A woman relaxes after a work out in a germanium bath.

The era when a sports gym could get by with an array of exercise machines and perhaps a pool is over in Japan, where people are taking a more holistic approach to wellness. Innovative sports clubs are responding with with an array of new services.

Bodies, a women-only fitness club with 20 locations around Japan, features relaxation stations where women can soak their arms and feet in hot water infused with germanium, a popular treatment claimed to boost the immune system and combat free radicals that speed the aging process.

Recently opened in the trendy Daikanyama area of Tokyo, known for its quaint cafes and fashion boutiques, is Athlonia, Japan’s first sports gear shop specializing in triathlon equipment. The shop recently launched a triathlon school, held in collaboration with fitness club chain Tipness, and an adjoining Hawaiian cafe selling dishes with healthy ingredients such as avocado and brown rice.

Bodies also started a women-only running club, a decision it took after talking to its members as well as users of ABC Cooking Schools. There is a running studio in Marunouchi, an area of Tokyo home to a large number of female office workers. Women pop into the studio to change, then run 5km around the nearby Imperial Palace grounds, then return to the studio for a shower.

The club, which is open to beginners, advises members on improving themselves on several levels through running, fashion and beauty. The club’s website features “Beauty Recipes” for do-it-yourself health drinks, as well as organizing tours to the Honolulu Marathon.

Contact us for our ethnographic research on women’s changing attitudes to wellness.

Students at Athlonia's triathlon school.

Double Dutch is gaining popularity as a sport in Japan.

Double Dutch is a combination of rope-jumping, break- dancing and acrobatic performance. As the name implies, it is performed with two ropes, so a team has to consist of at least three players who take turns swinging the ropes, jumping, or doing hand-clapping, rhymes and other tricks.

The Japan Double Dutch Association was established in 1996, and at present, there are more than 35,000 active players nationwide. Events such as the contest Double Dutch Delight, which was held in Yokohama last October, can draw crowds of up to 1,000 spectators.

What are the reasons behind Double Dutch’s revived appeal? The sport’s influences from HipHop culture are one factor, but more than that the combination of sport and music performance seems to be the key – Japanese fans are notorious for keeping their cool even at the most explosive concerts, but with Dutch Delight there is a strong visual element that seems to draw spectators in.

Japanese teams are making their presence felt in the international scene as well. In 2007, a total of 65 Japanese teams entered international competitions, compared with only 45 in 2005.

Among the companies involved in this field is Over Thumps which promotes the sport and also organizes Double Dutch performances. Vantan – an operator of colleges – is an active supporter.

The next chance to catch a live performance in Tokyo is at the Double Dutch Contest on March 23.

(Images courtesy of Vantan)

Snowball fights have gone professional in Japan.

In Hokkaido’s Toya area locals have perfected the art of patting clumps of snow together and lobbing them at unsuspecting passersby. In fact, there are now rules. The annual Yukigassen or Snow Competition takes place 23 – 24 February, 2008 and is billed as the “ultimate ecological sport”, according to organizers.

The rules are simple – throw snowballs at the opposing team and take their flag. However, organizers add: “It also takes wisdom to make instant decisions and conceive intuitive tactics required for a high level of competition, which is the fascinating aspect of this sport.”

The sport has now found followers in Finland and Norway where professional competitions are also held. In Japan, 150 teams that have won their way through the preliminaries around the nation will be congregating to the Yukigassen Championships. This year commemorates the 20th anniversary of the competition – and because it is the site for the Hokkaido Lake Toya Summit, the American Embassy has put together a team and is participating. “It is the wish of the towns people of Soubetsu, Toya, that one day Yukigassen will become an Olympic sport and comrades around the world will throw friendly snowballs at each other,” say the organizers.

The second annual Tokyo Marathon was held yesterday.

The second annual Tokyo Marathon was held February 17th 2008, beginning at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building and tracing a course past historic temples and the Imperial Palace grounds, as well as the capital’s most modern landmarks. 30,000 participants were selected by lottery draw from applicants all over the world.

The first Tokyo Marathon in 2007 was marked by foggy, rainy weather, while this year’s runners enjoyed clear skies. The event was also better organized this year, with thousands of police officers redirecting traffic and hundreds of employees from the sportswear maker ASICS positioned alongside the course. There were also thousand of well-wishers along the route. The popularity of the marathon is evidence of the increased interest in running in Japan, as well as part of the build up to the 2008 Olympic Games.