2015 Volume 60 Issue 2 Pages 415-428
The game of dakyugi (literally, “hitting-ball-game”), involving 3 components of play (hitting a ball, throwing a ball, and pushing of opponents), is a traditional stick game that has been passed down to the present in Kuwana City (Mie Prefecture).
The purposes of this study were to examine the process of the game's revival and cultural features, and to clarify the significance of dakyugi as a traditional sport in regional development through sports. The materials used in this study were mainly collected through fieldwork at the Rikkyo Area Great Meeting and interviews with members of the preservation association, as well as investigation of historical sources.
In the Meiji era, dakyugi had been played as a bravery game by boys in the Kuwana gijyuku, which inherited the idea of the Rikkyou-kan, a school in the fiefdom of Kuwana. Although dakyugi declined after World War II, it was revived to mark the 150th anniversary of Matsudaira Sadanobu's death in May 1978.
Today, dakyugi is performed at the Kuwana Municipal Rikkyo Elementary School supported by the Dakyugi Preservation Association. Boys and girls of the school play the game at the athletic meeting held jointly by the school and Rikkyo area community. The game of dakyugi in Kuwana is noteworthy in promoting the behavior pattern and style of samurai culture that characterized the Edo era. In addition, dakyugi is considered to play an important role in the revitalization of provincial cities and in the establishment of local regional identity.
The significance of traditional Japanese culture is emphasized in the present school education program. The current study indicates that traditional Japanese sport culture can play an important role in regional development in Japan.
