Digging deep to win hole prize

Published on Tuesday 7 February 2012 00:00

MORE than 1,000 people gathered on the outskirts of Tokyo this weekend to dig for victory in the Japan All-National Hole Digging Competition, and claim the coveted Golden Shovel.

The annual contest, now in its 12th year, drew 259 teams from around the country to test their hole-digging prowess and claim awards for the deepest hole, the most creative hole and the most original costume worn during the digging.

On the blast of a whistle, contestants – some dressed as skeletons, others wearing Arabian-style headgear – began digging frantically, tossing earth behind them as their shovels bit into the soil.

Some preferred to aim for creativity, carving a heart out of the ground. Others aimed at depth, using buckets to haul up the earth.

When the contest ended, 30 minutes later, the winning team had dug down 3.39 metres, winning the Golden Shovel and 100,000 yen (about £825).

Even those who didn’t win said the contest was worth it.

“The whole team did their best and I really feel that we became closer as a result of this,” said Tomoyuki Tsumita, a construction worker.