The doping issue attracted much attention at the Athens Olympic Games. A hammer thrower was deprived of his medal because of doping. What antidoping measures are being taken in Japan?

It is called “doping” if athletes use prohibited substances and methods to improve their athletic abilities, including stimulants, muscle relaxants, blood doping, and genetic doping.

Doping in sports is harmful in that (1) it is against the spirit of fair play in sports; (2) it impairs the competitors' own health; and (3) it may lead to addiction and cause social damage. It is therefore important to promote antidoping activities.

Internationally, to boost antidoping activities in countries throughout the world, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established, gaining worldwide support from those involved in sports as well as from officials and other related people in national governments. At WADA, Japan serves as executive director representing the ion and energetically contributes to the Agency's activities.

Domestically, the Japanese Olympic Committee and the Japan Sports Association were engaged in antidoping activities in their capacities in cooperation with member organizations. In 2001, the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) was founded as an independent organization to conduct doping tests in Japan in a fair and neutral manner.

MEXT promotes antidoping activities in connection and cooperation with WADA and JADA. In Tokyo, in April 2004, MEXT hosted the first intergovernmental meeting in the Asian region to discuss antidoping problems in Asian countries. At the meeting, the participating governments decided to further improve to the system to allow them to work in cooperation in the Asian region. In view of the importance of antidoping activities for clean sports activities, MEXT will make further efforts to prevent doping.

Chapter 2, Part 3

I hear that the national government is promoting a plan to establish a national training center to further improve Japan's international athletic competitiveness. I would like to know the specific details of this plan.

To improve Japan's international athletic competitiveness, it is necessary to provide top-level competitors with facilities where they can receive intense, continuous training. In view of international trends, top-level competitors need to be trained based on results obtained in the areas of sports medicine and science.

In foreign countries, national governments have established national training centers, where athletes can receive advanced training. Most of the countries that ranked high in the number of medals won at the Olympic Games have these national training centers, and Japan falls behind them.

MEXT launched a study survey on the establishment of a national training center, and the survey team, composed of external experts in the field, examined how to establish a national training center and issued a report in July 2004. According to the report, MEXT started a project to establish a national training center.

The Japan Institute of Sports Sciences (JISS), established in 2004, have exclusive training facilities for gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, and some other events, and athletes receiving training for these events at JISS showed wonderful results at the Athens Olympic Games.

Japan's national training center will be based in the Nishigaoka District in Kita-ku, Tokyo, where JISS is located, to fully utilize the functions and facilities of the Institute. The national center will be equipped with a 400-m track, indoor training facilities (to be used exclusively for indoor sports events), and lodging facilities. MEXT will complete the national training center in time for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, four years from now.

For winter sports, ocean sports and other water sports, and training at high altitudes, for which the national training center cannot provide enough training facilities, existing facilities will be utilized as training centers for each of these sports, and they will be networked with the national training center.

Chapter 2, Part 3 ☐