Perspectives on the history of popular sport: The quest for tradition and modernity

要旨

This article expands some historical perspectives on “popular sport” based on the following three case studies: (1) Interactions between foreign sport and rural sumo wrestling in the village of Shiojiri, Nagano prefecture, during the Taisho Democracy Period. (2) The historical development of traditional Japanese boat racing in the area known as Tamaeura in Hagi, Yamaguchi prefecture. (3) Modern reconstruction of folklore and physical competition following the agrarian revolt known as the “Chichibu Jiken” in Saitama prefecture in 1884. Having to compete with festive folklore, the main emphasis of physical education and sport in modern Japan was placed on civilization and enlightenment. Thus, the establishment aimed to develop thrifty and hard-working citizens who served the state and capital. However, there were moments when opposition, deviation and autonomy occurred in the daily lives of the masses, and it was clear that they could not be controlled unitarily. For the masses, traditional physical competition and sport were not only hobbies, forms of entertainment or means of improving self-discipline or physique, but also provided a medium for expressing their desire for solidarity and social growth. What is “popular sport”? It is not a solid cultural entity but a complete panorama of physical competition and sport from the viewpoint of the masses. The “history of popular sport” aims to analyze and represent this phenomenon historically in relation to the total sphere of daily life. In such research, the concept of the masses has significance in terms of “method”, “standpoint” and “strategy”.

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