Abstract
Japan hosted the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the Tokyo Olympic in 2020. The Japanese enthusiasm about competitive sports seems to be ever growing thanks to Abe Isoo (1865—1949), who initiated Japan to the world of competitive sports decades ago. On 4 April 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War, Abe Isoo, a Christian intellectual and Professor of economics and political science at Waseda University, took his baseball players to the USA to play against American students and local players in California. Amidst the war and growing anti-Japanese sentiment in California, Abe realized his decade-long dream of participating in international athletic competitions in anticipation of such games contributing to the resolve of international conflicts without arms races. His two primary goals were that his students would experience ‘scientific baseball’ in its home soil and that they would broaden their international perspective. This paper focuses on Abe’s view of education, particularly in respect to physical education, as seen in his 1905 US tour (4 April - 29 June 1905).
Presenters
Masako GavinHonorary Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Society & Design, Bond University, Queensland, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
COMPETITIVE SPORTS, INTERNATIONAL ATHLETIC COMPETITIONS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC BASEBALL
