The competition was really cool to watch all the archers. There were three main divisions: Young women, young men, and teachers. Of course, the teachers were the best group to watch because they actually hit the targets and several got bull's eyes as well. The girls were also very entertaining to watch because of the aesthetic appeal of their kimono and hakama (archery outfits). After each round of shooting, several volunteers in little yellow jackets scurried out onto the shooting range and gathered the arrows from the targets and ground. The people in the yellow reminded me of the kids who collect the balls at tennis matches. The shooting also reminded me of tennis matches because the audience reacted very calmly with "oooooh"s, "awwww"s, and several "oshii"s (oshii means regrettably close in Japanese). The audience also politely applauded and remained in a very good temper even during the champion round when the winner hit the target nearly in the bull's eye. One can only imagine how an American athlete would act after such an achievement. Even Tiger Woods used to do a fist pump or a cheer in golf, perhaps America's most etiquette-conscious sport. Japanese archery is also tightly bound to tradition and watching the ritual approach and stringing of the bow made for an entertaining sight regardless of whether or not the arrows hit the targets.
This week is my second week of Japanese classes and I hope to resume my volunteering at the architecture firm this week as well. Here's to a great start for a new semester!
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