Over the course of two days, November 9 and 10, YOKOHAMA URBAN SPORTS FESTIVAL ’24 (YUSF ’24) was held at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse.

National-level competitions were held for both Parkour Tag (Paruoni) and Parkour. Experience sessions were also offered, where many children had the opportunity to try the sports and enjoy the activities firsthand.

Paruoni

On the first day of YUSF, the Paruoni JAPAN CUP 2024 was held at a venue near the festival entrance.

Paruoni is a sport in which two competitors—one chasing and one evading—compete in a 20-second game of tag within a designated area filled with obstacles designed for young athletes. Competitors must continuously move while making strategic use of the obstacles, combining physical ability and quick thinking, making it the ultimate tag sport.

The competition featured both U-9 and U-12 divisions.

Both categories featured intense matchups from the very first round of the tournament.

Throughout the competition, athletes demonstrated clever use of the obstacles and strategies that played to their individual strengths, showcasing the depth of Paruoni as a sport and proving that it is far more than a simple game of tag.

In the U-9 division, Hizuki emerged victorious. After battling through a challenging tournament bracket, he successfully claimed the championship title.

In the U-12 division final, neither competitor was able to complete a full escape, resulting in an extremely close contest. In the end, Mizuki secured the championship by the narrowest of margins, winning on a slight time advantage.

Experience sessions were also held throughout both days of the event, where children could be seen actively enjoying the excitement of Paruoni through energetic games of tag.

Parkour

Held on November 10, ONE FLOW BATTLE 2024 brought together some of the country’s top parkour athletes.

While parkour competitions are typically contested under Freestyle and Speed formats, this event adopted a unique rule set in which competitors had just 10 seconds to showcase their skills. These short but explosive “one flows” packed high-difficulty tricks into a limited timeframe, creating a format that was both intense and highly entertaining to watch.

One of the most anticipated matchups—and later selected as the Best Battle of the event—came in the opening round of the tournament between Kaito Onuki and RYUYA.

Defending champion Kaito Onuki performed first and delivered an impressive run worthy of a title holder. However, RYUYA, who had advanced through the qualifiers earlier that day, responded with a stylish and well-executed flow of his own.

The result was an exceptionally high-level battle despite taking place in the very first round of the TOP 8. In the end, RYUYA claimed victory by a narrow 2–1 judge decision, producing a major upset and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

The athlete who ultimately claimed the championship was Archie Aroyan.

Facing him in the final was TOMOYA, who delivered a powerful flow featuring dynamic tricks on the horizontal bar.

In response, Archie showcased a smooth yet highly impactful run, combining technical difficulty with seamless execution. His performance earned all three judges’ votes, securing the victory and the title.

Throughout the tournament, Archie consistently delivered high-quality tricks and polished flows, demonstrating the composure and presence of a true champion.

In addition, Minoru won the OPEN Division, while Momoka claimed the title in the WOMEN’s Division.

From the qualifying rounds onward, both categories generated significant excitement, with athletes delivering impressive performances and keeping the crowd engaged throughout the competition.

Looking Back on the Two-Day Event

The two days highlighted the growing excitement surrounding both Paruoni and Parkour.

Unlike the previous year, the event was held during a slightly colder season, but the energy and passion displayed by the athletes felt even greater than before.

Another standout aspect was the way competitors actively engaged with the audience. Through their interactions and performances, athletes helped create a strong sense of unity throughout the venue, making spectators feel like part of the experience.

With the continued growth of both disciplines on display, expectations are already high for an even bigger and more exciting event next year.