Undōkai and Kibasen

Sports day is the event Japanese schools called undōkai (運動会) in Japanese, including preparation for the event. undōkai is usually held on a Saturday or Sunday. During weeks preceding the sports day, students practice their events which they would like to show their parents and friends, within their class of physical education, which often includes performances by the school band and presentations by various school clubs as well as individual and group competitive events. These practices, and the sports days themselves, normally take place on the schools' fields, which provide little relief from the heat and sun. Some schools have responded by scheduling their sports days during cooler months and by encouraging their students to drink water regularly. Currently, the event occurs most often in the autumn (September/October), or in the spring (May/June).

A Japanese game called "kibasen" (literally "cavalry fight") is commonly played as part of school sports day events. In it, a team of four competitors work together, with three carrying the fourth, who wears a hachimaki. The team is defeated if they are knocked over or, more commonly, if their bandanna (hachimaki) is removed by an opponent.