1.
ekiden; long-distance relay road race
A road-running relay in which each member of a team runs one leg and hands a sash to the next runner. It is one of Japan's most-watched sports, run by schools, universities, and companies, and the New Year's university races are national television events.
The name comes from the Edo-period 駅 post stations where couriers changed horses. Instead of a baton, runners pass a cloth sash called a たすき.
Common collocations
- 箱根駅伝: the Hakone Ekiden, run by university teams every January 2nd and 3rd
- 駅伝大会: an ekiden meet
- たすきをつなぐ: to pass on the sash — also used figuratively for handing on a duty or tradition
- 駅伝選手: an ekiden runner
Cultural note
Because each runner carries the team's hopes for one leg only, 駅伝 is a stock metaphor in Japanese for teamwork across generations — a retiring employee may speak of passing the たすき to a successor.