RENGO and the National Liaison Council on the Democratization of the National Sports Festival made a formal request on May 11 to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Japan Amateur Sports Association (JASA) to improve the National Sports Festival. In the request, both organizations sought the removal of entry limitations on participants according to their nationality, simplification of ceremonies, and the abolition of mass calisthenics.

RENGO's stance against the National Sports Festival, which just ended its historic mission, is principally one of "abolishment." However, for the present, RENGO is pushing ahead with movements that emphasize simplification and democratization of the National Sports Festival.
In the request, RENGO and the National Liaison Council are advocating:

1. Removal of participation limitations based on nationality.
   
2. Simplification of ceremonies.
   
3. Creation of a space of exchange through sporting events for handicapped and healthy athletes.
   
4. Abolition of mass calisthenics that place a burden on school education.
   
5. Abolition of recruitment of teachers as imported athletes to win the Emperor/Empress cup.
   
6. Avoid excessively spending on facilities that will be unused after the National Sports Festival.

Responding that although "decisions by hosting prefectures are important," MEXT/JASA also recognized in principle the need for simplification. Furthermore, last November JASA completed a memorandum on "basic directions for future simplification of the National Sports Festival" and sent it to local related organizations. Likewise, MEXT revealed that it sent a similar announcement to prefectural Boards of Education throughout the nation.
This fall, the day before the National Sports Festival in Miyagi [prefecture] Opening Ceremony, RENGO and the National Liaison Council plan to hold a "National Sports Festival Forum" in Sendai-city for the reevaluation and reform of the National Sports Festival.