A sports day where people from all walks of life participate using their own special skills

This year, we’re once again hosting a sports festival that brings together people from all over the world. It’s a multifaceted celebration packed with fun—featuring competitions, cheering contests, music, colorful banners, and a lunch break. “Echigo-Tsumari Art Field Day” aims to create a more diverse and vibrant event by inviting a large number of international participants to this traditional Japanese sports festival, where artists, musicians, and even non-professionals can showcase their unique talents.
At the first event held in 2024, we welcomed many participants with foreign roots, and approximately 500 people from 24 countries and regions enjoyed a wonderful time together. Furthermore, last year, the “Echigo-Tsumari Art Field Day” initiative was recognized with the Japan Foundation’s Global Citizen Award. We invite you to join us for this unique sports festival—a gathering of diverse people that can only be experienced in Echigo-Tsumari.

Schedule for the Day

[Reception Times and Locations]
*Shuttle buses will transport participants from each reception location to the NUNAGAWA Campus. Please note that you cannot drive directly to the NUNAGAWA Campus.
・By car: 9:30–10:00, Tokamachi City Matsudai Branch Office Parking Lot (3252-1 Matsudai, Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture 942-1526)
・By Train: 9:30–10:15 Matsudai Station West Exit Roundabout (Approx. 50 minutes from Echigo-Yuzawa Station via the Hokuhoku Line)

【Day-of Program (Tentative)】
11:00– Entrance March, Opening Ceremony, Warm-up Exercises
11:30–12:20 Games (Rock-Paper-Scissors Train, Ball Toss, Rice Ball Roll, etc.)
12:20–13:20 Lunch Break
13:20–14:30 Games (Relay Race, Tug-of-War, etc.)
14:30–14:45 Closing Ceremony
*The games are currently being planned. Please note that changes may occur.

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To All Participants: ~Let’s liven up the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field Day with our own original instruments and flags!~

◆Music

The “Echigo-Tsumari Kapukapu Orchestra,” led by jazz musician Jun Oka, will liven up the sports festival. Bring along any instruments you have at home—or even handmade ones—and join in the performance! If you’d like to bring an instrument and play, please specify the type of instrument in the designated field when you register.
You can listen to “Punch Perm Chirichiri,” the song to be performed during the sports festival finale, here.
Here are some examples of instruments you can make yourself using materials you have at home. We also look forward to seeing you participate with your own unique, creative instruments!

An example of a handmade musical instrument

◆Banner Flags

We are accepting submissions for banners to decorate the sports day venue. Please create your own original banner by drawing pictures or coloring it according to the sizes listed below, and bring it to the venue on the day of the event. Since we need to know the number of banners in advance, if you wish to participate, please indicate this in the designated field when you register.
[Reference Sizes] ・Reference Sizes: Height 100–180 cm × Width 45–60 cm
・We plan to display the banners using standard banner poles. Please attach loops approximately 12 cm in diameter to the top and left sides of your banner.

▼Important Notes for Creation
: • Since the flags will be displayed outside, please use paint that won’t wash off when wet and materials that won’t tear.
• We cannot accept items that are extremely heavy and cannot be displayed, such as leather or fur.
• Please refrain from using sharp elements or decorations that could be dangerous if touched by people.
• If the organizing committee determines for any reason that a flag cannot be displayed, we may decide not to display it at the Venue.
• Please note that flags submitted will not be returned.

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Echigo-Tsumari Art Field Day: Purpose of the Event

“Sports Day” is a “festival” where the entire community comes together to compete and have fun—a unique Japanese cultural tradition not found in other countries. It features team competitions, cheering contests, music during and between events, colorful cheering banners, and a lunch break where the entire spectator area becomes a picnic venue… It is also a comprehensive art form that incorporates elements of physical education, music, art, and home economics.In 2024, as an official event of the 9th Echigo-Tsumari Art Field, the “Echigo-Tsumari Art Field Day”—an Echigo-Tsumari-style sports day involving artists and experts from various fields—was held, bringing together a diverse group of approximately 500 people from 24 countries and regions to enjoy a fun-filled day together. This year, we will once again hold the “Echigo-Tsumari Art Field Day” in the Echigo-Tsumari region. We will further enliven this “one-of-a-kind sports day”—where people from diverse backgrounds, including foreign residents in Japan, locals, children, adults, seniors, people with disabilities, companies, and educational institutions, gather to enjoy themselves together—through art, music, sports, and food. We hope you’ll join us.

Echigo-Tsumari Art Field Day Executive Committee

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A Look Back at Last Year