Sport Activities of Akita Educational Society in Meiji and Taisho Era

　　　　　　　　　　　　Nobuhiro MORITA (Akita University)

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Abstract

　　　The purpose of this study was intended to investigate the role of Akita educational society as
propulsive part for sports in Meiji and Taisho era. Akita educational society was established in
june 1888 which had aims to improve and progress educations in Akita. The society encourages
prositively following kinds of sports and athletics by two presidents who deeply interested in
sports according to completely opposite views.
　1. Challeng cup baseball game for high school: Challeng cup was opened from 1900 to 1908. Af-
　　ter 16th match the meeting was stopped by the president on account of excessive attachment
　　for win. But baseball spread rapidly in Akita.
　2. Bujutsu meeting (Kendo and Judo) for high school and elementary school: Traditional
　　Bujutsu were balude highly again as nationalistic and moral education and the strength of
　　national defense. The number of participants had increased year after year according to
　　encouragement plan. From 1920 the meeting for elementary school was opened.
　3. A practice meeting for swimming for high school and elementary school: A exercise place for
　　swimming was seted up river and seaside in all parts of Akita.
　4. A promotion of outdoor sports in winter: A skate rink was seted up on the moat of old castle
　　site and practice meeting were opened sometimes. Athletic meeting on ice in Hachiro lake was
　　only 3 times crowded with over a thousand people. In Taisho era ski was introduced, so cus-
　　tom of outdoor sports in winter was generally.
　　　All meetings were discountinued by renovation of organization in 1924t but Akita educa-
tional society had usually initiative role that encouraged soprts in Akita organized and
continous in the later Meiji and Taisho era.