Title: Performing Culture Through The Sport of Ekiden Racing: Learning from the Japanese Sporting Ethos of Long-Distance Running
Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Patricia Vertinsky
Committee Members: Dr. Kohei Kawashima, Dr. Charles Menzies, Dr. Janice Forsyth
Chair: Dr. Andrea Bundon
Abstract: Academic works written about Japan and its sporting culture have tended to overlook Japan’s rich history and proclivity for long-distance running. Japan’s participation, spectatorship, and televised viewership ratings of running events, highlight this cultural fervor. A particular type of running race, ekiden, is relativity unknown outside Japan, even though it is considered to be responsible for the prolific running culture seen in Japan today. Ekiden is a team relay running race primarily held on various road racecourses. Each stage of the race can vary in distance, and a tasuki (sash) is passed from one runner to the next. Originating in 1917, the sport of ekiden, and in particular, the Hakone Ekiden, garners a substantial fandom in Japan.
My research investigates the historical importance, performative significance, and symbolic displays of ekiden, in order to suggest what the multiple meanings of ekiden might represent for the Japanese. Theoretical perspectives proposed by anthropologist Edward Bruner are well suited for the liminal nature of ekiden since he considers the experience of spectatorship and the site itself to be central in investigating the meaning of performances. His focus on experience and meaning suggests it is an adept methodological approach for cross-cultural research on sports.
In my project, I will conduct ethnographic fieldwork in Japan over the course of three months, through participant observation as a spectator of seven professional and amateur ekiden races, at various event celebrations, training sessions, and racecourses. During this time, I will examine documentary collections, including ekiden museum material. In addition to documentary analysis of historical English and translated Japanese sources, I will conduct interviews with stakeholders of ekiden races, including runners, coaches, and spectators.
The goal of this project is to lend a voice to the Japanese experience of ekiden by seeking to understand its significance and meaning to the Japanese. My aim is to contribute to academic literature on distance running, while also nurturing cross-cultural collaboration on sporting research.