Teamwork or torture? Japan's gym class

From left: A female student (left) at a Tokyo primary school, now 13 and who would only be identified by the initial M; her mother shows an illustration of 'Kumitaiso' or gymnastic formation and her daughter's position in an accident. [Photos/ Agencies]

The child, who can only be identified as M, was just 11 at the time. She was revived and taken to hospital after shattering the bones in her arm.

"She could have lost consciousness forever or even died if her head had borne the force of the collapse," her mother says.

There have been nine deaths linked to kumitaiso since 1969, when JSC records for school sports injuries began.

"In many cases the risks are being ignored," Uchida says. He has launched a petition, already backed by thousands, calling on education minister Hiroshi Hase to regulate kumitaiso formation size.

'Safety not guaranteed'

It often takes a serious incident before schools or authorities take action.

Yao's board of education is considering a ban on kumitaiso, after public outcry over the September accident - which was filmed and posted on videosharing and social networking sites.

In M's case, she says teachers ignored a light injury to another child, before she was seriously hurt, and continued to push pupils to take part in the sport, citing it's importance for kizuna or bonding.

The school banned kumitaiso after her accident but neighboring ones continued, resulting in at least 17 injuries in 2015 in Tokyo's Kita ward, according to the local education board.

The ward in March decided a ban on kumitaiso, following Tokyo Metropolitan Government's decision to stop it in some 250 schools it directly runs.

In February, Hase, a former Olympic wrestler, made a U-turn on his previous stance on kumitaiso safety, calling for vigilance ahead of the school festival season, starting in May.

The Japan Sports Agency, under Hase's ministry, has since issued a notice to education boards nationwide to halt the practice if "safety cannot be guaranteed".

School resistance, however, appears to be a key obstacle to tougher measures.

"We didn't impose a blanket ban because some teachers argue there are educational aspects to kumitaiso," JSA official Fumiki Agata says.

The inaction has left M's mother enraged, and questioning whether Japan is fit to host the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when it is "ignoring the risks of serious accidents" and child injury in school sport.