Chutobu Junior High School ──Courtyard Volleyball──

The Chutobu Junior High School 75th Anniversary Song, composed by alumni (74th graduating class), begins like this:

"Open new doors with your own hands / Keeping the teachings of our seniors in our hearts / A path we create ourselves / The sound of volleyball in the courtyard / Overflowing smiles..."

As these lyrics suggest, when people think of break times (mid-morning and lunch breaks) at Chutobu Junior High School, "Courtyard Volleyball" using class balls is a staple. New first-year students are allowed to use the class balls starting from late April; until then, they watch enviously from the classroom terraces as their seniors enjoy playing volleyball in the courtyard.

On the long-awaited day the class balls were finally released, the first-year students went out to the courtyard and became absorbed in volleyball. This is a typical scene of daily life at Chutobu Junior High School. It is often said that for some reason, many Chutobu Junior High School students are good at volleyball, and that is likely a gift of Courtyard Volleyball.