Right, this post should introduce the new (improved?) cynical Joe well enough: clubs in Japanese schools.

I'll start with a brief introduction to Japanese clubs which run from Elementary to Senior High School:
- practice EVERY night after school, sometimes as late as 11pm
- you are practicing your sport, not playing it.
- you chose this sport, not that one - deal with it!
- all this... but Japans national teams still suck...Recently I've been going around many different clubs at my Elementary and Junior High Schools, just for fun trying out different things (something I didnt do much in the previous High School regrettably). It was a Monday afternoon, I had been asked to join English club from 4pm, which gave me 30minutes to kill. So I headed over to the gym to see what was going on. On the way there, I met one of the English club boys, and asked him to accompany me and then go to ESS (English Speaking Society) together afterwards. He agreed.

So I was happily playing table tennis with the kids, who had incredible skills and could do some amazing shots, but were still remarkably easy to beat by just employing a few simple tactics. For example "dont ALWAYS smack it". Instead use light drop shots sometimes... every time I did this, the student was amazed that it could happen. Something I put down to the general theme of Japanese clubs: lots of practice, not a lot of playing. They are taught 'winning shots' rather than tactical shots... maybe... I dont know.

Anyway, getting away from the point here. While I was playing, the volleyball coach, who was supervising her kids on the other side of the gym, came over, saw an "English Club student" in the "Table Tennis Club" and freaked! She started shouting "What are you doing here?! You're not table tennis, you're English Club!" Now I was pretty shocked to say the least. I turned around and said "he's with me" and she quickly fled. The poor kid I thought. Scolded for watching his friends play table tennis...

My thoughts on the situation is something along the lines of: in Japan you make a decision in school to join a club. That decision is final. You practice that one thing and nothing else, and you drop all interest in others. If you decide to change club, it is possible, but frowned upon by the previous club members/teacher in charge. Also if you are a member of that club and no good at it... you should be mocked. Not the best system for confidence building.

I could go on a lot longer about this, but will stop for now and maybe pick it up again in a later entry. The title of this entry sums it up - its very much the winning that is important in Japan - 2nd place is nothing, and the kids are crying on the field (literally...)