Girls’ physical performance hits new highs: gov’t survey

February 14, 2018

Tokyo- Girls in the fifth year of elementary school and the second year of junior high school in Japan posted record highs in overall physical performance in fiscal 2017, a government survey showed Tuesday.

Girls' physical performance points were highest since fiscal 2008, when the annual survey on physical strength, skills and exercise habits of boys and girls in the two grades was launched.

As for boys, overall performance stayed almost flat from the previous year in both grades, according to the fiscal 2017 survey, released by the Japan Sports Agency.

The latest survey was conducted between April and July last year, covering 2.08 million students, or almost all children in the two grades.

The younger group of girls posted a new high in overall performance for the fourth consecutive year, hitting new records in four of the eight activity categories, including a 50-meter sprint.

The older group of girls scored a high in overall performance for the third straight year, achieving better than ever in seven of the nine categories, including a 1,000-meter run.

Boys and girls in both grades remained weak in hand grip strength and ball throwing. Junior high school boys suffered record lows in both categories.

By prefecture, Fukui came top and Ibaraki second in overall physical performance both for boys and girls in the two grades.

The agency studied for the first time how the same group of children changes over years, comparing the results of the latest survey for the junior high school students with those of the survey in fiscal 2004, when they were fifth-graders.

After entering junior high school, children were divided into two groups--one with longer hours of exercise and the other with shorter hours, the comparison found. The share of the latter group stood particularly high for girls.

But the share of girls who exercise for less than an hour a week fell.

University of Tsukuba professor Takahiko Nishijima, who analyzed the survey, said efforts by schools are bearing fruit.

The survey also showed that junior high schools that do not have off days for club activities as a rule accounted for 11.2 pct, down from 22.4 pct. Jiji Press