regions railway company also issues commemorative items such as train tickets. Mascot characters Each tournament normally has a unique mascot character to help build support and encourage good PR. The first mascot was a nameless goat for the 30th tournament (1975) in Mie prefecture, though it was referred to as pet-mark. In the 38th tournament, hosted in Gunma in 1983, the first named character, a horse called Gunma-chan, was used. From then on, having a named character became the norm. There were no characters between from the 31st to the 37th tournaments. Recently, owing to the "Yuru-chara" boom, mascot characters commonly become official mascots of the prefecture in some capacity. There are many mascots who were already established as prefectural mascots prior to the tournament itself. National Sports Festival of Japan Official Mascots (Wikipedia (ja):国民体育大会マスコットキャラクター) Ceremonial Music At the opening and closing ceremonies the ceremonial music used is produced for each tournament, with it being performed when the torch and athletes enter the arena. In addition to this, it is often the case where a singer with a strong local connection will sing, along with songs which match the theme of the tournament. Television Broadcasts Generally there is a daily broadcast throughout the tournament from 3pm to 4pm on NHK Educational TV giving information about one or two events of that day. Also the opening ceremony is broadcast on NHK General TV. On days in which there are competitive events rather than the opening and closing ceremonies, that prefecture's television studios and equipment are used (the newsroom, an open studio etc.). Also announcers from those stations (normally either a man and a woman, or just one person) take the host role, explaining events as the tournament progresses. The general broadcast format follows a simple flow. The outline summary of that day's main games, as well as introducing key athletes, a broadcast from the main sport venue of that day, a broadcast from the studio giving results of other events and other topics. Events Events in bold have taken place since the first tournament. Skiing Giant slalom Special jump Cross-country skiing Nordic combined Mogul skiing (Open event) Snowboarding (Open event) Biathlon (Open event) Skating Speed skating Short track speed skating Figure skating Ice hockey Softball Football Track and field Swimming Swimming races Diving Synchronised swimming Water polo Tennis Rowing Field hockey Boxing Volleyball Gymnastics Basketball Wrestling Sailing Weightlifting Handball Cycling Soft