Official

You may know if you have seen the past questions of the Chuo-ku Tourism Certification or have been challenged by the Chuo-ku Tourism Certification de Time Attack.
In the third test, there were the following problems.

The first athletic meet in Japan is said to be the competition athletic meet held in 1874 (1874) at the Naval Military Dormitory in Tsukiji. It is said that 18 events were held in this game, but which of the following was not held at that time? ※The options are based on the current competition name and expression.

A: Two tripods a: Equestrian battle: Long jump e: High jump

The correct answer is, “A: Horseback!”
The correct answer rate is 14%, which can be said to be a difficult question for the Chuo-ku sightseeing certification.
It's surprising because it's just a military dormitory, so the equestrian battle seems to be the most correct.

Let's take a closer look at Japan's first athletic meet while suppressing the characteristics of the Naval Military dormitory that appeared in the question sentence.

The Naval Military Dormitory was the predecessor of the Naval Military Training Center, which was founded in 1869, and was later renamed the Naval Academy.
The main feature is a Western-style school building called clay roof tile on the sea rat wall!
It is said that this attracted the attention of the people of the time.

(Remains of the Naval Military Dorm and the Naval Military School near the Central Hospital of the National Cancer Center)

Japan's first athletic meet, held in Kusaba, in front of the Naval Military Dorm with such an impressive appearance, began with the idea of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Lucias Douglas, leader of the U.K. Teachers' Corps, invited in 1873.

After the arrival of the Kurofune, his delegation (35 people) was invited by U.K., who took control of the sea despite a small island nation similar to Japan, to modernize the Army of the Sea of Japan.
He grew up in Quebec, but his father was born in Scotland, as you can see from his last name!
At the age of 14, his parents were allowed to join the Royal Navy, and at the age of 31, he came to Japan with his wife, two children, and nanny.
There is a record that he lived in the Tsukiji Reservation and was treated by the government, and sometimes it was difficult for foreigners to live only in the times, so he slept with a loaded shotgun.

Lieutenant Colonel Douglas on the postcard (Source: The Douglas Archives)

Lieutenant Colonel Douglas, who was in charge of the Navy at the Naval Military Dormitory, was about to throw a spoon because the spirit of the British Navy and the custom of the samurai did not match more than I expected at first.
However, in order to build a common ground, Admiral Nelson, a hero of the British Navy, was referred to as an informal creed of the Naval Military Dorm, and it seemed to have been accepted very quickly.
Heihachiro Togo, a student with the highest expectations of Lieutenant Colonel Douglas, was called the "Nelson of the East" because of his success in the Battle of the Sea of Japan in 1905 (the Battle of Tsushima).

By the way, if you return the story to the athletic meet, in addition to those included in the selection of the test, `` races '', `` races to hold the tail of running pigs '', `` Hase feet with a water tub above, and a competition to put 20 eggs in one yard and pick it up. "

The referee at that time was called Gyoji, and officers of the teachers' group were in charge.
At the award ceremony of 1st to 3rd place, Hendel's "See the conquering hero comes" was played as in modern times!
I thought that the culture of playing this music at the award ceremony was established after the war, but I was surprised that it had been performed since the first athletic meet in Japan.

Until now, I have never thought deeply about the beginning of the athletic meet 145 years ago, but not only do the events and music are the same as modern times, but Japan's first athletic meet was started by a foreigner, and Lieutenant Colonel Douglas and Togo's children were discovered ^ ^
The more you know this, the more you will take a stroll in Chuo-ku, which is packed with interesting attractions, will continue tomorrow.

Tsukiji Reservation Study Group "Tsukiji Reservation" Volume 3 (Aki Shobo, 2004).
Shannon, Anne (2012) Finding Japan: Early Canadian Encounters with Asia. Vancouver: Heritage House Publishing Co.