On the 16th, a competition was held in Hidaka Village, Kochi Prefecture, where participants raced across tatami mats lined up along the Niyodo River. The final year will be in 2025. Despite unexpected developments, the event drew more excitement than usual, bringing the event to a close after nearly 10 years of history.
This event has been held for the past 10 years by the Niyodogawa Nozu District Revitalization Council to help people experience the charms of Hidaka Village and the Niyodo River. It has been beloved by many as a local tradition, named after Kusaka Mohei, who is said to have trained as a ninja in Hidaka Village during the Edo period. However, due to the aging of the organizers, the event's final year will be in 2025.
The challenge was to race across 27 tatami mats lined up along the approximately 50-meter stretch of the pure Niyodo River. With their incredible sense of balance, the children ran across them one after the other, like ninjas.
As it was the final tournament, the venue was more lively than usual, but due to a thunderstorm warning, the event was canceled for safety reasons. While the organizers are left feeling dissatisfied with this unexpected ending, they hope that someone will take over the event someday.
(Tanaka Tomohisa, Chairman, Niyodogawa Nozu District Revitalization Council)
"The number of people taking up sports like stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and rafting has increased in recent years, with some families returning for three generations—parents, children, and grandchildren. It would be the greatest joy for a young group to start a new organization, and it would make all the hard work worthwhile."
Hidaka Village's beloved Water Tatami Running Competition, which has been held for roughly 10 years, has come to an end, much to the regret of many.
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