Sporting Activities of the Young Men's Association during the Period between Taisho Era and Pre-war Showa Era : An Analysis of the Fuchu-Sport Bulletins*

Abstract

This study evaluates the state of sports at the Fuchu YMA in Tokyo. To this end, the paper analyzed Fuchu Sports, a YMA-published newsletter that specialized in sports and was modeled on the popular sports magazine Asahi Sports. The publication of Fuchu Sport was an indication of the strong interest in sports during the Taisho era (1912-1926). After the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Education announced their directives promoting physical exercise, the Tokyo government hosted conferences on the development of sports and physical education in Tokyo YMA. Accordingly, Tokyo was a step ahead of other regions in Japan when it came to setting up YMA athletic clubs. The founding of the Fuchu YMA Athletic Clubs was mainly supported by the Fuchu YMA, but it also received funding from the local authorities and schools of Fuchu. When the Athletic Club recruited university students to become their coaches, the club's programming changed and its level of competitiveness went up significantly. Finally, the Athletic Club's collaborations with surrounding educational institutions, particularly school athletic clubs, led to remarkable successes in competition and expanded the club's philosophical mission.

A Study of Physical Education Promotion Plan for the Young Men's Association by “HOTOKUKAI” in the Early Taisho Era: An Analysis of the “SHIMIN” Bulletins*

“…The YMA's physical education and sports activities were actively promoted, in connection with young men's admittance to the national system and other social circumstances within a context of physical ability enhancement and ideological issues, as well as military education issues. Previous studies have pointed out that physical education and sports promotion in the YMA was one factor stimulating the spread and promotion of physical education and sports in the population at large as of the Taisho period (Kinoshita, 1970;Kozu, 1994;Ono and Tomozoe, 2014;Sasaki, 2000Sasaki, , 2004Takenoshita and Kishino, 1959).…”