How Do Locals Feel About a Hakone Ekiden Without Fans? Thoughts of a Community Leader in a Town on Hakone Course
by Mika Tokairin Held every Jan. 2 and 3, the Hakone Ekiden has become a bona fide New Year's tradition. The town of Miyanoshita on the steepest part of the winding mountain roads that make up the legendary Fifth and Sixth Stages has become famous for its massive crowds cheering "Miyanoshita style," chanting individual athletes' names in call-and-response form instead of their university's name. With organizers asking the public to help combat the coronavirus crisis by staying home and watching Hakone on TV, how are the people of Miyanoshita looking at this year's race? We talked to Koji Shima , owner of the Shima Photo Shop, a fixture on Miyanoshita's main street for four generations, and head of the Miyanoshita business association's Hakone Ekiden celebration event committee. What's the history of "Miyanoshita Style" cheering? Shima: I think it's been going on for about 25 years. There was a movement to try to reinvigorate the to...