Meiji University Lunchtime Transformed into an International Table Tennis Venue!? The First ‘MEIJI SPORTS Special’ Thrills 5,000 Attendees! – Part 1
Hello, this is SHIMIZU from the Sports Promotion Department!
As summer hits its peak and more people stay indoors, I have been playing tennis every weekend as a hobby. My current concern, however, is that I am not losing any weight at all…
Today, I would like to introduce a “fun stir” that the Sports Promotion Department created through another racket sport: table tennis!!!
At SUNNY SIDE UP, we are assisting in revitalizing Meiji University sports through sports promotion and PR, working alongside Jun Ikeda (former President of the DeNA BayStars), who was appointed as Special Assistant to the President of Meiji University in April!!
Based on Mr. Ikeda’s proposal, we held the first event in this series, the ‘MEIJI SPORTS Special 〈Table Tennis〉 Meiji University x Peking University x Beijing Sport University Exhibition Match,’ on Thursday, July 13!
Some of you might have thought, “It’s so hot already; is this really being held in a humid gymnasium?”
Actually, that is not the case.
This ‘MEIJI SPORTS Special’ overturns the conventional wisdom of university sports.
The special venue was none other than the 
Meiji University Surugadai Campus. We built a table tennis arena on the first floor of the building commonly known as ‘Liberty Tower.’ (For this event, SUNNY SIDE UP was involved in everything from planning and construction to PR!)
Normally, Liberty Tower serves as a campus where classes are held and thousands of students pass through daily. Since the event took place on Thursday the 13th, just before exams, many students were on campus from the morning, and the venue drew significant attention as people wondered what was about to begin.
As lunchtime approached after the second period, students began to gather in large numbers, and the Meiji University mascot, ‘Meijiro,’ made an appearance. We distributed special commemorative T-shirts to students wishing to watch the match!
Once the second period finally ended, students finishing their classes flocked to the area, instantly transforming the special venue into something resembling an international tournament arena!
The open space was filled with students searching for even a small spot to watch from, and there was a moment where the entire staff was busy directing the crowd.
You could sense the excitement from the students, most of whom were saying, “This is my first time seeing table tennis live!”
As the announcements began, regular players from Meiji University and their opponents—Peking University and Beijing Sport University, with whom the university has a history of exchange—made their entrance!
While the opposing universities featured student champions from the ‘Table Tennis Kingdom,’ Meiji University was represented by four players, including Masataka Morizono, the world No. 1 in men’s doubles who won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships—the first for Japan in 48 years.
As his track record suggests, he is truly one of Japan’s top players in both name and reality.
When Mr. Morizono, who is also known for his good looks, appeared, cheers erupted from the crowd.
Masataka Morizono (Meiji University, School of Political Science and Economics, 4th Year)
2013: All Japan Championships Doubles Winner
2014: All Japan University Championships Singles Winner
2015: Universiade Singles Winner
2015: All Japan University Championships Singles Winner
2017: World Championships Dortmund Doubles Runner-up
By the time the match was set to begin, the special venue was packed with fans there to see Mr. Morizono and students finishing their classes!
(I, SHIMIZU, found myself completely unable to move from the press area! lol)
Now, it is finally time for the match to start!
We will cover the match itself in the second part of this report. Please stay tuned!
