Tokyo Kokusai University's Hamato Ready to Tackle Hakone's Mountain for His Fellow Disaster Survivors
http://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/feature/hakone/20151214-OHT1T50013.html translated and edited by Brett Larner On Dec. 13 the Tokyo Kokusai University men's ekiden team went to Koma Shrine in Hidaka, Saitama to pray for success in their first-ever appearance at the Jan. 2-3 Hakone Ekiden. Afterward they returned to their training ground in Sakado for practice, everything looking smooth as they made their final preparations for Japan's biggest race. Set to take on the legendary Fifth Stage thanks to his talent at running uphill, 2nd-year Takaya Hamato has special motivation in his Hakone debut. A native of Yamada, Iwate, his home was complete destroyed in the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. Now Hamato has vowed to produce something special to give encouragement to his fellow survivors back home. Hamato grew up in a port town but is fearless in his uphill running. When he was a 2nd-year at Iwate's Ichinoseki Gakuin H.S. he took part in a p...