Botaoshi, a Japanese sports festival event in which players tries to pull down poles or prevent, is so dangerous that some broke their legs or back bones and ambulances sometimes come. Should Japanese schools abolish the game?

Llama 4 Scout

Vote: No

While the game of Botaoshi can be dangerous and lead to serious injuries such as broken legs or backbones, it is also an important part of Japanese cultural heritage. Abolishing the game entirely might deprive students of the opportunity to experience and appreciate this traditional event. Schools can take preventive measures to minimize risks, such as ensuring proper supervision, teaching safe techniques, and providing necessary safety equipment.

Qwen 3 235B

Vote: Yes

Botaoshi poses significant physical risks, as evidenced by injuries such as broken legs and spinal damage. Activities with such high danger levels are inappropriate in school settings where student safety must be prioritized.

GPT-4o

Vote: Yes

Botaoshi, while culturally significant, presents a significant risk of serious injury to participants, including broken bones and spinal injuries. The physical nature of the game and the lack of protective measures put participants at undue risk, especially in a school setting where student safety should be a priority. Schools have a responsibility to protect students and prevent harm. Abolishing Botaoshi would reduce the risk of severe injuries and align with the duty of care expected in educational institutions. While preserving cultural traditions is valuable, student safety should not be compromised.

Grok 3

Vote: Yes

I vote for option A, to abolish Botaoshi in Japanese schools, due to the significant safety risks it poses to students. The game’s inherent danger, evidenced by severe injuries like broken legs and back bones, as well as the need for ambulances, outweighs any cultural or traditional value it may hold. While Botaoshi may foster teamwork and physical fitness, these benefits can be achieved through safer sports and activities. Schools have a responsibility to prioritize student safety, and continuing to allow a game with such a high risk of serious injury is negligent. There are many alternative events or modified versions of traditional games that can preserve cultural heritage without endangering participants. Abolishing Botaoshi does not mean erasing tradition but adapting it to ensure the well-being of students.

GPT-4o Mini

Vote: Yes

Botaoshi poses significant risks to the participants, as evidenced by reports of severe injuries like broken legs and spinal damage. These dangers overshadow the game's cultural and recreational value. It is essential for Japanese schools to prioritize student safety over traditions that carry excessive risks. Moreover, schools should foster a safe environment for physical activity. The potential for serious injury from Botaoshi diminishes the opportunity for students to engage in sports that promote teamwork and fitness without the fear of life-altering injuries. Abolishing Botaoshi would also encourage the exploration of alternative activities that maintain the spirit of competition and collaboration while being safer for all students.

claude-haiku-4-5

Vote: Yes

While Botaoshi can be an exciting team event that builds camaraderie and competitive spirit, student safety must be the paramount concern for schools. The documented history of serious injuries—including broken legs and spinal injuries severe enough to require ambulance response—indicates the risk profile is unacceptably high for a school-sponsored activity. Schools have a duty of care to their students. When an activity regularly produces injuries requiring emergency medical intervention, it crosses an ethical line that cannot be justified by educational or cultural value alone. The benefits of team-building and tradition do not outweigh the tangible risk of permanent disability to young people. This is not a blanket argument against all contact sports, but rather recognition that when injury rates become this severe and predictable, abolishment is the responsible choice. Schools can preserve competitive spirit and cultural traditions through safer alternatives.

O3 Mini

Vote: Yes

The evidence of severe injuries and the potential for long-term harm outweigh the cultural or traditional aspects of the game. Given the significant risk to students' well-being, Japanese schools should consider abolishing Botaoshi to protect their students.

GPT-5.4

Vote: Yes

Botaoshi should be abolished in schools because the injury risk is far beyond what is reasonable for a school event. When a game commonly leads to broken bones, back injuries, and ambulance calls, it is no longer just a spirited competition; it is a serious safety hazard. Schools have a duty to protect students. Physical challenge and teamwork are valuable, but they can be taught through many safer activities that do not involve large human piles, forceful collisions, and dangerous falls from height. Keeping a tradition is not a sufficient justification when the foreseeable risk of severe harm is high. Schools can preserve festival excitement by replacing Botaoshi with safer competitive events that still promote cooperation, endurance, and school spirit. Because the educational benefit can be achieved through less dangerous alternatives, the responsible choice is to abolish the game in schools.

Gemini 2.5 Flash

Vote: Yes

The severe risks associated with Botaoshi, including broken legs, backbones, and frequent ambulance calls, make its continued practice in schools indefensible. Schools have a primary duty of care to ensure the safety and well-being of their students. Exposing children to activities with such a high probability of serious injury is a dereliction of this responsibility. While traditional sports can foster teamwork and physical development, these benefits do not outweigh the potential for life-altering injuries. There are numerous alternative sports and activities that can teach similar values without putting students in such extreme danger. Prioritizing student safety over tradition, especially when the tradition carries such significant risks, is the responsible course of action.

GPT-5.1

Vote: Yes

Botaoshi, as described, involves a level of risk that routinely leads to serious injuries such as broken legs and spinal damage, and it sometimes requires ambulance intervention. When a school-sponsored activity predictably produces that degree of harm, it fails a basic duty-of-care standard toward minors who are effectively compelled—socially if not formally—to participate. The educational value of teamwork, courage, or tradition can be achieved through many other activities that do not carry such a high probability of severe injury. Cultural or historical significance is not, by itself, a sufficient justification for maintaining a practice that is foreseeably dangerous to children’s long-term health. If the core concern is preserving tradition, the safer path is to significantly redesign or replace Botaoshi with a low-risk variant that captures similar strategic and cooperative elements, rather than keeping the current, injury-prone format. Given the current described risk profile, Japanese schools should abolish Botaoshi in its existing form.

Kimi K2.5

Vote: Yes

Schools have a fundamental duty of care to protect students from foreseeable catastrophic harm. When an activity regularly causes broken legs, spinal injuries, and requires ambulance attendance, it crosses the line from acceptable sports risk into reckless endangerment. Permanent back injuries can destroy a young person's quality of life forever, far outweighing any temporary entertainment or tradition. While cultural heritage and team-building are valuable, they cannot justify activities with a documented pattern of severe, disabling trauma. Japan has numerous alternative sports that build character and teamwork—such as kendo, judo (with proper safety protocols), or relay races—without the same propensity for paralyzing falls or crushing injuries. The existence of ambulances as a routine feature of this event signals that the danger is systemic, not anecdotal. Schools should abolish Botaoshi or radically restructure it with comprehensive safety equipment, medical supervision, and rule changes that eliminate the risk of spinal compression. Until such reforms prove effective, the game should not take place in educational institutions entrusted with children's safety.

Magistral Small

Vote: Yes

While Botaoshi is a traditional event that promotes teamwork and physical fitness, the risk of serious injuries such as broken bones is too high. The presence of ambulances at these events indicates a significant safety concern that cannot be ignored. Schools have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their students, and the potential for severe injuries outweighs the cultural and educational benefits. It would be more prudent to replace this event with safer alternatives that still promote the same values.

Sonar Pro

Vote: No

Botaoshi should not be abolished in Japanese schools that choose to continue it, as it holds significant cultural and educational value outweighing its managed risks. Many schools have already voluntarily abandoned it due to safety concerns and parental pressure focused on academics[1], indicating self-regulation rather than a need for blanket abolition. At institutions like Kaisei Gakuen, where it remains central, safety improvements—such as shortening game time to 90 seconds, reducing run-up distance from 30m to 10m, and banning kicking—have been implemented, making it safer despite rising injury numbers from 2005-2016[1]. Injuries like sprains, fractures, and concussions occur but are accepted as part of the rite of passage, with minimal protective gear (helmets, kneepads)[1][3][7]. Supporters, including school leaders, emphasize its role in building teamwork, strategy, and resilience, originating as military training now evolved into a festival tradition[2][4]. Rules prohibit punching, kicking, and excessive roughness, with fouls leading to disqualification[4][5], showing structured risk mitigation. Forcing abolition ignores local autonomy and the fact that it persists safely at select schools without mandatory ambulances or widespread bans[1][2]. Prioritizing zero risk eliminates valuable physical challenges akin to rugby or American football, where similar injuries occur but benefits in discipline and camaraderie endure.

Grok 4.20

Vote: No

Botaoshi carries real risks of injury, but abolishing a longstanding cultural tradition is an overreaction. Many school sports like rugby or soccer also involve broken bones yet are retained with better rules and supervision. Japanese schools can modify the game—smaller teams, protective gear, stricter refereeing—to reduce harm while preserving its value in teaching teamwork and resilience. Complete removal erases heritage without solving the root issue of balancing safety and tradition. Cultural events evolve; they don't need to disappear.

GPT-5.2

Vote: Yes

Botaoshi has a well-documented risk of serious injury (broken legs, spinal injuries) due to large masses of students piling, tackling, and collapsing around a fixed pole. When an activity predictably produces severe harms beyond typical school sports, the school’s duty of care becomes paramount. Schools can preserve “sports festival tradition” without keeping the most dangerous elements. Abolishing Botaoshi in its current form (or replacing it with a significantly safer alternative) maintains school spirit while reducing preventable injuries, medical emergencies, and potential long-term disability. The fact that ambulances sometimes come is a strong indicator the risk is not merely hypothetical. Given that participation is often collective and socially pressured, students may accept dangers they cannot fully evaluate, making abolition the safer and more ethically defensible policy.

Gemini 3.1 Pro

Vote: Yes

Schools have a fundamental duty of care to protect the physical well-being of their students. An event that frequently results in severe, life-altering injuries such as broken legs and spinal fractures is fundamentally incompatible with a safe educational environment. While cultural traditions and team-building exercises are valuable, they should never come at the cost of a student's long-term health. Botaoshi's inherent objective—physically defending and attacking a pole through mass human scrums—makes it nearly impossible to regulate safely without changing the sport entirely. Abolishing Botaoshi in schools does not mean eliminating sports festivals or physical education. Schools can easily substitute it with safer, equally engaging team-building activities that promote collaboration and physical fitness without requiring an ambulance on standby.

Gemini 3 Flash

Vote: Yes

The primary responsibility of any educational institution is the safety and well-being of its students. While sports naturally involve some level of risk, Botaoshi involves a disproportionate risk of catastrophic injury, including spinal damage and bone fractures. These life-altering injuries are unacceptable for a school festival event. The educational benefits often cited for Botaoshi—such as teamwork, strategy, and physical fitness—can be effectively cultivated through numerous other competitive sports that do not carry the same high probability of emergency medical intervention. Tradition should never take precedence over the physical safety of minors. In a modern educational context, the 'rite of passage' argument is insufficient to justify activities where ambulances are a common necessity. Schools should focus on promoting healthy competition in environments where the risk of permanent disability is minimized through proper safety protocols and appropriate activity selection.

Mistral Medium

Vote: No

Botaoshi, while undeniably risky, holds significant cultural and educational value in Japan that outweighs the call for outright abolition. The event is deeply rooted in Japanese school traditions, fostering teamwork, discipline, and perseverance—qualities highly regarded in Japanese society. These festivals (*undōkai*) are not just about competition but also about community bonding, school spirit, and instilling a sense of collective responsibility among students. The risks associated with Botaoshi can and should be mitigated through stricter safety measures rather than elimination. Schools could implement mandatory training sessions focused on proper techniques, enforce the use of protective gear (e.g., helmets, padding), and introduce weight or age restrictions to reduce the likelihood of severe injuries. Additionally, medical personnel could be required to be on-site during the event, and rules could be adjusted to minimize high-risk maneuvers, such as prohibiting dangerous pile-ups or excessive force. Abolishing Botaoshi would also set a precedent for removing other traditional but physically demanding activities, potentially eroding cultural practices that have shaped generations. Instead of elimination, a balanced approach—preserving the tradition while prioritizing safety—would better serve students. This aligns with Japan’s broader cultural philosophy of *ganbaru* (persevering through challenges), teaching students to navigate risks responsibly rather than avoiding them entirely. Finally, the presence of ambulances or occasional injuries, while concerning, does not inherently justify abolition. Many sports and activities carry risks (e.g., American football, gymnastics, or rugby), yet they persist because their benefits—physical fitness, mental resilience, and social cohesion—are deemed worth the managed risks. Botaoshi, with proper oversight, can continue to offer these benefits without unnecessarily endangering participants.

Claude Sonnet 4

Vote: No

Botaoshi is a deeply embedded cultural tradition in Japanese school festivals, particularly at institutions like the National Defense Academy. Banning it would erase a meaningful part of Japanese sporting culture and tradition. While injuries do occur, the risk can be managed through better safety protocols, rule modifications, protective gear requirements, and improved supervision rather than outright abolition. Many sports — rugby, American football, wrestling, gymnastics — carry significant injury risks but are not abolished because their value is recognized. The game teaches teamwork, strategy, physical resilience, and mental toughness. These are valuable educational outcomes. Schools should instead focus on harm reduction: updating rules, ensuring proper medical staff are present, limiting participation to physically prepared students, and using protective equipment. Abolishing the game entirely would set a precedent of removing tradition whenever risk exists, which could lead to an overly sanitized and paternalistic approach to physical education. The solution is smart regulation, not elimination.

Mistral Large

Vote: Yes

The safety risks associated with botaoshi are undeniable and severe. Documented cases of broken bones, spinal injuries, and emergency medical interventions demonstrate that the game's physical demands are incompatible with modern standards of student safety. Schools are legally and ethically obligated to provide a safe learning environment, and allowing such a hazardous activity directly contradicts this responsibility. While tradition holds cultural value, it cannot justify exposing students to preventable, life-altering injuries. The potential for permanent disability or chronic health issues far outweighs any perceived benefits of the game. Schools can preserve the spirit of teamwork and discipline through safer alternatives, such as modified sports or non-contact team-building activities, without compromising student well-being. The priority must be protecting students from harm, even if it means reevaluating long-standing traditions.

O3

Vote: Yes

1. Duty of care: Schools have a legal and ethical obligation to minimise foreseeable harm to minors. Botaoshi’s documented rate of broken legs, spinal injuries and ambulance call-outs shows the risk is well above that of mainstream school sports. 2. Disproportionate benefit-risk ratio: Teamwork, perseverance and school spirit can be taught through far safer activities. When comparable educational outcomes exist with orders-of-magnitude lower injury rates, retaining a high-hazard game is unjustified. 3. Informed consent problem: Unlike adult athletes, students often feel social or institutional pressure to participate. This limits genuine consent to extreme bodily risk and places responsibility squarely on the institution. 4. Precedent in other countries: Schools worldwide have discontinued or modified traditional events (e.g., tackle rugby bans in some UK schools) when injury data became compelling. Doing so did not diminish cultural identity; it simply modernised safety standards. 5. Liability & cost: Frequent serious injuries increase insurance premiums, potential litigation, and emergency service burdens, diverting resources from education. Cultural preservation can occur through demonstration versions or historical lessons without forcing children to engage in a danger-prone contest. Therefore Japanese schools should abolish Botaoshi in its current form.

Qwen 3.5 397B

Vote: Yes

Student safety must be the paramount priority in any school activity. When an event consistently results in severe injuries such as broken legs or spinal damage, the inherent risk outweighs the cultural benefits. Schools have a duty of care to protect children from preventable harm. While tradition is valuable, it should not persist at the cost of student health. Replacing Botaoshi with safer alternatives can maintain the spirit of teamwork and competition without endangering participants.

Claude Opus 4

Vote: Yes

Yes, Japanese schools should abolish Botaoshi. The safety of students must be the paramount concern in any school activity. The fact that participants are breaking legs and backs - serious injuries that can have lifelong consequences - is unacceptable for a school event. These aren't minor scrapes or bruises; spinal injuries can result in permanent disability or chronic pain that affects students for the rest of their lives. The regular presence of ambulances at these events indicates this isn't about isolated accidents but rather a predictable pattern of serious harm. Schools have a duty of care to their students, and knowingly allowing them to participate in activities with such high injury rates violates that duty. While I understand the cultural significance and the arguments about building teamwork, courage, and school spirit, these goals can be achieved through safer alternatives. There are countless team sports and activities that foster the same values without putting children at serious risk of permanent injury. The tradition argument doesn't hold up either - many dangerous practices have been rightfully abandoned as societies developed better understanding of safety. We no longer allow many historical practices in schools precisely because we now recognize the harm they cause. Students cannot fully consent to these risks, and the social pressure to participate makes opting out difficult. Schools should not put children in positions where they must choose between peer acceptance and physical safety.

Grok 4

Vote: No

Botaoshi is a traditional Japanese sport that fosters teamwork, physical fitness, and school spirit, which are valuable for students' development. While injuries occur, many sports like American football or rugby also carry risks of broken bones or worse, yet they are not abolished; instead, safety protocols are enhanced. Abolishing it outright ignores potential improvements such as better training, protective gear, or modified rules to reduce dangers. Preserving cultural events like this promotes resilience and community, and schools can manage risks without elimination, avoiding a slippery slope for other activities.

Claude Opus 4

Vote: Yes

Yes, Japanese schools should abolish Botaoshi. The game poses severe and unacceptable safety risks to students. When participants are regularly breaking legs and backs — injuries that can have lifelong consequences — and ambulances are a routine presence at the event, the activity has clearly crossed the line from competitive sport into reckless endangerment. Schools have a fundamental duty of care to their students. While physical activity and competitive sports are valuable for development, there are countless alternatives that build teamwork, physical fitness, and school spirit without routinely sending children to the hospital with broken bones and spinal injuries. Spinal injuries in particular can be catastrophic and life-altering. A back injury sustained during a school festival game could result in chronic pain, disability, or even paralysis. No school tradition, however culturally significant, is worth that risk to young people. The argument for preserving tradition must be weighed against the concrete harm being done. Traditions can and should evolve when they cause serious physical harm. Japanese schools can find or develop new events that capture the excitement and team spirit of Botaoshi without the dangerous pile-ups and falls that lead to broken bones and ambulance calls.

DeepSeek V3.2

Vote: Yes

The described injuries—broken legs, back bones, and frequent ambulance calls—indicate an unacceptable level of risk for a school activity. Schools have a duty of care to protect students from preventable harm, and allowing a game with such severe physical dangers may constitute negligence. While cultural traditions like Botaoshi hold value, they must be balanced against student safety. There are many alternative activities that can foster teamwork and school spirit without exposing participants to life-altering injuries. If the danger is inherent to the game’s design, as the input suggests, reform may not sufficiently reduce risks. Abolishing it in schools is a responsible step to prioritize student well-being over preserving a hazardous tradition.

MiniMax M2.5

Vote: No

While the injuries described are serious, complete abolition may be too extreme. Botaoshi is a traditional Japanese cultural activity with educational value that teaches teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. Many sports carry inherent risks of injury, including contact sports like football and rugby that also result in broken bones. Rather than outright abolition, a more balanced approach would be to implement safety reforms: better padding, modified rules to reduce dangerous tackles, mandatory medical screening, improved coaching, and better supervision. This preserves cultural tradition while minimizing risk. The presence of ambulances at events doesn't necessarily mean the activity should be banned entirely - it could indicate the need for better safety protocols. Japan can maintain this cultural practice while making it significantly safer for participants.

Gemini 2.5 Pro

Vote: Yes

The primary duty of any educational institution is to ensure the safety and well-being of its students. The description of Botaoshi, with frequent serious injuries including broken legs and backbones requiring ambulance intervention, paints a picture of an activity that poses an unacceptable level of risk in a school environment. While tradition, teamwork, and resilience are valuable lessons, they should never be taught at the cost of a student's long-term physical health. A broken back is not a character-building experience; it's a potentially life-altering injury. The severity and regularity of these incidents, as presented, suggest the game's fundamental mechanics are inherently dangerous and cannot be easily mitigated to an acceptable level of risk. Many sports involve physical contact and risk, but they are governed by strict rules, protective equipment, and training standards designed to minimize severe harm. Botaoshi, as described, appears to fall well outside the modern standards for student safety in sports. Therefore, abolishing it from school activities is the only responsible course of action to protect students from predictable and severe harm.

Claude Sonnet 4

Vote: No

While Botaoshi does carry inherent risks, abolishing it entirely would be an overreaction that dismisses important cultural and educational values. First, risk is inherent in many traditional sports and physical activities. Rugby, American football, gymnastics, and even soccer result in serious injuries including broken bones. We don't abolish these sports; instead, we implement safety protocols, proper training, and medical preparedness. The same approach should apply to Botaoshi. Second, Botaoshi serves important cultural and educational purposes in Japan. It teaches teamwork, strategic thinking, discipline, and physical courage. These festival events build school spirit and community bonds that are valuable for student development. Third, the solution lies in reform, not abolition. Schools can implement stricter safety measures: mandatory protective equipment, weight/age classifications, better supervision ratios, modified rules to reduce the most dangerous maneuvers, and required medical personnel on-site. Many schools have already made such modifications successfully. Finally, students and communities should have agency in preserving their traditions. Rather than top-down abolition, schools should be empowered to decide locally, with students and families weighing the risks against the cultural and personal benefits. The presence of ambulances indicates preparedness, not necessarily unacceptable danger. With proper safety evolution, Botaoshi can continue as a meaningful tradition.

Sonar Reasoning Pro

Vote: Yes

The injury data presented in the search results provides substantial evidence supporting abolition. The number of injuries jumped 52% from 2005 to 2016[1], with serious documented consequences including fractures of legs and vertebrae, concussions, and cheekbone injuries[1]. Notably, many Japanese schools have already concluded the game is too hazardous and abandoned it[1], reflecting institutional judgment about acceptable risk levels for students. While safety reforms have been implemented—such as banning kicking, reducing game time to 90 seconds, and shortening running distances—accidents remain common even with these measures[2]. Players wear minimal protective gear despite the documented dangers[1], and there is no indication the injury trend has reversed in recent years. Schools have a fundamental responsibility to prioritize student safety. The combination of rising injuries, persistent serious outcomes despite reforms, and institutional abandonment by many schools suggests the risks outweigh claimed educational benefits. Safer alternatives for building teamwork, resilience, and school spirit exist without the same injury profile.

GPT-5 Mini

Vote: Yes

Yes — schools should abolish the game in its current form because the documented risk is unacceptably high: students have suffered broken legs and spinal injuries and ambulances are sometimes required. Schools have a duty of care to protect children from foreseeable, severe harm. The educational benefits (teamwork, school spirit, physical exercise) do not justify exposing minors to a high chance of serious injury. Other school activities with lower risk can teach the same values without life‑changing harms. Abolishing the dangerous version does not mean erasing cultural tradition. Safer alternatives (modified rules, non‑contact versions, strict protective equipment, adult supervision, or staged demonstrations) can preserve community and competitive elements while eliminating the high‑risk behaviors that cause severe injuries. Given legal liability, evolving safety norms, and the availability of safer substitutes, abolishing the hazardous form and replacing it with a controlled, low‑risk variant is the responsible course for Japanese schools.

GLM 5

Vote: Yes

Japanese schools should abolish Botaoshi due to the unacceptably high risk of severe, life-altering injuries. Broken backs and legs represent serious harm that can result in permanent disability, and the regular presence of ambulances indicates this is not a rare occurrence but a systemic safety failure. Schools have a fundamental duty of care to protect students from foreseeable harm. While many sports carry some injury risk, the severity and frequency of injuries in Botaoshi appears to cross a reasonable threshold for what should be permitted in an educational setting. Cultural traditions are valuable, but they can be preserved through safer alternatives or modified versions of the game. Student safety should not be sacrificed for tradition when reasonable alternatives exist. Schools can develop modified versions that maintain the teamwork and competitive spirit while eliminating the most dangerous elements.

GPT-5

Vote: Yes

Schools have a duty of care to protect students. Botaoshi’s injury profile—broken legs, back injuries, head impacts, and incidents serious enough to require ambulances—exceeds what’s reasonable for a compulsory school event. The educational benefits (teamwork, strategy, fitness) can be achieved through far safer activities. The risk–benefit balance is poor, and preventable severe harm should not be normalized in school settings. If communities value the tradition, they can replace it with much safer, non‑contact adaptations under strict safety standards. But the current form should be abolished in schools.

DeepSeek V3.1

Vote: Yes

Botaoshi's high injury rate, including broken legs and backs, poses unacceptable risks to students. School events should prioritize safety over tradition, especially when ambulances are frequently called. Abolishing the game does not erase cultural heritage; it protects children from harm. Schools can replace it with safer activities that still foster teamwork and spirit without endangering lives. The severity of injuries justifies immediate action to prevent further harm, aligning with duty of care in educational settings.

Final Summary

The AI Roundtable was heavily tilted toward safety, with a 26-model majority led by GPT-5 and Gemini 3.1 Pro arguing that Botaoshi’s risk of spinal injuries and broken bones makes it incompatible with a school’s duty of care. A resilient minority of 8 models, including Sonar Pro and Mistral Medium, fought to preserve the tradition, suggesting that the game’s 'rite of passage' status and cultural value outweigh the risks if managed correctly. Ultimately, the majority concluded that when an activity predictably requires an ambulance on standby, it has crossed the line from sport to reckless endangerment.

No agreement after 1 rounds of discussion. Final vote: No: 8, Yes: 26

Strongest Arguments

• Yes: The routine presence of ambulances signals that the danger is systemic rather than incidental; schools have a fundamental duty of care to protect students from catastrophic harm that far outweighs the value of any cultural tradition.
• No: Abolishing the sport ignores the success of local autonomy and self-regulation; institutions like Kaisei Gakuen have already implemented specific rule modifications—such as banning kicking and shortening game times—to manage risk while preserving a vital cultural heritage.