JAPAN: Japanese marathon runner Arata Fujiwara makes the country's Olympic squad despite not having a sponsor and attributes his success to 'Curvy Dancing', a Japanese fitness fad with an emphasis on hip gyrations

Record ID: 309179

  • Title: JAPAN: Japanese marathon runner Arata Fujiwara makes the country's Olympic squad despite not having a sponsor and attributes his success to 'Curvy Dancing', a Japanese fitness fad with an emphasis on hip gyrations
  • Date: 13th March 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 12, 2012) (REUTERS) JAPAN ASSOCIATION OF ATHLETICS FEDERATIONS (JAAF) NEWS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE OLYMPIC MARATHON SQUAD MANAGING DIRECTOR OF JAAF ANNOUNCING SQUAD PHOTOGRAPHERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE SIGN READING IN ENGLISH: "JAAF JAPAN ASSOCIATION OF ATHLETICS FEDERATIONS" TOKYO, JAPAN (RECENT - MARCH 8, 2012) (REUTERS) MEN'S OLYMPIC MARATHON SQUAD MEMBER ARATA FUJIWARA (IN WHITE) RUNNING WITH TRAINING PARTNER UNDER PLUM BLOSSOM IN NOGAWA PARK VARIOUS OF FUJIWARA RUNNING WITH TRAINING PARTNERS FUJIWARA REMOVING TRAINING SHOES FUJIWARA'S RUNNING SHOES (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE OLYMPIC MARATHON SQUAD MEMBER ARATA FUJIWARA, SAYING: "Training in the park's free and I don't have to fork out for shoes because, well, ASICS (Japanese shoe manufacturer) helped me out with that. I don't have any cash, but people have helped me out in all sorts of ways, so I've been able to get by without needing anything." MORE OF FUJIWARA RUNNING WITH TRAINING PARTNER FUJIWARA RUNNING IN PARK (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE OLYMPIC MARATHON SQUAD MEMBER ARATA FUJIWARA, SAYING: "It was a real struggle. You know, Hemingway says in one of his short stories "hunger is a good discipline". Well it's exactly like that. Being starving, being hungry, really was character-building."
  • Embargoed: 28th March 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAWJ7FX9UNJEAUHAZCYRVUNGJ3
  • Story Text: Under the blossoms of Tokyo's Nogawa Park, marathon runner Arata Fujiwara has a spring in his stride, which he attributes to the latest hip-gyrating Japanese fad of "curvy dancing".
    At the announcement of Japan's Olympic marathon squad on Monday (March 12), Fujiwara was one of three men that made the final cut.
    But aside from a few pairs of donated running shoes, the 30-year-old is on the road to London 2012 without a sponsor -- or a yen of official support.
    "Training in the park's free and I don't have to fork out for shoes because, well, (Japanese shoe maker) ASICS helped me out with that. I don't have any cash, but people have helped me out in all sorts of ways, so I've been able to get by without needing for anything," Fujiwara said.
    Japan's marathon elite are traditionally raised from the ranks of well-connected running teams backed by hefty wads of sponsorship cash.
    But that's a life Fujiwara left behind in 2010 when he quit a squad supported by the coffers of Japan Rail to try his luck as a solo runner.
    "It was a real struggle. You know, Hemingway says in one of his short stories 'hunger was a good discipline'. Well it's exactly like that. Being starving, being hungry, really was character-building."
    And a change in pace appears to have boosted results for Fujiwara.
    His place in the country's marathon squad was assured after finishing second -- and the top Japanese -- in February's Tokyo marathon with a time of 2:07:48, a personal best.
    But Fujiwara said his run of good form is thanks to a new technique as yet unheard of in the marathon world.
    His secret: "Curvy Dancing", a Japanese fitness fad with a stress on suggestive hip movements.
    The day before the Tokyo marathon, Fujiwara visited its creator, Hiromi Kashiki, for a one-on-one session.
    "When I first saw Fujiwara, I noticed his pelvis was going up and down, left and right - it wasn't very stable," Kashiki said in her dance studio in Tokyo.
    "I tried to make sure his pelvic area was more relaxed -- removing wasted energy to release that explosive power," she said.
    Kashiki said Fujiwara's training routine is not as gyration-focused as her smash-hit videos and books. Instead, it relies on a series of abdomen and hip stretches.
    "Up until now I've been really bad at using my hips effectively. After I got some lessons from Kashiki and her 'Curvy Dancing', my running-style dramatically improved," Fujiwara said.
    Joining Fujiwara in the men's squad are 27-year-old Ryo Yamamoto and 29-year-old Kentaro Nakamoto.
    Yamamoto is supported by his employers at Japanese delivery company Sagawa Kyubin, while Nakamoto is part of a team sponsored by robotics maker Yasukawa Denki.
    The London 2012 Olympic Games kick off on July 27, with the men's marathon on August 12.
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