Yuki Ota

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Yuki Ota's revolution that changed the fencing world (Part 1)

2020.1.10

Fencing becomes entertainment. The challenge of Yuki Ota, a revolutionary in the sports world

From the darkness, the sound of the metal tip of a sword colliding approached my ears. Rhythmic digital sounds join together as if to thread through the gaps. The giant LED display installed on the stage has linear lights rippling in time with the rhythm, and the familiar phrase of Queen's classic song "We Are The Champions" stimulates the heart as if stirring up a feeling of exhilaration. I'll come. At that moment, dancers wearing fencing costumes suddenly emerged from the darkness.

 

A gauze curtain (a thin curtain that allows light to pass through) is placed on the stage, and images, light, and sound intertwine. Amidst the fantastic stage production, the dancers danced and danced fiercely and disciplinedly.

The loud dance music suddenly stopped, and at the same time the dancers struck poses with sharp movements, and the curtain was slowly pulled up. What appeared in clear outline were the fencers competing in the All Japan Championship finals.

Breaking away from traditional sports viewing, the origins of it

Yuki Ota, president of the Japan Fencing Association, has taken on various challenges at the All-Japan Fencing Championships. The purpose of the showy production from the opening of this tournament is to invite the assembled audience into a world of cutting-edge entertainment. He said, ``In order to not compete on the same playing field as major sports such as professional baseball, the J League, and the B League, it was necessary to expand fencing from a sport to an art form.'' Ota says that what sparked his passion for tournament reform was something he saw at the 2016 All Japan Championships.

Ota says that fencing is a sport with complicated rules and a sense of speed that is difficult to understand. That's why he's looking for ways to get people's attention, he says. Ota says that fencing is a sport with complicated rules and a sense of speed that is difficult to understand. That's why he's looking for ways to get people's attention, he says.

Ota says that fencing is a sport with complicated rules and a sense of speed that is difficult to understand. That's why he's looking for ways to get people's attention, he says.

During his active years, Ota believed that if he could win a medal at the Olympics, he could make fencing a major sport. After winning the silver medal in the individual event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he actively appeared in the media, talked about his appeal, and took on the role of a spokesperson. He won a silver medal in the team event at the 2012 London Olympics, and became the first Japanese to win the 2015 World Championships. However, even after winning so many medals, fencing did not attract the attention of the public.

 

After losing at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Ota decided to retire. Then, what he saw at the All Japan Championship that year left him speechless. The number of spectators for the final match was only 150 people. Ota recalls looking around the venue, which was full of empty seats. "I completely woke up from the illusion that winning a medal at the Olympics would make me a major player." Let the players play in front of a packed audience. It was the moment when Ota's direction became clear.

Creation and destruction set up by Yuki Ota

In August 2017, Ota became the chairman of the Japan Fencing Association at the unusually young age of 31, and immediately began reforming that year's All Japan Championship. In just four months, 21 measures have been implemented, such as using LED lights to clearly display which team has earned points and allowing spectators to listen to commentary about the match on the stadium radio. The effect was immediate, and the final match successfully attracted 1600 spectators. Furthermore, the following year, in 2018, the venue for the final match was moved to the Tokyo Globe Theater, and the ticket price was set at 1000 yen for S seats, which was previously 5500 yen, a high price that would be hard to imagine for a ticket to a minor sport. .


Inside the JAPAN SPORT OLYMPIC SQUARE, which was completed last year and houses the Japan Sports Association (JSPO) and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC). Inside the JAPAN SPORT OLYMPIC SQUARE, which was completed last year and houses the Japan Sports Association (JSPO) and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC).

Inside the JAPAN SPORT OLYMPIC SQUARE, which was completed last year and houses the Japan Sports Association (JSPO) and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC).

In an attempt to break away from the style of watching sports in a gymnasium, we offer an extraordinary theatrical sports watching experience. As a result, tickets sold out in 40 hours. The fact that tickets for minor sports were sold out in just two days was a truly epoch-making event for the Japanese sports world.

 

Furthermore, the venue for the 2019 tournament was moved to LINE CUBE SHIBUYA (Shibuya Public Hall), S seats were priced at 6000 yen, and the finals were held over two days. By selling two-day tickets, the event has grown to the point where more than 3000 people can experience fencing over two days. Ota looks back on the past three years of reforms as follows.

 

``The basics of box office revenue are the unit price per customer x the number of customers.In the first year, we focused on the number of customers.In the second year, we worked hard on the average price per customer and kept the number of customers down, and as a result, we succeeded in selling out tickets in 40 hours. In the third year, we moved the venue to Shibuya Public Hall and were able to increase the number of visitors by multiplying the number of visitors.Moreover, by holding the event over two days, we were able to increase the number of viewers to up to 2 people. We were able to expand. I think we can be proud of what we were able to do.”

 

⇨Go to Yuki Ota's revolution that changed the fencing world (Part 2)
(Titles omitted)

Yuki Ota

Graduated from Doshisha University Faculty of Commerce in 2007. He has participated in four consecutive Olympic fencing and men's foil events since the 2004 Athens Olympics. He won the first silver medal in Japan's history at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Won a silver medal in the team event at the 2012 London Olympics. He won the first gold medal in Japan's history at the 2015 World Championships. He retired from active duty after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. In August 2017, he became the chairman of the Japan Fencing Association. In December 2018, he became Vice President of the International Fencing Federation. He also serves as vice president of the Japan Urban Sports Support Council.

Photography by Yoshiaki Tsutsui
Text by Taisuke Segawa

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