Alternatieve elfstedentocht in Japan
North-west of Tokio, close to Nagano, it is cold enough that the Suwa lake in the winter during several months is covered by a layer of ice. In the beginning of the 20th century the ice is strong enough to be used for transport of goods. This is faster than using the roads. A nice illustration of this transport can be seen in the presented typical Japanese painting. Not only people go over the ice, they also take animals with them.
A story tells that not only people and animals cross the lake over the ice but also the god Takeminakata did so. The so called "Devine crossing".
A story tells that not only people and animals cross the lake over the ice but also the god Takeminakata did so. The so called "Devine crossing".
The story tell the the god Takeminakata from one of the shrines close to the lake crossed the lake to visit his wife Yasakatome at the other side of the lake. The proof of this event are the foot prints of the god that yearly form themselves on the ice of the lake.
There is also another interpretation of this phenomenon which suggests that under the surface of the lake are warm water wells that melt the ice and make the ice move. This results in ice pressure ridges forming in the surfice, the foot prints of god Takeminakata.
There is also another interpretation of this phenomenon which suggests that under the surface of the lake are warm water wells that melt the ice and make the ice move. This results in ice pressure ridges forming in the surfice, the foot prints of god Takeminakata.
If this phenomenon happens a small local Shintoist shrine reports this in a cremonious manner to the Great Shrine of Suwas, which in turn reports it to the Meteorological Agancy and to the imperial Household Agency.
However not only such events take place over many years. We also can see that the ice of the lake is good enough for skating. That has also been going on for a long time as has been detected and described in Dutch by Marnix Koolhaar (www.schaatsen.nl/verhalen/ouder-dan-de-elfstedentocht/)
However not only such events take place over many years. We also can see that the ice of the lake is good enough for skating. That has also been going on for a long time as has been detected and described in Dutch by Marnix Koolhaar (www.schaatsen.nl/verhalen/ouder-dan-de-elfstedentocht/)
In the beginning of the 20th century people were skating on a lake Suwa that is close to the town Nagano where in 1998 the Olympic winter games were held. They were using very different skates than were used in Europe as can be seen in the pictures presented at the side. In order to get a better idea of these skates we present also a video about them in Japanese.
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It seems that it was difficult to put these skates on, let alone that one could skate on them. However it must have been possible because the nice picture below of around 1906 shows a number of female skaters on the geta skates.
In 1908 a skating race was held on the lake. The length of the race was 16 kilometers. The participants used the geta skates. The winner needed 47 minutes for these 16 km. This race was repeated in 1909 and in 1910. But in that year the pastor Mitsuaki Ohtani skated on western skates (noren). Because he was considerable faster, more than 6 minutes, than the people using the geta skates, all other participants were going to use these skates as well, This can be seen in the picture of the race in one of the later years.
This race developed into a yearly event with different skating activities which lasted for a whole week similar to the skating festival of the Dutch skaters on the Weissensee in Austria nowadays. During the First World War these activities were interrupted and after the war the races were not organized anymore because then Japan became member of the International Skating Union and the attention shifted to the so called "long distance" championships over 500, 1500, 5000 and 10.000m.
This race developed into a yearly event with different skating activities which lasted for a whole week similar to the skating festival of the Dutch skaters on the Weissensee in Austria nowadays. During the First World War these activities were interrupted and after the war the races were not organized anymore because then Japan became member of the International Skating Union and the attention shifted to the so called "long distance" championships over 500, 1500, 5000 and 10.000m.
The Alternative elfstedentocht in Japan
In 1999 skating of real long distances returned to Japan when an Alternative Elfstedentocht was organized on the Akan lake. In the first race 200 Japanese skaters participated and only one Dutch skater. In 2000 an big event was organized because of 400 years relations between Japan and the Netherlands. That year the top of the Dutch marathon skaters participated while there was also a tour where more than 200 Dutch people participated. The former Olympic champeon de long track over 10km, Piet Kleine, won this race over 200km, being 48 years old in 6 hours and 10 minutes.
The japanese organization had learned how to organize such an event and organized the event again from 2001 to 2003. Because the participation in that race was forbidden by the Dutch skating organization for the Dutch marathon skaters and 200km was to long for Japanese skaters, the number of participants reduced year by year and stopped in 2004. In 2006 the First International Friendship skating festival was organized on the Akan lake including a race of 25 km. A race of 100km returned in 2007 and 2008 but after that year the festival transformed in a Winter sport festival but without a skating race.
This was an nice effort to introduce marathon skating in Japan but unfortunately it did not succeed. Partly because of an unfavoral decision of the Dutch Skating organization, forbidding participation of the its top skaters, but probably also due to lack of training on long distances in Japan by which the difference between the Dutch and Japanese skaters was too large.
In 1999 skating of real long distances returned to Japan when an Alternative Elfstedentocht was organized on the Akan lake. In the first race 200 Japanese skaters participated and only one Dutch skater. In 2000 an big event was organized because of 400 years relations between Japan and the Netherlands. That year the top of the Dutch marathon skaters participated while there was also a tour where more than 200 Dutch people participated. The former Olympic champeon de long track over 10km, Piet Kleine, won this race over 200km, being 48 years old in 6 hours and 10 minutes.
The japanese organization had learned how to organize such an event and organized the event again from 2001 to 2003. Because the participation in that race was forbidden by the Dutch skating organization for the Dutch marathon skaters and 200km was to long for Japanese skaters, the number of participants reduced year by year and stopped in 2004. In 2006 the First International Friendship skating festival was organized on the Akan lake including a race of 25 km. A race of 100km returned in 2007 and 2008 but after that year the festival transformed in a Winter sport festival but without a skating race.
This was an nice effort to introduce marathon skating in Japan but unfortunately it did not succeed. Partly because of an unfavoral decision of the Dutch Skating organization, forbidding participation of the its top skaters, but probably also due to lack of training on long distances in Japan by which the difference between the Dutch and Japanese skaters was too large.