A: Hey there! 🎉 Did you catch the news yesterday?
B: No, what's up?

A: Well, I saw something fun on Marine Day! Check this out - they had a tug-of-war contest on the sea in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture!
B: Sea tug-of-war?! Sounds amazing! Who won?

A: There were two teams with five members each, standing on floating platforms and pulling on opposite ends of a rope. To win, they had to either bring the middle section of the rope into their area or make all opponents fall off their platform into the water.
B: Wow, that's intense! Did anyone fall in?

A: Oh yes! Spectators went wild when competitors took a dip! 🌊 It seems like everyone was giving it their best, pulling in unison.
B: That sounds like so much fun! Do they do this every year?

A: Yup, looks like a local woman in her 30s said she takes part in the event every year and enjoys it a lot. She even mentioned looking forward to a barbecue at the beach afterwards. 🍖

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QUIZ TIME!

1) Where did the sea tug-of-war contest take place?
a) Hiroshima Prefecture
b) Matsue, Shimane Prefecture (Correct Answer)
c) Osaka Prefecture
d) Sapporo, Hokkaido

2) How many members were there in each team?
a) 3
b) 4
c) 5 (Correct Answer)
d) 6

3) What were the two ways to win the tug-of-war contest?
a) Bringing the middle section of the rope into their area OR making all members of the opposing team fall off their platform
b) Making all members of the opposing team fall off their platform OR bringing the middle section of the rope into their area (Correct Answer)
c) Tiebreaker in which the rope is measured
d) The first team to yell "Yeehaw" wins

4) What did the local woman say she was looking forward to after the event?
a) Going shopping
b) Watching a movie
c) Eating sushi
d) Having a barbecue at the beach (Correct Answer)
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More than 300 people of all ages took part in tug-of-war contests held on the sea in western Japan to mark the national holiday known as Marine Day.



The annual event took place on Monday at a beach in the city of Matsue, Shimane Prefecture.



In the 45-second contest, two five-member teams stood on floating platforms and pulled on opposite ends of a rope.



To win, a team either had to bring the middle section of the rope into its area or make all members of the opposing team fall off their platform into the water.



Contestants went all out to pull the rope in unison.



Spectators gave loud cheers when competitors fell into the water.



A local woman in her 30s said she takes part in the event every year. She said the sea this year was so refreshing, and that she was also looking forward to a barbecue at the beach.