Cross Cultural sport two study guide

What is Ekiden?

A Japanese long-distance relay race where runners pass a sash called a tasuki to teammates.

What do eki and den mean?

Eki means station and den means passing down or transmitting.

What was the original meaning of Ekiden?

A relay system using horses to carry important messages between stations along major roads.

When did Ekiden begin as an athletic event?

1917.

When did the Hakone Ekiden develop?

1920.

What is the Hakone Ekiden?

An intercollegiate long-distance relay race between Tokyo and Hakone.

How many runners are on each Hakone Ekiden team?

10 runners.

How are the 10 Hakone Ekiden runners divided?

Five run from Tokyo to Hakone and five run from Hakone back to Tokyo.

How many stages are in the Hakone Ekiden?

10 stages.

How long is the Hakone Ekiden in total?

217.1 km, or about 134.9 miles.

How far is the first day of the Hakone Ekiden?

107.5 km from Tokyo to Hakone.

How far is the second day of the Hakone Ekiden?

109.6 km from Hakone to Tokyo.

When does the Hakone Ekiden take place?

January 2 and 3.

Which universities compete in the Hakone Ekiden?

Universities in the Kanto region around Tokyo.

What is a tasuki?

The sash that a runner passes to the next runner in an Ekiden race.

What does the tasuki symbolize?

Teamwork, shared responsibility, and passing something down to the next person.

How does Ekiden symbolize teamwork?

Each runner completes a stage and passes the tasuki so the team can reach its shared goal.

How does Ekiden symbolize passing down traditions?

Passing the tasuki can represent passing responsibility and knowledge from one generation or person to another.

Why is the Hakone Ekiden associated with Japanese New Year traditions?

It takes place January 2 and 3 and has become a popular annual television tradition.

What do the Tokaido road, Hakone, and Mount Fuji symbolize in the Hakone Ekiden?

Japanese history, geography, and cultural identity.

What is collectivism?

A cultural norm that focuses on group goals and teamwork over individual goals.

How does collectivism appear in the Hakone Ekiden?

Runners prioritize the team and feel responsible for helping the whole group succeed.

What is one positive effect of collectivism in Ekiden?

It encourages teamwork, unity, commitment, and shared responsibility.

What is one negative effect of pressure in Ekiden?

Excessive pressure can contribute to injuries, dehydration, and runners pushing themselves too far.

Why is the Hakone Ekiden popular on television?

Live coverage shows the race and runners' personal stories, and the event is part of New Year celebrations.

What happened during the 2008 Hakone Ekiden according to the Japan Times reading?

Three of the 20 teams dropped out, with runners suffering injuries or dehydration.

What is a major issue in Japan's intercollegiate sports system?

Universities have limited control over sports and many teams operate like independent clubs.

Who controls many athletic events in Japan according to the Los Angeles Times reading?

The Japanese Association of Athletic Federations.

Why is it difficult for Japanese colleges to host games on campus?

Athletic events are often controlled by federations and staged at neutral facilities.

What is one difference between Japanese college sports and the U.S. NCAA model?

Japanese colleges have traditionally had less direct university involvement in their sports teams.

What is UNIVAS?

The Japan Association for University Athletics and Sport, created to support and protect university athletes.

What are some goals of changing Japanese college sports?

Increase university responsibility, improve athlete safety, and develop stronger college sports programs.

Who was Masanori Murakami?

The first Japanese-born player to appear in an MLB game.

What happened when Masanori Murakami joined the San Francisco Giants?

The Giants wanted to keep him, but Japanese baseball officials claimed his contract rights.

Why was Murakami's contract dispute important?

It led to the 1967 Working Agreement, which protected Japanese and MLB teams’ contract rights and made it harder for Japanese players to join MLB.

What was the 1967 Working Agreement?

An agreement requiring MLB and Japanese professional baseball to respect each other's reserve systems.

What effect did the 1967 Working Agreement have?

It effectively restricted Japanese players from moving to MLB for nearly 30 years.

Who was Hideo Nomo?

A Japanese pitcher who joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995.

How did Hideo Nomo get around the restrictions on moving to MLB?

He used the voluntary retirement clause in his Japanese contract to become a free agent.

Who helped Hideo Nomo identify the contractual loophole?

Japanese agent Don Nomura.

Why was Hideo Nomo initially criticized in Japan?

Some people viewed him as a traitor for leaving Japanese professional baseball to play in MLB.

What changed Japanese fans' opinions of Nomo?

His strong MLB performances, including winning Rookie of the Year in 1995.

Why was Hideo Nomo significant in Japanese-American baseball history?

He helped open the path for other Japanese players to join MLB and succeed.

What was the posting system created to address?

Japanese teams' concerns about losing players to MLB without receiving compensation.

When was the posting fee system established according to the Smithsonian reading?

1999.

How does the posting system work?

A Japanese team posts a player, allowing MLB teams to negotiate under the agreed rules.

What is the purpose of a posting fee?

To compensate the Japanese club when a posted player moves to MLB under the system.

Who was Babe Ruth and why was he important to Japan-U.S. baseball relations?

An American baseball star whose 1934 tour of Japan helped build goodwill between the countries.

What happened during Babe Ruth's 1934 tour of Japan?

Ruth and his American teammates played 18 games, and Ruth hit 13 home runs.

Who was Lefty O'Doul?

A former MLB player who promoted baseball in Japan and helped build postwar goodwill.

How did Lefty O'Doul contribute to Japan-U.S. relations?

He helped organize baseball exchanges, including the San Francisco Seals' 1949 tour of Japan.

Who was Wally Yonamine?

A Japanese-American athlete who joined the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants in 1951.

Why was Wally Yonamine important?

He helped integrate American players into Japanese professional baseball after World War II.

What happened in the Ehime Maru incident in 2001?

The U.S. submarine USS Greenville collided with the Japanese training ship Ehime Maru, killing nine students and teachers.

How did baseball help after the Ehime Maru tragedy?

Youth baseball tournaments between Hawaii and Japan helped honor victims and support friendship between the communities.

How did baseball strengthen Japan-U.S. relations overall?

Tours, shared competition, and players moving between leagues helped build cultural exchange and goodwill.

What agreement governs the movement of Japanese professional players to MLB?

The United States-Japanese Player Contract Agreement, which includes the posting system.

What is the general process for a Japanese professional player to enter MLB through posting?

The Japanese club posts the player, MLB teams negotiate within the allowed period, and the player's move follows the agreement's rules.

Why was the posting system important for Japanese clubs?

It allowed clubs to receive compensation when players moved to MLB.

Which Japanese team did Shohei Ohtani play for before MLB?

The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

What kind of baseball player is Shohei Ohtani?

A two-way player who pitches and hits.

What agreement allowed Ohtani to pursue MLB in 2017?

The revised MLB-NPB posting agreement reached in November 2017.

Which MLB team did Ohtani join?

The Los Angeles Angels.

When did Shohei Ohtani make his MLB debut?

2018.

What posting fee did the Angels pay for Ohtani under the 2017 agreement?

$20 million to the Nippon-Ham Fighters.

What signing bonus did Ohtani receive from the Angels according to the Smithsonian reading?

$2.3 million.

Why is Ohtani's move to MLB historically significant?

It showed how the posting system enabled a Japanese two-way star to pursue MLB while his Japanese club received compensation.

What is the historical sequence from Murakami to Ohtani?

Murakami's contract dispute, the 1967 Working Agreement, Nomo's 1995 loophole, the posting system, and Ohtani's move to MLB.

What is the Workers Cup?

A soccer tournament in Qatar for migrant workers who helped build facilities for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

-Gave workers a chance to play soccer, compete, and build friendships.

-Show difference between soccer and the worker’s difficult lives

What was the purpose of the Workers Cup?

To give migrant workers a chance to play soccer, compete, and build friendships.

What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

-Business taking responsibility for how they affect workers, society, and the environment

-Including treating employees fairly, paying fair wages, and providing safe working environment

What are examples of CSR?

Fair wages, safe working conditions, ethical decisions, and protecting workers' rights.

How does the Workers Cup relate to CSR?

The tournament gave workers recreation sports, but companies also had a responsibility to protect their rights and well-being, they failed to do.

What is one criticism of CSR in The Workers Cup?

Providing a soccer tournament does not make up for unfair wages or poor working conditions.

What were the living conditions of migrant workers?

Many lived in crowded labor camps with limited space and privacy.

What were the working conditions of migrant workers?

-Lived in croweded labor camps, no privacy

-Worked long hours on contrusction project

-Low wages and lived far from family

-Restricted freedom, little ability to leave their job ( can’t quit or leave job site fear of losing job/immigrant status)

-Conditions made life difficult for many migrant workers

What was one challenge migrant workers faced?

Being separated from their families and having limited freedom.

What does freedom mean to migrant workers?

Having control over their lives, making their own choices, moving freely, and returning home when they want.

What is modern slavery?

Exploitation in which people cannot freely leave their situation because of threats, coercion, debt, or other forms of control.

-In film: workers’ difficult working conditions and limited choices raised concerns about exploitation.

Why does The Workers Cup raise concerns about modern slavery?

Some workers experienced low wages, difficult working conditions, and limited choices.

What is the main message of The Workers Cup?

Soccer can bring people together, but workers also deserve fair treatment, safety, and freedom.