A historical study of the establishment of table tennis organizations in Japan(1921-1931)

Abstract

In the Japanese table-tennis world, it is generally known that several organizations existed from 1921 to 1931 and that they competed with each other.Up to now, however, specific details of the history of these organizations during the above period have been unknown.The purpose of this study was to show that several organizations were set up because of divisions in the first organization between 1921 and 1931, to examine the reasons why these organizations competed among each other, and to clarify the whole picture of the genealogy of these organizations in Japan.The results of this study can be summarized as follows:1)There were thirteen organizations between 1921 and 1931.The number of organizations that split off from the original organization was five, and subsequently these organizations repeatedly merged and separated.2)Manufacturers of sporting goods maintained close connections with these organizations by dispatching staff, who became officers in the organizations.Thus, the manufacturers were appointed as exclusive agents or collaborators of the organizations.The said organizations and manufacturers established a relationship of interdependence through a system of official sponsorship.The organizations were in need of funds to maintain themselves, but on the other the manufacturers paid sponsoring fees so that their market share of balls could be expanded.In short, the manufacturers were sponsors of the organizations.Therefore, disputes between the organizations were caused by different sponsors.3)Viewed from the viewpoint of the manufacturers that were sponsoring the organizations, the whole aspect of the genealogy of the organizations in Japan was clarified.4)Furthermore, those involved in table tennis in Japan need to correct their historical perception based on the present findings.