Yokohama's waterfront Yamashita Park is the site of an annual dragon boat race competition that is a lot of fun to watch.
Dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese sport. In its modern incarnation, teams of rowers climb into a long, low boat adorned with a dragon's head and tail on the front and back. With the pace being set by a drummer in front of the boat (the "caller") and directed by a steerer in the back (the "sweep"), the 18 paddlers engage in an all-out, well synchronized sprint to win the race. The Yokohama races are organized in heats of 3 teams at a time. Each team races twice, with the total time of their 2 heats added together to determine the final standings and champion. Races are run in the water beside the park, parallel to the shore, with the starting point on the Minato Mirai end of the park and heading right, towards the docking point of the Hikawa Maru ship.
The atmosphere of the event is lively and energetic. Races are fast and furious. All around the park, teams in their brightly-colored uniforms are gathered practicing, chanting, and picnicking between races. The teams' lively supporters wave flags and cheer for their favorites. Meanwhile, the atmosphere among the teams is that of camaraderie, with teams usually cheering each other on as well. The scene at Yamashita Park is accentuated with musical performances, mascots, and an overall fun mood.
The races also have a particular Chinese theme to them, which is only partially due to the event's nearness to Yokohama's Chinatown. The races are run by Hong Kong racing and tourism groups, which host the biggest and famous famous dragon boat competitions in the world in Hong Kong. The sport itself began in southern China about 2,000 years ago. According to the legend, the Chinese poet Qu Yuan committed suicide in the Miluo River in protest of political corruption. Hearing of what he had done, the local townspeople rushed to to save him. They scoured the water in boats, and hit drums and beat the water with paddles to keep fish and evil spirits from feeding on his body. They also poured rice into the water to keep him fed. However, the spirit of Qu Yuan later appeared before his friends and explained that a river dragon had been eating the rice intended for him. He asked for their help in warding him off. This began the tradition of dragon boat racing, which continues to this day around the world.
The dragon boat races in Yokohama's Yamashita Park are held over two weekends every spring, in May and/or June. They are free to watch. People interested in starting a team can find the application information on their website (Japanese only).
