Todai's intangible cultural asset? ~ About Gotenshita Noon Soccer

Haruki Takeuchi, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences

Beyond the outer wall of the bleachers of the former Faculty of Science grounds, built in 1937, lies the Gotenshita Grounds. The long-pile artificial turf of high quality in the middle of the city center is, frankly speaking, one of the best in Tokyo. The Gotenshita Grounds are open to the public during lunch breaks (12:00-14:00) on weekdays, and anyone can use them without a reservation. Since I was a student, I have been using it many times a week to relieve stress and improve my physical performance between research activities. I have been using this ground for more than 20 years as I have been working in several Graduate Schools in the university.

Do you know about the mini-soccer game that is held on the Gotenshita Ground during the lunch break? When the clock in Yasuda Auditorium strikes 12:15, someone kicks the ball up in the air and the mini-soccer game begins. Sometimes more than 20 people gather, wearing white shirts vs. colored shirts, and kick the ball around until just before the afternoon work begins. No permission is needed to participate in this mini-soccer game. After completing the preparation exercises, they enter the field and say, "Hey, pass," and the game is on. Anyone can join in the game, regardless of ability, age, or gender. Sometimes it is junior high school students on summer vacation, and other times it is a gray-haired old man over 70 years old kicking the ball around. This lunchtime mini-soccer game has been going on for more than 20 years (or has it been going on for 30-40 years?) since I was an undergraduate student. The mini-soccer game has been held every weekday, rain, wind, and (when possible) snow, for more than 20 years since I was an undergraduate student. I have experienced many valuable encounters through this lunchtime soccer game at Gotenshita. I was able to kick a ball not only with alumni of the University, professors of different Departments, and others affiliated with the University of Tokyo, but also with professional soccer players, such as Ahn Yong-ha, who represented North Korea in the World Cup, and Kubo Ken-Young, who is currently playing in the Spanish League. In addition to simply getting to know more people, I was able to pick up many seeds that will enrich my research life through these encounters. I wrote a paper on the relationship between soccer and cognitive functions with a graduate student from another university, and Professor Kunihiko Mitsubuchi of Graduate School of Information Science and Technology gave me the opportunity to visit his laboratory and show me experiments using the brain-machine interface (BMI). I also had the opportunity to deepen our friendship with Professor Keisuke Goda of the Department of Chemistry long before we met in person for research, through soccer games during our lunch break. I am grateful to the people around me for the lunchtime soccer game, which has continued for several decades regardless of weather conditions, and which has produced unexpected and valuable encounters.

In recent life science research, there are countless reports that exercise is an effective preventive measure against aging, adult diseases, neurological diseases, and all other diseases. Why don't you come to the Gotenshita Grounds during your lunch break? Not only will you improve your physical and mental health, but you may also find serendipity to enrich your life.

The Gotenshita Ground of the University of Tokyo, where serendipity is born