Asahi Kuroda, Aoyama Gakuin University's ace who delivered a sensational performance in the fifth leg of this year's Hakone Ekiden, recently posted a story on his personal social media calling on all fans, drawing widespread attention. Kuroda uploaded a screenshot from an e-commerce platform to his social account showing the site selling autographs of Aoyama Gakuin University ekiden runners, including graduated seniors Hiroki Wakabayashi, Aoi Ota, as well as Shota Shiode and Asahi Kuroda himself, around 27,000 to 30,000 yen per item (approximately 1,180–1,320 CNY), and even more shockingly, many had already been sold. He appealed to all his fans: "If this keeps happening, I won't be able to sign for everyone anymore, so please absolutely don't do this. Also, these autographs are fake — please don't buy them!" This episode has also prompted a wave of sympathetic responses online. Some question the mentality of those who sell forged signatures, while others ask, "Would buying a resold autograph make you any happier?" As netizens have pointed out, resold autographs that lack an emotional connection have long lost their meaning as collectibles. I also think this indicates the Hakone Ekiden has the potential to be turned into a trading-card phenomenon. With TV ratings reaching an astonishing 30%, the Hakone Ekiden is like Japan's "Super Bowl." It's worth considering whether there is an opportunity to establish an official channel—such as official Hakone player cards—so fans can convert their passion into positive support for athletes and so more people can learn about different runners through the cards. In fact, autographs from star athletes have always been hot commodities. At the famous "seafood market," a signed Jordan cap ranges from ¥600 to ¥1,800, and sometimes even higher. If it's an NBA or soccer trading card, search results for prices from high to low are almost always in the six- to seven-figure range—eye-watering sums to an outsider like me. But I want to ask: is that card authentic? Text:Training Notes/Editor:David Image:Trail Running Explosion/Visuals:Five-YearTrainee
