Skip to main content

Kawauchi Attacked by Bear in Kawauchi Village!?

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20131208-00000056-nksports-spo
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20131209-OHT1T00063.htm

translated and edited by Brett Larner
click here for a photo of the attack

The civil servant runner has been attacked by a bear.  Marathoner Yuki Kawauchi (26, Saitama Pref. Gov't) appeared as a special guest at a Dec. 8 community event in the town of Kawauchi, Fukushima to help support the village's reconstruction efforts from the 2011 Fukushima disaster.  From 10 a.m. to well into the evening he took part in a series of events one after another.  After running with local children, the main street in town was renamed 'Yuki Kawauchi Commemorative Road.'  The final event of the evening was the planting of a memorial tree.  After the tree was safely planted, up from behind Kawauchi came.....

Also taking part in the event were town mascots from across the country including 2013 National Mascot Grand Prix champion Sanomaru of Sano, Tochigi.  The Melon Bear mascot of Yubari, Hokkaido came up behind Kawauchi and noisily attacked him, biting his head.  Enjoying himself as he was swallowed whole, Kawauchi spent the rest of the time with Sanomaru, enjoying himself and saying, "This was a really fun event."

The entire town of Kawauchi evacuated at the time of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant Number One nuclear accident following the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit eastern Japan in March, 2011.  Amid fears that their village was gone forever, roughly half of its original 2800 residents have returned. After a day of unending laughs and smiles mayor Yuko Endo said, "I'll never forget our local children's joy when they heard the news that Kawauchi had agreed to come to our town.  They were jumping around in an uproar all shouting, 'No way!!!!'"  The happiest of all, however, may have been Kawauchi himself.

Click here for video of Kawauchi taking part in the Kawauchi village event.

Comments

Most-Read This Week

'Kobe 2024: Aitchison, Athmani Lead Record-Breaking Thursday'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-aitchison-athmani-lead-record-breaking-thursday Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships are here .

'Kobe 2024: Monday Sees Shocking Wins on the Track and the Field'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-monday-sees-shocking-wins-track-and-field Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships  are here .

Five New Championship Records at Japanese Olympic Trials Day Two

Great conditions on the second day of Japan's National Track and Field Championships , U20 National Championships and Paris Olympics trials helped athletes set new National Championship meet records in the women's pole vault, men's 400 mH, men's and women's 1500 m, and men's 5000 m, with three of the five record setters and guaranteeing themselves places on the Paris Olympics team. Complete results here . Women's Pole Vault Final National record holder Misaki Morota cleared her minimum goal, the win in 4.31 m to score enough points to move from 33rd to 32nd in the 32-deep Paris Olympic quota. Morota took two attempts to get over 4.30 m, but on her first try at a Japanese National Championships meet record 4.41 m she got it done. That gave her enough points to move to 30th, but it would take clearing 4.50, 2 cm higher than Morota's NR, to move to 29th. That proved to be out of range, leaving Morota in good position but still waiting to see the outcome of...