diameter of 122 cm and weighing 1 kg in the air.

The rules are almost identical to those of regular rubber baseball. Players must be aged 60 or over, and each team consists of 11 players. The distance from the pitcher’s mound to home base is 16 metres (normally 18.440 metres), the distance between bases is 25 metres (normally 27.431 metres) and a game lasts for 90 minutes (up to seven innings).

Beach rugby is similar to both rugby and American football. Each team consists of five players, and two six-minute rounds are played using oval ball. Beach rugby does not involve tackling and other physical contact, making it an exciting sport that players of all men and women can enjoy safely.

Sport wellness fukiya is a new national sport intended for promoting health. Players try to gain points by blowing darts at a circular target 5 to 10 metres away. Sport wellness fukiya is suitable for anyone and is gaining popularity as a sport. It can be helpful in improving health and enhancing their self-control and concentration with enjoyment.
Each player blows five darts per round (under three minutes), and after the prescribed number of rounds have been played, the player with the highest score wins.

Ground golf is a lifelong sport that anyone can enjoy anywhere, anytime and was developed in Tomari Village (current Yurihama Town), Tottori Prefecture, in 1982 as part of the Lifelong Sports Promotion Project of the Ministry of Education (the current Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology). The sport does not require a special facility and can be played in a space like the grounds of an elementary school as long as you have the right equipment. There are no limitations on the number of players or the playing time, and people can enjoy the sport on a daily basis.
As ground golf does not require special skills and is governed by simple rules, anyone, even beginners, can easily start playing regardless of age, sex, fitness or physical ability.

Marathon is a long-distance running athletic event where competitors run along a 42.195 km long course on public roads and try to get to the finish line first or beat a specific time.
This popular marathon competition was first held in 2008, and the 2021 event will be the 14th competition.
The course is a one-way course with no loops. In the course, competitors can see the Tottori Dunes, the ruins of Tottori Castle, Jinpukaku Mansion, Manyo-no-Sato (land of Japan’s oldest collection of poems) and other sightseeing spots (famous historical sites) of Tottori City and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Sendai River and the countryside. Furthermore, spectators will be cheering along the roadside.

Triathlon is an endurance sport where each competitor performs in the three events of swimming, cycling (bicycle road racing) and running (long-distance running), in that order and without any breaks. The name of the sport comes from “tri” and “athlon”, which mean “three” and “event” in Latin, respectively.
This well-known competition has a long history, being held in 1981 as Japan’s first triathlon race. The 2020 event will be the 40th competition. The race will be held in a course 185.195km long in total, consisting of long-distance swimming (3.0km), cycling (140km) and running (42.195km).

In this event, competitors will traverse from the Sea of Japan to the summit of Mt. Daisen. Individuals or teams (up to five people) will perform in the three events of kayaking (8 km), cycling (23.5 km) and mountain climbing (3.5 km), in that order. SEA TO SUMMIT is an environmental sports event where competitors can think about the cycle of nature and its priceless value.

Billiards involves hitting balls using a long stick known as a cue. It is played all around the world as an enjoyable pastime and a competitive amateur/professional sport.
Players with good skills can compete on equal terms regardless of age and sex. As billiards demands intelligence and technique rather than physical strength, anyone from children to elders can start playing any time and keep on playing for as long as they like: billiards is one of the greatest lifelong sports.
A World-Masters-Games-style upgraded version of the TAD CUP, a famous nine ball tournament held annually since 2000 at Billiard KiD (Tokushima City) and other venues, will be held in the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai.
We will inform you of the details once the schedule has been decided.

Marathon is a long-distance running athletic event where competitors run along a 42.195 km long course on public roads and try to get to the finish line first or beat a specific time.
In the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai, the marathon is scheduled to be held in the Tokushima Marathon Course in March 2021.

In rafting, competitors get on a large eight-man rubber boat wearing a lifejacket, helmet and other safety equipment and tackle a rapid while splashing the water with a paddle. It is a thrilling and exciting outdoor sport where you can enjoy descending a river surrounded by nature.
The rapids of Oboke-Koboke of the Yoshino River in Miyoshi City, the venue of the 2017 Rafting World Championships, is a superb river that rafting fans and athletes from all around the world wish to visit once in their lifetime. Visitors are captivated by the emerald green waters and the spectacular landscape that has hardly changed for many millions of years.
The World Masters Games 2021 KANSAI will feature two rafting courses: one where competitors descend a rapid in the upstream area, and one in the calm waters of the downstream area. Competitors, including beginners, can choose a course according to their level of experience. The Games will also feature an exhibition SUP race. Enjoy a rafting experience with your friends, colleagues, etc.

Rubber baseball was developed in Japan about a century ago and is played using a rubber ball.
Rubber baseball is a popular lifelong sport that can be enjoyed safely by people of all ages and sexes, from children (elementary school students) to adults (elders). Rubber baseball is also popular as a competitive sport, with about 1.2 million players nationwide and top level games held in the National Sports Festival and the Emperor’s Cup.
In the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai, rubber baseball games are scheduled to be held in various locations in Tokushima Prefecture from late October to early November 2020.

Surfing is a water sport where surfers stand on surfing boards and glide across slopes formed by waves.
Kaiyo Town in Tokushima Prefecture boasts one of the best surfing spots in Japan, attracting surfers from all around the country.
The area around the mouth of the River Kaifu, known as the “Kaifu Point”, Shishikui beach covering the area in front of Michi no Eki Shishikui Onsen and Ikumi Beach extending to Kochi Prefecture are always crowded with surfers.
In order to promote surfing and attract competitors from far and wide, the surfing event that has been held as the Shikoku-no-migishita Surfing Games since 2016 is scheduled to be held as part of the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai.
The competition is scheduled for late May 2021, and we look forward to welcoming many participants.

Touch rugby is a safe, player-friendly sport. Unlike rugby, it does not involve contact play (tackles, scrums, etc.) and kicks; instead of tackling,defending players prevent the attacking team from advancing by touching the ball carrier. Although the attacking team retain possession even after being touched, Changeover (change of possession) occurs when the attacking team is touched six times by the opponent before scoring a point (try). Touch rugby is played on a field that is half the size of a regular rugby field and is a simplified version of football with six on-field players on each team.

Double Dutch is a jump rope game played by three or more people using two ropes. Jumpers perform various techniques while jumping between the two ropes, which are held by two turners facing each other. Each turner holds a rope in each of their hands and turns them in the inward direction in a way so that the ropes are separated by half a turn. Double Dutch is a game that anybody can enjoy and helps develop concentration, endurance, a sense of rhythm, creativity, balance and team work.

The objective of petanque is to gain points by throwing metal balls (boules) at a target ball (but) from a circle (35 to 50 cm) drawn on the ground so that they land closer to the target ball than the opponent’s. The game is not just about throwing balls but also involves other strategies such as knocking away the opponent’s balls and hitting a team member’s ball closer to the target ball (but). The sport is not physically demanding, making it easy for everyone from elementary school children to elderly people to enjoy playing while communicating with each other.

Flag football is a version of American football where instead of tackling, players try to take flags attached to both sides of the opponent’s waist. As a rule, physical contact between all players is not allowed, making the sport safe and suitable for a wider range of participants.

Walking is considered the ideal aerobic exercise that anybody can easily carry out to keep fit, and is the foundation of all exercises and sports. Furthermore, it is a lifelong sport that anybody can enjoy at their own pace regardless of age.

Osaka Castle Triathlon is a large Triathlon race held in urban area around the Osaka Castle, a symbol of Osaka. Swim course is in the east outer moat of the Osaka Castle, Bike course is from Osaka Castle Park to Osaka Business Park and Run course is in the park while seeing the Osaka Castle. It is the fourth time Osaka Castle Triathlon in this year has been held and it will be held as a Showcase Sport of the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai.

Wheelchair Softball is played by 10 players per team. In Japan, Wheelchair Softball aims to be promoted and developed as an inclusive sport which is not categorized by disabilities, gender, and ages and enjoyable for everyone to play together at the same field. In Japan, the first team was launched by forming a Japanese national team with the athletes who were interested to play at the World Series held in the United State in 2012 and now there are 20 Wheelchair Softball teams nationwide.

Wellness Darts is a sports in which darts are thrown from a distance of 2m10cm using a Dartboard divided into 10 sections. Darts are aimed not only for the center, but also aimed for the required area and at required timing. A team is composed of three members and a winner is the team whose point becomes 0 from 251 points first. The subtle adjustments and control of the fingers, hands, and arms stimulate the brain and throwing movement is naturally a well-balanced whole body exercise. Wellness Darts attracts attention as a tool to extend healthy life expectancy by preventing and improving the three components of frailty (brain, body, and sociality) only by competing.

Rowing is a racing competition in which you use oars to row a boat along a straight course.
Rowing is done with your back facing the direction of travel, which is the opposite of canoeing.
The rower’s feet are fixed to the boat, and the seat is mounted on rails so it can move back and forth. This lets the rowers use their leg strength more than their arm and back muscles.
The event of this tournament is called “knuckle fore”, and takes place on a 300m course.
A “knuckle boat”, which has a coxswain and four rowers, is used.
It was developed in Japan, and it is more stable than a traditional rowing shell, so it is hard to capsize.