The Culture and Sports Management Section of Tenrikyo Church Headquarters sponsored the 22nd Tenrikyo Gateball Tournament between May 27 and 29, drawing 473 teams including three from South Korea. During those three days, a total of 888 games were played with much enthusiasm in the Shirakawa recreational area located to the north of the Home of the Parent.

Originating in Hokkaido in 1947 as a form of recreation for young people amid the postwar chaos, gateball, which is similar to croquet, has been rapidly spread over the country due to its simplicity. Later it became popular among the elderly in particular as a lifelong sport that requires them to use both their heads and bodies during the game. The first tournament sponsored by Church Headquarters was held in 1981, when the five gateball associations existing in Japan each had its own rules. This was the first national tournament to be held with unified rules before those associations were integrated into the Japan Gateball Union under the guidance of the then Ministry of Education in 1984.

At the opening ceremony, Tournament Chairman Kazuo Nagao delivered the opening address, saying: "It is my sincere hope that you will enjoy yourselves during the tournament while feeling thankful for your good health. At the same time, I would like you to savor the pleasant atmosphere the Home of the Parent creates and take back home with you the sense of joy, health, and vitality that you gained from the tournament." This was followed by a commendation ceremony where the four oldest participants were rewarded for their participation.

A 63-year-old participant, whose husband received the blessing of recovery from illness, returned to Jiba from Oita Prefecture in Kyushu together with her teammates. This was her eighth time to participate in the tournament. She said: "Whenever this time of the year comes around, we say to one another, 'The season for gateball has arrived!' Among our teammates are those who take the Besseki lectures during their stay here every year. In fact, for some of them, it will be their ninth lecture next year."