Faith Suzuki (Tokyo)
Sports in Japan. Three words that no doubt evoke a myriad of feelings and activities. Many of us immediately think of spectator sports—soccer, sumo, baseball, rugby, etc. Others may think of personal and group fitness endeavors, such as everything from yoga and pilates, to boxing, cycling, and CrossFit. In my work, we mainly think about swimming, cycling, and running. From registration to pre-race inquiries, athlete guides and post-race follow-up, my team and I work to ensure participants and race
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directors feel prepared. To do this well, I have to know about sports to best assist people of varying athletic abilities. Now, they say that the toughest part of the race is the training and preparation beforehand. In Japan, however, sometimes the toughest part is learning about all the races out there, then trying to register for the one that catches your attention. It’s like banking or trying to find an apartment in Japan; what used to be so easy “back home” is often complicated by Byzantine processes.
