Ekiden駅伝駅伝◎●◎Ekiden is a long-distance multi-stage relay race in Japan. Eki means“station” and den means “message”. Schools in Japan will often holdekiden races annually and teamwork is a very important part of the race!

© The Japan Society (2024) | www.japansociety.org.uk | education@japansociety.org.uk

Ekiden 駅伝
The name Eikden comes from the old postal system in Japan. Many years ago, postand messages were delivered by different people from station to station insteadof one postman or horse travelling the whole way.
The Hakone Ekiden is the most famous university
ekiden race in Japan. Each team has 10 relay
runners. The two-day race covers over 200km from
Tokyo to Hakone which is longer than the distance
between London and Liverpool!

By Dick Thomas Johnson, CC BY 2.0

Dream Team - Which 10 people would you pick to be on your dream team?

Try writing ekiden in Japanese kanji characters:

駅駅eki伝 伝den

© The Japan Society (2024) | www.japansociety.org.uk | education@japansociety.org.uk

Tasuki たすき
Runners don’t carry batons in ekiden races. Instead
they wear a sash called tasuki which is passed between
runners as they finish their leg of the race –just like how
messages were delivered in the past! It is a symbol ofperseverance and hard work of each runner.
By Charlie fong, CC BY-SA 4.0

Design your team’s tasuki

Try designing your team’s name in a stylist font, add some simple patterns anddesign, or some inspirational words or cheers.

Front			Inspiration:

Back

一番 ichiban

ファイト fai-toh

This means “number 1”

It sounds like “fight-oh”,
but it means “go for it!”

© The Japan Society (2024) | www.japansociety.org.uk | education@japansociety.org.uk

The Japan SoThe Japan Soc
伝駅

Spring Min
SpringProgramme
MiniF◎

Did you know?

●◎

There will be an ekiden race in the UK in 2024 to mark the 100th anniversary of theHakone Ekiden. The route goes from Oxford to Windsor along the River Thames this route was chosen because Emperor Naruhito studied at Oxford and wrote abooked called The Thames and I.

Fun Facts

Programme

Take the quiz below to test your knowledge and learn about Ekiden and Japan.

Family Session

1. In which year do you think the first ekiden race was held?
b. 1960c. 2000

Family Session
10.00am- 12.30pm

2. In the first Ekiden, runners ran along the Tokaido Road between Kyoto and Tokyo,- Drop-in / all morning covering a distance of

10.00am - 12.30pm
c. 500km

a. 200km

b. 350km

Origami- Drop-in / all morning -Calligraphy
OrigamiTrue or False?
Decorate hina dolls
Calligraphy
4. Which flower is the symbol of the Japanese emperor and his family?

3. In the UK, we have Kings and Queens, Japan has an Emperor and an Empress.
Both Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako studied at University of Oxford.

Decorate hina dolls

10.45am and 11.45am

a. Cherry blossom

Learn more
about Ekiden:

Teen
1.00

- Drop1.00pm- Drop-in /Mawit
Calli

Decor
Mangawith Chi

Decorate

1.40p
Quiz answer: 1, a; 2, c; 3, True; 4, b.

a. 191710.45am andLive!
11.45am
1.40pm a
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Shamisby A Live!
Thousand Cranes
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Shamisen p
b. Chrysanthemumc. Camellia

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CranesJapan!

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