Things evolve differently in isolation
Both Johoku and lone rival Sotoku are the only two high school football programs located in the western part of Japan; both schools are in Hiroshima City. The next nearest team is a five and a half hour bus ride to the east in the Kansai area. The majority of the high school football programs in Japan are disproportionately clustered in and around the Kansai and Tokyo areas. Traveling to Kansai by bus is quite expensive and, unlike in America, in Japan a high school football team's equipment and travel costs come directly out of the player's parent's pockets.
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| .Johoku H.S. vs Osaka Gakuin H.S. Osaka, Japan (2009) . . .  For the first time in over a decade, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Western Japan fielded a high school football team. Despite their playing in a separate Department of Defense Armed Forces League, we happily obliged their presence by scrimmaging against them on several occasions. The two schools are approximately a one hour bus ride away from each other. M.C.A.S. Iwakuni, Japan (2012) |
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The distance from the competition is a major factor in hindering the development of the players at both Johoku and Sotoku. There is no league schedule for high school football teams in Japan as there are for American teams. There are two Japanese National High School American Football Tournaments each year, one in the spring and the other in the fall. One loss and you're out so in theory it's possible to only play twice a year. As a result, both Hiroshima teams are forced to be creative in order to gain any kind of meaningful game experience for the players. The situation dictated we create our own little football universe in Hiroshima.
The young player's isolation from the Kansai area isn't only geographic, it's also cultural; although, the same thing can be said when comparing football in Japan to football the United States. The game is the same, yet the two cultures couldn't be more different. And so it goes with different causative influences the game evolves differently. Typically, whenever two teams square off on the gridiron the one following the battle honed doctrine prevails; the less prepared team often assumes a lower spot on the food chain.
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At both Johoku and Sotoku when the young player's first join the teams their individual concepts of the game and how to play vary if they have any concept at all. If anyone who really understood football were to witness a local practice, they'd probably notice the gap between what the players are doing and what actually transpires in a game. This is probably due to the local culture of players following a practice menu; undoubtedly, this way of doing things has been going on for a very long time. The biggest gains in the young player's development came from actually playing against experienced teams; although, the chances for competition are so infrequent most gains are lost in the interim. The higher level of confidence and aggression with which the more experienced Kansai area teams play is clearly obvious. To the young Hiroshima player's credit, whenever the precious opportunity to play does occur, they strap it up and step onto the gridiron.
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We'd play anyone...
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| .Johoku vs semi pro Kure Gulf Angels Shudo field - Hiroshima, Japan - August (2009) |
.The "Boys" vs "Old guys" - chapter 1
Shudo field - Hiroshima, Japan - November (2009)
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| .Johoku vs semi-pro Kure Gulf Angels "Old guys" in pursuit. RB (#23) wants no part of the apparently optional blocking duties. Fend for yourself QB (#3) Shudo field - Hiroshima, Japan - November (2009) |
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| .Kinritsu University vs Johoku Johoku Field - Hiroshima, Japan - August (2009) |
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| .Johoku vs semi-pro Kure Gulf Angels Shudo Field - Hiroshima, Japan - August (2009) |
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| .Kinritsu University vs Johoku These poor guys don't train at all. They play flag football with pads. Johoku Field - Hiroshima, Japan - August (2009) |
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| .Shudo University players Hiroshima, Japan (2009) |
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| .Johoku combined scrimmage with Shudo University Shudo University - Hiroshima, Japan - September (2009) |
I'd found the young guys motivation to train increased if there was a competition on the horizon to look forward to. When I first joined the Johoku coaching staff in 2005 the events were far and few between; other than the bi-annual competition against Sotoku there wasn't much else. After I took over as sole coach in 2007 we started to take on local colleges and semi-pro teams; we'd play just about anyone. The best I could manage within the existing academic constraints was one competition every three or four weeks. To their credit the high schoolers lined up across from grown men and endured. An additional benefit was I was able don the old football helmet myself. Thankfully, Japan isn't as litigious a society as America or none of this could of happened. Iron man football is alive and well in Western Japan.