Sawanoi Championship Cup

Sunday fell on the last day of the Fifth Tamagawa Boat Race Sawanoi Championship Cup, hosted by Ome City and co-sponsored by Ozawa Syuzou. Employee A (somehow the employee in charge of blog writing for Ozawa Syuzou is called "Employee A") invited me to join her in going for the boat races. It was the first time for me to go for the boat races.

We met at 10 a.m. At the gate, seemingly a one for vehicles concerned, Employee A said something to a man who appeared to be a gatekeeper. And he opened the gate and allowed us to enter.

That was a big area.
Oh, I found Sawanoi, over there!



Employee A and I came to a big building in the area. There stood a man, seemingly a guard, in front of the building. Again, Employee A murmured something to the guard, and he opened the door close to him, even showing courtesy by leading us to the elevator and pressing the elevator button. Employee A, you're quite reliable.

After getting of the elevator, we headed for the special spectators' room along the long corridor.

The big window of the room looked on the large pond where the races took place.



There was a vending machine that provided people in the room with soft drinks free of charge! (It is inappropriate to call this machine "a vending machine" because it is not selling drinks but giving us free drinks.) With a good seat, nice view, and free soft drinks, all what I had to do was just relaxing and enjoying the race.

After we saw a few races, we went to a restaurant in the area for lunch. I ordered the Today's Lunch, which is a pork cutlet rice bowl. As might be expected of a menu during the Sawanoi Championship Cup event, this lunch was accompanied by a small cup of Sawanoi Hanami Shinshu (花見新酒).



After lunch, we continued watching the races. Later, the ex-Employee A and president O (president of Ozawa Syuzou) joined us in watching the races.

The ex-Employee A and president O later went out of the room since they had to prepare for the commendation ceremony that would occur soon after the last twelfth race. Then, we moved from this comfortably warm room to the open stands exposed to the cold wind.

The stands were not comfortable but a nice place to hear the sounds of the motorboats and watch the races at a short distance. We could feel the power from the last race.



After the last race, soon we moved to the place of the commendation, where the today's winner Mr. Kentaro Yoshida appeared. That bird (costumed person) was Wakey by name. President O gave the winner Mr. Yoshida an extra prize, Sawanoi sake. And, at last but not least, that charming lady acting as master of the ceremony was Miss Miori Nagashima.



We, president, Employee A, ex-Employee A, and I, were to go to Tachikawa for sake drinking. But before leaving the boat race site, they had some clear-up work to do. So, I was waiting for them to finish their work.

While I was waiting and walking around here and there doing nothing, that MC lady came over here. I could talk with her for a while and, of course, I didn't fail to explain the Sawanoi Community and Tokyo Sake Site in the Internet.

"Ichibay, you were talking with Miori, weren't you? You looked so spoony," said Employee A. "It is very natural of me to react in that way," replied I without being embarrassed at all.