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Amazing mixed futsal on a beautiful Sunday afternoon
I attended an amazing mixed futsal session on a Sunday afternoon in February 2021. The place was MIFA Football Park, near Shin-Toyosu Station in Tokyo. Games started at 3 pm, as the sun began to go down. By 5 pm, in golden hour, our court was bathed in a beautiful soft light. It was perfect for sports photography!
It was my first time at MIFA. Thanks to the great weather, every court was packed. And the location was superb. The courts are where the Sumida River empties into Tokyo Bay. It is the type of place that attracts people, especially with Toyosu Gururi Park nearby. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be a fantastic day. There are times when you know things are going to be perfect!
There was one more nice surprise for me. Although I’d been to quite a few weekday sessions with the Futsal Tokyo group, it was my first for a Sunday afternoon. And that meant more people could attend. This would be my first time seeing many of them play. That was good because I saw players with extremely high skill levels. Some of the afternoon’s plays were thrilling.
And it was mixed futsal. Girls were there too. They were extremely impressive and gave the guys as good as they got. Their ball skills didn’t leave anything lacking. They slammed home many goals.
The four teams of six players battled each other in a round-robin series. Each match went on for twenty-five minutes. There was only one court, so two teams played, and the others rested. By the end of the day, everyone had a good amount of playtime.
It was a great bunch of Tokyoites. Everyone was friendly and had a good sense of humor. People came from many different countries. They are a very welcoming group. Don’t hesitate to join them for mixed futsal! You don’t need Japanese language skills. Just take a smile. That’s the only thing you need.
As for the photography? I only took one lens with me. It was on the long side, but not too long. That was the Fujifilm 55-200 mm. It performed very well. But, when players got close, it was difficult to use as the field of view was also problematic. Something wider would have had its uses.
This made me think about having two camera bodies. With different lenses on each, I wouldn’t have to stop to change them. That would allow me to cover the entire futsal court. About two months after this game I did exactly that. I bought a Fujifilm X-T3.
How do you join social mixed futsal (or soccer) in Tokyo?
Connect with these guys on their Meetup page.
Camera gear used for this article
- Camera Body: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lens: Fujinon XF 55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
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