The 5th Kasumigaura Reed Boat World Championship for the Japanese Eel Cup To be held in Kasumigaura, Ibaraki in March 2025

Kasumigaura Academy (President: Kazumi Arai, Location: Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan; hereinafter NPO Kasumigaura Academy) released the outline of the 5th World Kasumigaura Reed Boat Competition for the Japanese Eel Cup on October 1, 2024. The event will be held on March 1 (Sat.) and 2 (Sun.), 2025. The event will be held at Takasuzaki Park in the city of Missing in Ibaraki Prefecture. In this event, reed boats of various shapes and sizes will race on the lake with rowers. Participants cut their own reeds at the lakeshore, make their own reed boats by binding the reeds, row the boats, and compete in the performance of the boats. By holding this event, we hope to increase the number of people who connect with the lake while maintaining the reed beds.

The 5th Kasumigaura Reed Boat World Championship

Kasumigaura Academy, an NPO, is an environmental conservation organization for Kasumigaura, a lake in Ibaraki Prefecture, which was established in 2008 and has been conducting environmental lectures for children and research activities on environmental issues in Kasumigaura. The organization began building reed boats in 2016 and held the first World Reed Boat Festival in April 2021. We are planning to hold the 5th competition this time.

Event name: The 5th Kasumigaura Reed Boat World Championship for the Japanese Eel Cup

Date ： March 1, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and March 2, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Venue ：Offshore of Takasuzaki Park and the lakeshore in Kasumigaura (in the city of missing)

Participation Fee: (1) Plan A: 8,000 yen/person (paddle, sickle, and life jacket rental available)

　　　　　　(2)Plan B: 6,000 yen/person (without paddle, sickle and life jacket)

　　　　　　(3)Junior high school students and younger: 3,000 yen

Sponsor ：NPO Kasumigaura Academy and the Missing Canoe Club

Supported by (tentative): Ibaraki Prefecture, City of Namekata, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Kasumigaura River Office, Namekata City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kasumigaura Fisheries Cooperative Association

　　　　　　Kasumigaura Fishery Cooperative Association Tamatsukuri Rotary Club

　　　　　　General Incorporated Association NAGATA PRIDE

The size and shape of the boat body and the number of crew members are free. However, the boat body must be made only of reeds or grass grown in the Kasumigaura lakeshore and twine provided by the event office. Teams will compete for the top three times around the course, and the team with the fastest time and the team with the most technically superior reed boat will receive an award and the Japanese Eel Cup.

We hope that many people will watch the race from the Kasumigaura Bridge and from the lakeshore. Through the competition, we hope to succeed in increasing the number of people connected to the lake while maintaining the reed beds.

For more information, please refer to the following website

https://k-acad.com/5th-ashibune-tournament/

For a report on last year's 4th annual tournament, please refer to the following website

https://k-acad.com/ashifuneworldcup2023/