Championship details
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[Alterations made from the previous year]
・Schedule changed (changes to application deadline)
・Stage size changes due to the theatre
・Clarification of the number of finalists (15 as a rule, 12-18 depending on the preliminary situation)
・Preliminary submission media is no longer returned (labor saving for clerical work)
・Specification of blank spaces in the address for fixed amount postal orders for judging (clarification of procedures)
・Specification of preparation/cleaning for 1 minute, speeding up progress (operation efficiency)
[Concept]
Through the selection of Japan's best juggling performance, contribution is made to the cultivation of world class performers, and the development of juggling in Japan is promoted.
[Motive/outline]
- Routines based around juggling are performed, and judged based on skill, uniqueness, and showmanship.
- The championship is one of the JJF's main events, being Japan's highest level championship for juggling.
- Preliminary selection and finals are held, with the selected winners awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively.
[Divisions]
The championship is divided into three divisions; Women's individual division, men's individual division, and team division, with each division holding its own preliminary selection and finals.
Women's individual division
Routine performed by a single female contestant
Men's individual division
Routine performed by a single male contestant
Team division
Routine performed by a group of 2 or more contestants
[Requirements for participation]
- You must be a 2016 Japanese Juggling Association member (you can become a member when applying for participation for JJF2016. Members of the Japanese Juggling Association board of directors and their family members are not eligible to participate.
- You must be able to participate in all days of JJF2016.
- Applications can be made regardless of gender, age, or nationality.
- It is possible for the requirements and written oath to be written in any language, however the Japanese worded documents remain the official documents.
- On the day of the event you must be able to participate in the pre-championship meeting (sound and lighting check), rehearsals, and the finals themselves. In the case of the team division, all members must be present for the rehearsals and finals.
- Participants can not apply multiple times to the same division. However, it is possible to participate in both the individual (men's/women's) and team divisions.
- A judging fee is required for the preliminary selection. The application costs 1000 yen per division. In the case of teams, the fee remains 1000 yen for a team entry, regardless of the number of members.
[Schedule]
- Opening of the submission period for the participation form/preliminary selection video: 23rd July 2016 (Sat)
- Deadline for the participation form and preliminary selection video: 3rd August 2016 (Wed). The deadline indicates the last date accepted on postmarked mail. Overseas applications must arrive by 3rd August 2016.
- Result of preliminary selection: 24th September 2016 (Sat). Confirmation to be sent 19:00 Japan time. (Web announcement planned after 26th September)
- Championship final: 8th October 2016 (Sat)
[Procedure for registration of participation/preliminary selection video submission]
- The participation form and preliminary selection video submission are to be submitted at the same time.
- The judging fee should be sent as a postal order, to be sent alongside the preliminary selection video submission. Those abroad who are unable to send a postal order are asked to contact the Championship judging office (hereafter CS office).
- The examination fee cannot be returned, even in the case of cancellation of participation.
- In order to perform in the championship, the preliminary selection video, printed participation form, and judging fee should be sent together to the address provided for JJF2016 championship applications by the indicated deadline. The postal order address is left blank. Sending cash via regular mail is prohibited by law, and must not be done. If cash is enclosed, the application will be disqualified.
- The address for JJF2016 championship applications and the format of the participation form will be made available from the first day of the submission period for the participation form and preliminary selection video.
- Submissions are to be made using tracking enabled post, such as special recorded delivery or letter pack.
- A confirmation email will be sent within 7 days of receiving the participation form and preliminary selection video from the CS office.
- If the confirmation mail cannot be sent or the email address is unknown, an announcement will be made via the JJF home page using the participants chosen performer name (or full name if no performer name is given). The relevant persons are then requested to contact the CS office at the following address: champ2016*juggling.jp (replace * with @).
- Participants are requested to submit applications as soon as possible so that the CS office can send confirmation emails within the submission period. If the confirmation email has not been received within seven days of the expected delivery date, please contact the CS office at the abovementioned email address.
- Domestic submissions must be postmarked no later than the deadline of the submission date. Overseas submissions must arrive by the deadline of the submission date.
- Submissions received after the deadline will not be accepted.
- Please refer to the [Notes regarding the preliminary selection] in regards to completing the application form.
- If the deadline could not be met due to circumstances outside of the participant’s control, please contact the CS office at the abovementioned address.
[Revocation of participation and procedures]
If application for the JJF championship has already been completed, please contact the CS office.
If application for the JJF championship has been completed, however application for participation in the JJF event itself has not been carried out, the championship application will be cancelled.
Note that refunds cannot be given in the event of cancellation.
[Preliminary]
Championship finalists are determined through the submission of videos by applicants which are then judged.
Applicants are notified of the selection results.
[Notes regarding preliminary selection]
- The video must contain the full performance to be performed in the finals from start to finish.
- The video must be unedited.
- The video must be under six minutes. Videos over six minutes will be disqualified even if the performance within the video is under six minutes in length.
- There is no restriction regarding the location used to film the video, however it must be of a comparable size and height to the location used in the finals. Videos in which it is clear that the stage used for the finals will be of insufficient space will be disqualified.
- The video must have been filmed within six months of the date of the championship. Submissions found to have been filmed over six months ago will be disqualified.
- The video may be filmed any number of times, providing that the submitted video is unedited and under six minutes in length.
- Other juggling unrelated to the performance must not be included in the video. In the case of the team division, all members of the team must be visible in the video.
- The video must be submitted as a DVD. The DVD must be readable on a standard commercial DVD player.
- Editing of the video is not permitted, however the song used to perform can be overlaid onto the video. Any other editing of the video will result in disqualification.
- There may be instances in which the song or other sounds are obscured by surrounding noise or applause. As sound is also considered during the judging process, please check that all necessary sound can be heard as intended in the video.
- Final performances which contain significant changes to the preliminary selection video may be disqualified at the judged discretion.
- Clothing/costumes may differ between the finals performance and the preliminary selection video. However, use of clothing is also considered in the judging process.
- The submitted DVD will not be returned.
- Participants who encounter problems with the submission process and are not enable to submit the video by the deadline should contact the CS office as soon as possible.
- Participants who failed to pass the preliminary selection (in the case of multiple stage preliminary selections, those who reached the final selection process), can opt to receive feedback from the judges (some comments may be withheld by the judges).
[Regarding music which can be used]
Acceptable use policy
Participants must follow the following guidelines.
- All songs used must be permitted for use under "Musical performances" on the JASRAC national copyright database, or be a self-created piece.
- Both domestic and foreign songs may be used.
- Songs which do not have permission for use under "videos" on the JASRAC national copyright database may still be used.
- The JJF2016 Championships will be streamed via "YouTube Live", in the same manner as the JJF2015 Championships. In this case, the Championship is planned to be streamed without sound. As participants have signed the participation form, it will be considered that they agree to the broadcast of the event for no charge.
Inquiries
If you have any questions regarding the JASRAC national copyright database, please contact us at copyright*juggling.jp (replace * with @).
[Regarding the venue, lighting, and sound]
- The stage measures at 20m wide, 10m deep, and is a height of 7.8-13.8m. Dimensions can be found at http://nyc.niye.go.jp/facilities/cl-bhall.html
- As the height differs depending on the area of the stage, performances which require height should be performed on the area with the greatest roof height.
- Wood grain is used for the stage backing.
- The curtain may not be raised or lowered during the championship.
- Finalists are asked to select a level of brightness suitable for performance. Lighting effects may not be used during the performance. Changes to the lighting cannot be made during the performance.
- Preparations will be made to collect equipment that falls from the stage during a performance. Should equipment fall from the stage, a steward will collect the item and return it to the stage, however there may be instances in which a period of time is required for recovery.
- A location for warming up pre-performance will be arranged.
- It is possible to use bounce balls on the stage. However, there is the possibility of irregular bounces due to the staging or other factors. In order to prevent this, it is possible for finalists to use their own floor plate. Finalists who wish to check the condition of the floor are requested to contact the CS office in advance.
- Use of mats may be required in the case of equipment which can cause damage to the stage, such as shaker cups. Finalists who wish to use these types of props are requested to contact the CS office in advance.
- Finalists are required to submit the music used for their performance on the morning of the finals at the initial gathering. Further details will be supplied via email before the championship.
- Songs may be started/stopped in accordance with the finalists needs, however it must be noted that detailed timing or changes to the playback of the song during the performance may lead to a mistake. In the case of a mistake which requires a restart of the performance, championship guidelines regarding performances will be followed.
Other inquiries regarding the venue, lighting, and sound can be sent via email to the CS office. Individual support cannot be given; however, the required information will be added to this page for future reference.
[Performance]
- For each division, the performance is limited to six minutes. Setup of the equipment beforehand, and removal of the equipment after the performance is to be done in about 1 minute. When setting up and removing equipment, do it as swiftly as possible without any actions which could be seen to be communication with the audience.
- The content of the championship performance should not differ to that of the performance submitted for the preliminary selection, however, minor changes due to drops or other situations are permitted.
- A performance seen to have been changed to an unacceptable degree will be disqualified.
The following performances listed below are prohibited.
- Performances utilizing fire
- Performances which damage or stain the stage floor
- Performances that transgress public laws or morals
- Performances which threaten the safety of the audience, staff, or the stage
Use of an assistant to pass equipment to the performer is permitted, however the assistant must not perform or otherwise influence the performance. Situations in which judges, the audience, or other staff interact with the performer (such as returning equipment after it has fallen from the stage) will not be judged as part of the performance. Situations in which an audience member is requested to pass equipment to the performer as part of the performance are not permitted. Appealing for applause and other similar actions is permitted. There may be instances in which a performance is stopped if a prohibited act is committed. Performances may not be restarted or performed multiple times, however in the case of a music-related mistake or other problem with the staging outside of the performer’s control, the performance may be restarted from the time of the mistake.
All performances must be under six minutes in length regardless of the division. The performance will be considered to have started either from the first movement of the performer, or from the start of the song. The final pose/bow or leaving the stage will be considered as the end of the performance. Responding to audience applause will not be considered part of the performance time. Extra time used in the case of a restart to the performance will not be counted. Performance length will be measured by a time keeper, and the performer/judges will be informed when the performance exceeds the allotted time. The time keeper decides the extent of points removed due to going over the allotted time. Performances which go over the allotted time by 30 seconds will be stopped, and the finalist disqualified.
[Important points]
All correspondence and inquiries regarding the championship should be made via mail to the CS office （champ2016*juggling.jp, replace * with @). Mail cannot be sent to individual members of the CS office.
All finalists are required to participate in all preparations and rehearsals for the championship. It is also required that finalists keep to the timetable allotted for preparation.
Should a finalist be late or be unable to attend part of the preparations, they are required to contact the CS office as soon as possible. Failure to contact the CS office may result in disqualification from the championship.
The organizers will not be held responsible for accidents which occur during performances, injury, or copyright related issues for music, film, or the contents of the performance which may occur.
Finalists are requested to take self-responsibility for their actions. Individual inquiries regarding the judging or results of the championship will not be responded to.
The language used throughout the event is Japanese only. Finalists who require an interpreter must prepare one in advance.
Finalists who require an interpreter, or those with dependents such as small children or disabled persons must contact the CS office in advance for permission. The number of attendants is limited to one interpreter and an extra person per individual finalist/team. Attendants without previous written permission are not allowed to enter the championship stage.
Multimedia images and video such as images from the championship/photography/internet uploads/videos for DVD usage will be taken. By applying to participate in the championships, participants agree to the usage of the above multimedia without charge. In the case of championship images or video which contain part or all of a finalist’s routine, there may be instances in which the video is muted or used in a highlight reel. By applying to participate in the championships, participants agree to the public use of images and video, and editing for DVD and presentational use.
2. Judging Criteria
[Judges]
The Japan Juggling Association Board of Directors chooses the chief judge on a yearly basis from the judge’s candidate group. The chief judge then selects the judging committee to be used for preliminary selection, and attains the approval of the Board of Directors before the start of the preliminary selection period. The chief judge then selects the judging committee to be used for the championships, and attains the approval of the Board of directors before the start of the championships. Those judges chosen for the championships who were not chosen for the preliminary selection are required to watch the finalist’s performances beforehand.
[Prizes]
The championship is split into 3 divisions: Men's individual, women's individual and teams.
Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in each division.
In the case of 3 finalists in a division, gold and silver medals are awarded to 1st and 2nd place respectively, and in the case of 2 finalists in a division, gold is awarded to 1st place.
In the case of one finalist, the finalist will be award a gold medal if they are seen to have performed to the required level.
In the case of two finalists, the 2nd place finalist will be awarded a silver medal if they are seen to have performed to the required level.
In the case of three finalists, the 3rd place finalist will be awarded a bronze medal if they are seen to have performed to the required level.
[Preliminary judging]
Preliminary selection judging takes place using videos submitted during the application process.
The judges individually select suitable finalists using the judging criteria provided, then hold a meeting to decide the finalists out of the chosen group.
As a rule, the total number of finalists selected is 15, however, depending on the status of the preliminary, a minimum of 12 and maximum of 18 participants overall are permitted. The number of participants for the finals in each division are to be a minimum of 3 and maximum of 10 participants. In the event that the number of registrants in a division is below 3 participants, all registrants will proceed to the finals. The balance of the number of finalists in each division will be judged based on the level of the preliminary selection.
If a group of similarly leveled participants are found, the participant which increases the diversity of the finalists the greatest will be chosen.
In order to aid the judging process, it may be necessary to reduce the number participants by eliminating the weakest entries via more simple elimination methods.
Judges selected for the championships will view the preliminary selection video beforehand.
[Screening criteria]
The judges will evaluate the performance based on skill, performance, and uniqueness.
Skill refers to the completion and difficulty of the performance, performance refers to the construction and entertainment value of the performance.
Overall evaluation is made using these five elements: Completion, difficulty, construction, entertainment value, and uniqueness.
[Skill]
- Completion
The performer is judged on how well they complete the routine.
A large number of drops or mistakes will result in a lower evaluation. Juggling form and the stability of the performance will also be judged.
- Difficulty
The level of difficulty of the performance will be judged.
Elements such as the juggling prop used, the number of props, juggling speed, throwing style, catching style, balance style, tricks, combining of tricks, variety of tricks and smooth recovery from mistakes will be evaluated. To avoid overlapping between completion and difficulty, the number of drops does not have an influence on the evaluation of the difficulty level. However, tricks which are not successfully completed will influence the evaluation. Non-juggling related aspects, such as instrumental performance or acrobatics is not evaluated under skill. However, if use of these elements increase the difficulty of the routine, this influence will be reflected in the evaluation for difficulty.
[Performance]
・Composition
Performances will be evaluated based on staging, the flow of the performance, relation to the music used, clothing and character, juggling equipment and their use within the stage, and overall technique. Other non-juggling related elements will also be considered in the evaluation.
・Entertainment value
Degree of audience satisfaction. The atmosphere during the performance and degree of excitement from the audience will be judged.
[Uniqueness]
The use of rare techniques, along with unique equipment and their usage will be judged. Uniqueness can be defined as tricks or techniques which are either unknown to or rarely done by Japanese jugglers.
[Other]
The following points will have an effect on the judging of the performance
・Performances which include prohibited actions.
・In the case of going over the allotted time, the following system of points deduction will be used:
5 seconds over 1 point deduction from the ranking points total
10 seconds over 3 point deduction from the ranking points total
15 seconds over 6 point deduction from the ranking points total
20 seconds over 10 point deduction from the ranking points total
25 seconds over 15 point deduction from the ranking points total
30 seconds over disqualification
[Judging]
In accordance with the guidelines for judging, each judge will choose 1st-6th place for each division (in the case of divisions with less than 6 finalists, all finalists will be chosen).
The following scores are then allocated to each place: 1st = 10 points, 2nd = 5 points, 3rd = 4 points, 4th = 3 points, 5th = 2 points, 6th = 1 point. The total is then calculated. Referring to these scores, the judges then discuss and choose the winner. During this decision individual scoring may be changed by the judges. If a unanimous decision can't be made, a majority decision will decide the winner. After the winner is decided, the same process is used to decide 2nd and 3rd place. This decision is made purely on the championship performances, other factors such as past championship history, age, appearance, occupation or educational history are not considered.
3. Notes for spectators
[Spectator filming/photography]
- The JJF championship can be viewed by purchasing the relevant ticket or by completing the JJF participation form and applying to view the championship. The process necessary to view the championship will be announced upon the opening of the JJF2016 application process.
- While filming and photography is permitted, spectators must adhere to the following conditions. Failure to do so will result in the spectator being forced to leave the venue.
* Flash photography is prohibited.
* Spectators must film/photograph from their seats. Filming/photography from the aisle or positions which block the view of other spectators is prohibited.
* Occupying several seats for the use of film/photography is prohibited.
* In order to prevent fire safety issues, use of 3 legged tripods is prohibited.
* There are no usable power sources within the venue. Use of electrical sockets around the walls of the venue is prohibited.
- Food and drink within the venue is prohibited. It must be consumed in the lobby or outside of the venue.
- Smoking is not permitted within the venue. Smoking is only permitted within the designated areas.
- Spectators with large luggage must place it in a designated area for luggage. Placing luggage in the aisles presents a fire hazard, and is prohibited.