Bo-taoshi

Bo-taoshi (Japanese: 棒倒し, Hepburn: bōtaoshi, "pole toppling"), is a capture-the-flag-like game, played on sports days at schools in Japan.

The game, traditionally played by cadets at the National Defense Academy (NDA) of Japan on its anniversary, is famous for its size, wherein two teams, totaling 150 individuals, each vie for control of the opposition's pole.

[1] Each team is split into two groups of 75 attackers and 75 defenders.

Until a rule change in 1973, the pole had only to be brought lower than 45° to the horizontal.

The National Defense Academy of Japan explains the rules and positions as follows:[2][3]