Coming from Australia I thought I came from the most sports crazy country in the world, but now I'm pretty convinced it is Japan. Especially for those in Middle School and High School, it seems that if they aren't the most academically inclined students, then they are put into sports clubs. That seems to equate to at least 3/4 of the students at the schools around here. Firstly they start school early to practice sport (everyday), then after school they practice sport (everyday). On the weekends they compete against other schools, and even on the school holidays they go to school to practice sport! Also a lot of the time it is not just sport teachers running the sports, but other teachers who get asked to do it and receive a tiny amount of extra salary for the extra hours work! All of this is probably a plot by the Government to keep energetic teenagers occupied and off the streets! Well, when I was taking a walk through the Imperial Palace Park, I came across a group of students, who rather than relaxing in the Park like everyone else, they had set up a make shift net and were practising their badminton. Yes, I shall declare the Japan the most sports crazy country on Earth until I am proven otherwise.