The connection of the changes of social background with sport festivals in Kitamimaki village, Nagano Prefecture was examined.
Kitamimaki village, Nagano Prefecture was selected for this study. Data were collected through literatures describing sport festivals in this village and then interviewing people who involved in planning and operation of these events. We asked sixteen middle-aged to aged men and women by phone or by interview how these sport festivals were carried out.
We found that the sport events in Kitamimaki village initially was started as Athletic Game of The Seinenkai. At that time these sport festivals played important roles in education of Japanese through athletics and in training them for the upcoming war. Afterward, these events had opened as one of measures for regional development. Since Japanese have wanted more variable choices in athletic games, people gradually have lost their interest in participating to the sport festival for regional development. The reasons may be; 1) people tend to have few children, 2) elderly population has increased, 3) young people have moved out the village and 4) people in the village have changed a sense of value, however, further analysis will be necessary. On the other hand, new sport festivals which people could learn about health and techniques have been created on the basis of Educational Ministry Guideline. Residents in the village have multiple choices of sport activity and populations who enjoy sport games are increased.
