Snowball Fights
Kids defend their flag while attacking their opponents. (Hokkaido Shimbun Cup Elementary School Yuki-gassen Tournament Secretariat)Kids who live in cold places have always enjoyed making snowballs and having snowball fights (yuki-gassen in Japanese). Recently, rules for snowball fighting have been drawn up, and people are having snowball fights as a kind of team sport. In this sport, players throw snowballs at their opponents and try to capture their flag. Sport snowball fights are becoming very popular among kids these days. When the season turns to winter, tournaments are held all over Japan, especially in Hokkaido, the country's coldest and northernmost island.
The city of Asahikawa in Hokkaido is home to the nine elementary school students who belong to the Asahikawa Higashimachi Poplar Baseball Club. In the winter, when snow piles up and prevents the team from playing baseball, they become a snowball fighting team instead. one member of the team, Hattori Yosuke, who is in the sixth grade, explains: "In the winter in Hokkaido it's cold, and there is a lot of snow, so we can't play baseball. This is fun, because it gives us another way to run around outside." Sixth-grader Kawasaki Ryohei explains the appeal of the sport: "It's the thrill of really nailing someone with a snowball and the moment when you capture your opponent's flag." The team is currently practicing for the Elementary School Yuki-gassen Tournament that will be held on March 5 as part of the Hokkaido Shimbun Cup. (228 words)
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