Swimming, soccer, gymnastics and more: Japanese children these days are increasingly enthusiastic about sports. Sports-focused kindergartens have become very popular, as have after-school training programs intended to nurture elite athletes. What lies behind this junior sports boom? This time on Japanology Plus, we explore the theme of children and sports. Our expert guest is Masayuki Tamaki, a sportswriter who covers the entire sporting spectrum. And in Plus One, a gym for Olympic prospects.

Originally from Seattle, Washington in the US, Tyler Lynch manages a Japanese inn, or ryokan, at a hot springs resort in Nagano Prefecture. Lynch fell in love with the ryokan as a place where you can enjoy a traditional way of life that is otherwise disappearing. He listens carefully to guests in order to determine their preferences and needs, and offers them his own personal take on Japanese hospitality. He combines with various efforts to breathe fresh life into the local community.