Yokohama has hosted world championship finals in many sports. Yokohama Stadium saw Japan win the Olympic gold medals in baseball and softball in 2021, while Nissan Stadium was the venue for the final matches in both the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This autumn the world champions of another sport were crowned in Yokohama: cycle messengers. Competing in events such as Delivery Race and Cargobike Race, the strongest cyclists in the world converged on Yokohama and went head-to-head and tire-to-tire to determine who was fastest and most skilful. An exciting week of sports, arts, and culture culminated in the final competitions at Shin-Yokohama on September 23 and 24.
The organizers of the 29th annual Cycle Messenger World Championships (CMWC), led by charismatic Ken’ichi Yanagawa (“Yanaken”), have a mission: “to communicate the social, economic, environmental, and health benefits” of bicycles–as more than just a means of transportation–and to create “a sustainable city full of smiles.” They intend to prove “that we can be cool and eco-friendly at the same time.”
Indeed, the CMWC weekend finals were cool in more ways than one: the summer heat gave way to the brisk breezes and high skies of fall, right on schedule. Also on schedule were the races, combining athleticism and steely determination with laidback courier culture. The several thousand attendees enjoyed the excitement and relaxed atmosphere, taking full advantage of the bustling marketplace next to Nissan Stadium. Bicycle culture, lifestyle, and business were on full display at dozens of shops. To add additional zest, three local Yokohama brewers made limited-edition beers. Hats off to the organizers, who showed off the city at its best!