Special Feature on Sports - 3
Comparing the club activity between Japanese-Chinese students
Zhou Weiwei (Faculty of Commerce, 4th year, China)
People say that there are no walls in sports but it's hard to say that the structures are the same in all countries. The biggest difference that surprised me the most was the club activities in Japan.
Also known as examination schooling, the education in China ultimately emphasizes on the college examination. Rather than the rearing talent that is useful in society for the future, students defeat through the strict competition of the mass population and are devoted to enter prestigious universities to survive. It's common for one to pursue a high educational institution starting from kindergarten to high school to be able to enter a high ranked university. There are many students who succumb to the cruelty of only concentrating on studying for the twelve years between elementary to high school. School records are the only things that can evaluate a student. I remember how the music, physical education, and liberal art classes were used for free time and for other main classes.
Up until high school, we didn't have circles or sport clubs. There were a few who participated in the clubs for the honor of the school, but they didn't do well in their studies. Regardless of being good or bad, those students were known as "athletes" and weren't very smart. On top of being athletes, they weren't motivated to study, lost time because of the rigorous training, and got more behind in their studies. People were able to go to high school with a sport recommendation but when it came to college, athletes from all over the world had to face the strict competition. Therefore, most athletes couldn't get into college. Based on the peculiar system of the examination education of my mother country, China, the following conditions of club activities were formed. (I think it has somewhat changed now, but this was how it was when I was in high school.)
Hence, I didn't have an image towards club activities before I came to Japan. Coming here and going to college, I was moved when I saw Japanese students working their best toward the club activities. I found out that most students played some type of sport along with studying ever since elementary school. It wasn't just for play, students played full-scale. Club activity allows one to improve and discover personality and knowledge and it provides responsibility and practice to act independently. One must support each other during club activities; it's an environment where gifted personality in society is created. Club activities play a big role in upbringing people who are physically and mentally strong and have good manners.
It is no exaggeration to say that the spirit of club activity led to the powerful Japan that stands today.
A MAN, Chinese International Student Basketball Team Zhou (center, back row)
