Housewives’ Volleyball Games in the 2011 Intercity Exchange Competition in Yokohama

Volleyball, a sport born in the United States of America in 1895, was introduced in 1913 to Japan by Mr. F. H. Brown, who was dispatched by the YMCA of the USA. The sport then began to spread as Mr. Kenbin Hirota, a member of the YMCA of Yokohama who took lessons from Mr. Brown, held volleyball classes for the school teaching staff in Yokohama City.
At the beginning, 16-a-side games were played as it was thought that letting as many people as possible participate was important.
The game style later changed to 12-a-side and then to nine-a-side. Today, six-a-side volleyball is played at the Olympic Games.
At the Tokyo Olympics, where volleyball became an official Olympic event for the first time in history, the Japanese teams made a very strong showing, making the sport extremely popular across the country.
In addition to the six-a-side and nine-a-side games, volleyball is now played in many other styles, including beach volleyball and soft volleyball, thus making it a sport that people can casually enjoy over the course of their lifetime.

Information provided by: Montreal Olympic Volleyball Society/Yokohama Volleyball Association
Researched and written by: Keiji Nakamura (Yokohama Sports Association)

The Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium, now in its 50th year since its establishment, was built in 1962 as part of the commemorative project marking the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Port of Yokohama, and its construction was completed on May 11 of the same year. Ever since it was opened, this gymnasium with 5,000 people capacity has been used as one of the finest multiuse facilities in Kanagawa Prefecture for numerous professional and amateur sporting events as well as for performances by both Japanese and foreign artists. Residents of Yokohama love this facility as a cultural and sports center.
During the Tokyo Olympics held in 1964, the gymnasium was used as the venue for the preliminary rounds for women’s volleyball, which has been an official Olympic event since these games.
The national women’s team of Japan, nicknamed “Oriental Witches,” bombarded opponents with their unique skills – “floating serve” and “somersault catch” – eventually winning a gold medal by beating the Soviet team, their archrival at the time.
After these Olympic Games, volleyball significantly gained in popularity among Japanese and rapidly spread throughout the nation.

Major events held in the 3-year period since the opening
of the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasiu

Fiscal year Date Event 1962 May 11 Opening ceremony May 23 World pro wrestling matches featuring
Rikidozan versus Sharp and Blassie May 30 Concert by the Yokohama Symphony Orchestra August 7 Warm-up volleyball games for the Tokyo Olympics November 1 Entertainment show featuring singer Haruo Minami January 15 Coming-of-Age Day ceremony 1963 April 22 Recording of NHK’s programs “My Secret” and “Song Show” May 9 Toyo Champion Scout professional boxing match
between Kawai and Miranda July 27 All Japan Interscholastic Table Tennis Championship September 22 All Japan General Martial Arts Competition November 26 Memorial ceremony for the late President Kennedy February 16 Concert by Glenn Miller Orchestra 1964 April 29 oncert by WIENER SANGERKNABEN May 2 Concert by singer Hideo Murata June 20 Japan-France international friendship handball tournament July 11 Judo and Kendo tournaments of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police September 25 –
October 5 Yokohama preliminary rounds of basketball for the Tokyo Olympics October 12 – 23 Tokyo Olympics volleyball games

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