The Kashima Gatalympics (鹿島ガタリンピック, Kashima gatarinpikku) is an annual event held every May on the mudflats of the Ariake Sea off Kashima City in Saga Prefecture, Japan.
Overview[]
The event is held annually at the end of May. Participants compete in novelty games such as mud sumo wrestling, a 25-meter dash, and a surfboard race.
The Ariake Sea has a tidal range of six meters, which, at low tide, exposes the salt marshes where the games are held. It has become a well-known event throughout Saga Prefecture, with around 300 athletes participating each year.
Held annually since 1985 as part of a revitalization effort in Kashima City, the Gatalympics are a combination of the Japanese words “gata” (tidal land) and “lympics” (Olympic Games). Similar to the Olympic Games, various events are held. These include sliding down the marshes on “gataskis” (wooden boards roughly the length of a person's body), which are used for fishing with mudskippers, and cyclists lining up long, narrow boards several meters in length across the marshes and riding them to the finish line. In the bike race, few cyclists reach the finish. Most participants fall off their boards before reaching the finish line, and the cyclists themselves often end up falling into the mud. Because the bikes have no brakes, even if they reach the finish line, they still end up falling into the mud. Approximately 1,500 participants from both within and outside the prefecture take part in the race, and around 30,000 spectators attend.
There are no qualifying requirements, so anyone can participate by registering in advance. However, in recent years, due to the large number of applicants, a lottery system has been implemented, and each person can only register for two events. Many participants come from outside Japan. Due to the intense impact of being covered in mud in the marshes, the event is usually televised. On the day of the event, shuttle buses are provided to the venue, and the Kamome Express train makes an emergency stop at Hizen-Nanaura Station on the Nagasaki Main Line, the closest station to Kashima Road Station.[1]
Synopsis[]
In 2018, as part of a promotional event for Franchouchou, Kotaro decided the group would participate. While the girls weren't particularly enthusiastic, it was their chance to gain recognition. Unfortunately, they failed to stand out, and most of the group's performances, especially Sakura's, were terrible. Luckily, Tae Yamada was there to save the day. In the Tarzan rope challenge, she managed to launch herself several meters into the air, nearly tearing herself apart in the process. The near-zombie incident went largely unnoticed, and Tae won first place. However, she was wearing a Drive-In Tori T-shirt, not a Franchouchou one, so she ended up promoting the chicken restaurant.
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Anime[]
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Trivia[]
- The term “Gatalympics” is a play on the Japanese name for marshes, Kashima Hi gata (鹿島干潟), and the Olympics.
- The 34th Kashima Gatalympics was held on May 27, 2018, the same date as the anime.
- At the 41st Kashima Gatalympics, held on June 8, 2025, Maria Fujino, who plays the presenter of the Gatalympics in the anime, will appear as a presenter of the event for the first time.[2]
- As a result of special discussions with Cygames, it was officially decided that the title of these Gatalympics would be “Yumeginga Paradise Cup,” the same title as the movie.[3]