japan running news

Stephen Mayaka was the first Kenyan high school runner in Japan and the first to go the complete route from high school to university and on into the corporate running world. Now a Japanese citizen, married to a former World Championships-level Japanese marathoner and head coach of Obirin University’s ekiden team, Mayaka is a mentor to Kenyan athletes both across Japan and back in Kenya. JRN interviewed Mayaka just before New Year, 2010 for an article for Running Times magazine. This is part two of his interview.  Click here for part one . Part Two: The Corporate Life, Pros and Cons At the professional level, in your day-to-day life in the corporate teams how is it for Kenyan runners or other foreign athletes? I think every company has its own schedule. I support some companies, and I don’t support some other companies, the way they are using us. There are different understandings. I think there are companies that need a Kenyan just to run in the ekiden championships and...

http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/track/news/20090109k0000m040139000c.html translated by Brett Larner Marathon runner Joseph Maura Kamau (21) was deported back to Kenya from the Nagoya Immigration Prison on Jan. 9 after being found guilty of violating the terms of his athlete visa status. Following his forced departure from Chubu International Airport Kamau's supporters expressed his wish to someday return to Japan. Kamau came to Japan in 2003 on an athlete visa to compete in marathons and ekidens for a professional jitsugyodan team,* but in 2007 he was fired from the team following a leg injury. Kamau was taken in and supported by a small company in Nagoya where he was able to recover and resume practicing. However, in October, 2008 he was arrested by the Immigration Bureau and jailed in the Nagoya Immigration Prison. Immigration authorities successfully argued that Kamau's absence from racing indicated that he was no longer a competitive athlete and was merely working in...

http://mainichi.jp/select/jiken/news/20081103k0000m040105000c.html translated by Brett Larner Arrested for violating the terms of their athlete visa status, the deportation trial of Kenyan runners Simon Maina Munyi and Joseph Mwaura Kamau is set to begin Nov. 4 at the Nagoya Immigration Violation Detention Center. Both runners were fired by their sponsor teams last year after becoming injured. The government contends that in their current condition Munyi and Kamau are not fit enough to meet the requirements of the athlete visa. Should they be found guilty, the case will set a precedent which will, in the current economic climate, make the situation of all foreign runners in Japan highly precarious. Translator's note: An earlier article posted last month gives more detail on Munyi and Kamau's situation. This article does not mention that both runners recovered from their injuries, found a new sponsor, and were in training for comeback races this fall at the time of their arrest...

http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/national/news/CK2008101602000270.html translated by Brett Larner update: I've received some inquiries about how to help Munyi and Kamau since posting this article yesterday. Please contact Takahide Watanabe of the Owari Asahi Running Club . The club's message board discussion about the situation here , and a copy of the documents Watanabe has filed with the Immigration Bureau protesting the Kenyans' pending imprisonment and outlining their legitimacy as runners is here . Fired by their sponsoring jitsugyodan teams after sustaining injuries and given shelter by a sympathetic small independent local car parts manufacturer, two elite Kenyan runners living in Nagoya were arrested early this month and imprisoned in the Nagoya Immigration Violation Detention Center. The two are facing deportation, but a group of local supporters is attempting to fight the Immigration Bureau's action, saying, "These two men are truly talented athletes ...