JAPAN: Students run, slide and tumble in what they say is their version of the Cooper Hill Cheese Rolling festival
Record ID:
464781
JAPAN: Students run, slide and tumble in what they say is their version of the Cooper Hill Cheese Rolling festival
- Title: JAPAN: Students run, slide and tumble in what they say is their version of the Cooper Hill Cheese Rolling festival
- Date: 31st May 2011
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (MAY 31, 2011) (REUTERS) STUDENTS RUNNING DOWN SLOPE MORE OF STUDENTS RUNNING OR TUMBLING ON SLOPE CHASING CHEESE REPLICA STUDENTS RUNNING DOWN SLOPE CHEESE ROLLING DOWN SLOPE MORE OF STUDENTS RUNNING DOWN SLOPE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 20-YEAR-OLD SCIENCE STUDENT AND CHEESE CHASER, TSUNAO NOJIMA, SAYING: "It's a lot of fun running down together on the slope." STUDENTS GATHERED IN FRONT OF SCHOOL BUILDING VARIOUS OF STUDENTS MAKING CHEESE REPLICA WITH CARDBOARD AND YELLOW DUCT TAPE STUDENTS PUTTING PACKS OF CHEESE INTO CHEESE REPLICA AND SEALING IT (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 21-YEAR-OLD ENGINEERING STUDENT AND ORGANIZER OF CHEESE ROLLING EVENT, SATOSHI TONOOKA, SAYING: "Of course, we want to roll the real cheese, but it's hard to find the real, cylindrical cheese, and even though available, it would be very expensive, we cannot afford it." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS RIDING BICYCLES FEMALE STUDENT ROLLING CHEESE AND OTHER STUDENTS CHASING DOWN CHEESE CHASER GRABBING CHEESE AND FALLING OVER/ JUMPING UP STUDENT WHO GRABBED CHEESE BEING APPLAUDED BY OTHERS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 20 YEAR OLD, ENGINEERING STUDENT, YUTO NOGUCHI SAYING: "I just displayed my Samurai spirit." CHEESE ROLLING DOWN SLOPE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 21-YEAR-OLD ENGINEERING STUDENT AND ORGANIZER OF CHEESE ROLLING EVENT, SATOSHI TONOOKA, SAYING: "The cheese rolling festival at Cooper's Hill was cancelled since last year, which is a regrettable thing to us. So, it would be great if we can make today's event popular and succeed the British tradition here in Japan." STUDENTS GATHERED AT PICNIC TABLE STUDENT OPENING CHEESE REPLICA AND PUTTING OUT CHEESE PACKS STUDENTS CLAPPING AND CHANTING "CHEESE, CHEESE" CAMEMBERT CHEESE BEING CUT WITH KNIFE VARIOUS STUDENTS EATING CHEESE STUDENTS TAKING GROUP PHOTO SAYING "CHEESE"
- Embargoed: 15th June 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan, Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA6V8WJBZO58M5KFUG5K99SXYPQ
- Story Text: The cheese stopped rolling again this year at Cooper's Hill, but a group of Japanese students kept the spirit alive on Tuesday (May 31) running, sliding and tumbling as they chased a cheese wheel on a slope on the outskirts of Tokyo.
The Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling Festival where broken bones, sprained ankles and bruises are often the rewards for chasing a huge wheel of cheese, was cancelled last year due to safety concerns and spectators' fury at the 20-pound sterling entry fee.
Some may complain the slope is too gentle to call it the heir of the famous cheese rolling in Gloucester, England, but the students at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology said it's all about who you run with, not how fast.
"It's a lot of fun running down together on the slope," said 20-year-old science student Tsunao Nojima after he finished a run on the 50-meter (164-feet) hill.
The 21 students who joined Tuesday's event made their cheese blocks with cardboard and duct tape, packed with camembert, cheddar and mozzarella from a grocery store to call themselves "cheese chasers."
"Of course, we want to roll the real cheese, but it's hard to find the whole wheel of cheese, and even though available, it would be very expensive; we cannot afford it," said 21-year-old engineering student Satoshi Tonooka, who came up with the cheese-chasing idea on a bike trip.
No one was sent to hospital Tuesday, but the students were serious as they ran at full-throttle to catch the cheese replica. Some actually snatched it with a nice diving catch.
"I just displayed my Samurai spirit," said 20-year-old Yuto Noguchi.
Event organiser, Tonooka, hoped their event could replace the British tradition.
"The cheese rolling festival at Cooper's Hill was canceled since last year, which is a regrettable thing to us. So, it would be great if we can make today's event popular and succeed the British tradition here in Japan," Tonooka said.
Whether the students realised their ambition or not, they enjoyed their day and wrapped it up with a tasty cheese snack. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None