View source for Sports in Japan

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{More citations needed|date=October 2024}}
{{Culture of Japan}}
'''Sports in Japan''' are a significant part of [[Japanese culture]]. [[Traditional games of Japan|Traditional sports]], such as [[sumo]] and [[martial arts]], as well as [[Western sports|Western imports]] like [[baseball]], [[association football]], [[basketball]] and [[tennis]] are popular with both participants and spectators.

Sumo is considered [[Japan]]'s [[national sport]]. Baseball was introduced to the country by visiting Americans in the 19th century.  The [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] league has been Japan's largest professional sports competition in terms of television ratings and spectators. Martial arts such as [[judo]], [[karate]] and [[kendo|modern kendō]] are also widely practiced and enjoyed by spectators in the country. Association football has gained wide popularity since the founding of the [[J. League Division 1|Japan Professional Football League]] in 1992. Other popular sports include [[figure skating]], [[rugby union]], [[golf]], [[table tennis]] and [[racing]], especially [[auto racing]]. Some new sports were invented by changing elements of imported sports.

==History==

===Pre-Edo period===
[[File:Ancient Sumo competition.jpg|thumb|right|Painting of an ancient Sumo competition, [[Heian period|Heian]] or [[Kamakura period]]]] 
[[Sumo]] shows an important side of traditional Japanese sport, a religious occasion as well as a sporting event. Many sumo rituals are closely associated with [[Shinto]] belief. It is believed that some ancient sumo matches were purely religious events with predetermined outcomes as an offering to [[kami]], with some matches regarded as [[divination]] – e.g. if a well-liked fisherman competed and won, a good catch was predicted for the year.

The Kamakura period was a starting point for many martial arts. [[Kyūdō]] became popular as {{Transliteration|ja|kyujutsu}}, literally ''bow skill'', as a pastime for the samurai class. [[Yabusame]] also started as a sport in this period, but is now considered a sacred ceremony.

===Edo period===
In the [[Edo period]], sports became a popular way to spend time. The only problem was that they were often accompanied by gambling. A notice to punish playing and betting on sumo without authorization was repeatedly posted to little effect. Kyūdō was encouraged by ''[[shōgun]]s'' and ''[[daimyō]]s'' as a pastime, and contests as well as record making attempts were held. On April 26, 1686, a samurai named ''Wasa Daihachiro'' competing in the [[Tōshiya]] made an unsurpassed record of shooting 13,053 arrows and hitting the mark 8,133 times over a 24-hour period. This is even more remarkable when one considers the shooting range for this attempt, a 120-meter-long corridor with a ceiling of only 2.2 meters. In the [[Olympic Games]], archers shoot over a distance of only 70 meters. Martial arts like [[jujutsu]] were popular but schools avoided inter-school matches, leaving room only for intramural matches.

===After Meiji Restoration===
[[File:Karate ShuriCastle.jpg|thumb|right|Karate practices at [[Shuri Castle]] in 1938]]
[[File:050907-M-7747B-002-Judo.jpg|thumb|right|Judoka in Okinawa]]
After the [[Meiji Restoration]], various kinds of Western sports were introduced into Japan. Playing sports was adopted as a school activity and matches between universities became popular. During the 1870s, [[track and field]] events, [[baseball]], [[Association football|football]], [[rugby union]], [[cricket]] and [[ice skating]] were introduced. In 1911, an [[Austria]]n gave [[skiing]] instruction to the Japanese army. In those days, Western sports were played by a few people, but through the educational system, they spread throughout the country. Western sports were initially stressed as a form of mental discipline, but Japanese have now come to enjoy them as recreational activities.<ref>[http://web-japan.org/factsheet/pdf/SPORTS.pdf Japan Fact Sheet Sport], Web Japan {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926221500/http://web-japan.org/factsheet/pdf/SPORTS.pdf |date=2007-09-26 }}</ref> Professional sports, the most famous being baseball which continues even today, started in the late 1920s but persistent rumors of bribes and a general attitude that sports should be for players or as a hobby persisted. Matches between schools attracted large crowd until after [[World War II]] when airing sporting events on [[radio]] and [[television]] became common. [[Manga]] with sports-themed stories (colloquially called ''{{Transliteration|ja|[[spokon]]}}'') have also played a part in attracting readers to slightly less popular sports, such as volleyball,<ref>See ''[[Attack No. 1]]'', ''[[Haikyū!!]]''.</ref> association football,<ref>See ''[[Captain Tsubasa]]'', ''[[The Knight in the Area]]''.</ref> basketball,<ref>See ''[[Slam Dunk (manga)|Slam Dunk]]'', ''[[Kuroko's Basketball]]''.</ref> or American football,<ref>See ''[[Eyeshield 21]]''.</ref> although there are also stories focusing on more popular sports like baseball.<ref>See ''[[Star of the Giants]]'', ''[[Touch (manga)|Touch]]''.</ref>

Other sports like [[table tennis]] and [[fencing]] have been popular at different times. Baseball was a staple of early television, and [[boxing]] and sumo were aired periodically. Initially, running live sports games was viewed with skepticism as it was believed that fans would rather stay at home if they could watch for free. But, as it actually increased interest and sold more merchandise, airing of sports on television became popular.

Judo has been recognized as an official event in the [[Olympic Games]] since the [[1964 Summer Olympics]] in [[Tokyo]]. It is also one of the four main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practiced internationally today. [[Keirin]] racing has also become an Olympic Games event since the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in [[Sydney]].

[[Motorsport]]s have become quite popular in Japan, especially during the latter third of the 20th century. Japanese car manufacturers use a relatively new form of motorsport that is distinctly Japanese and is now being exported abroad.

Japan hosted the [[2020 Summer Olympics|Tokyo 2020]] Olympics, which were postponed until 2021 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].

==Professional organizations==
[[File:Saitama Stadium 1.jpg|thumb|right|[[J1 League]] football game at [[Saitama Stadium]]]]The most popular professional sports in Japan are [[baseball]], [[association football]] (soccer), [[sumo wrestling]], [[basketball]], and [[golf]]. Note that most practitioners in the martial arts are not professional, but amateurs.

{| class="wikitable" 
! Favorite professional sport || 2005<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports05.pdf 13th Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref> || 2011<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports11.pdf 19th Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref> || 2013<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports13.pdf 21st Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref> || 2016<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports16.pdf 24th Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref> || 2017<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports17.pdf 25th Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref>|| 2018<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports18.pdf 26th Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref> || 2019<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports19.pdf 27th Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref> || 2020<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports20.pdf 28th Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref> || 2021<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports21.pdf 29th Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref> || 2022<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports22.pdf 30th Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref> || 2023<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports23.pdf 31st Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref>  || 2024<ref>[http://www.crs.or.jp/data/pdf/sports24.pdf 32nd Annual Popular Sports Survey], Central Research Services-CRS</ref> 
|-
| '''[[Baseball]]''' ([[Nippon Professional Baseball]]) ||51.7%||45.1%||48.4%||42.8%||45.2%||48.1%||42.8%||45.5%||37.9%||45.9%||53.1%||51.8%
|-
| '''[[Association football]]''' ([[J. League]]) ([[WE League]])||22.8%||28.9%||36.0%||26.2%||25.0%||24.8%||22.8%||26.0%||17.6%||24.0%||24.3%||24.4%
|-
| '''[[Sumo wrestling ]]''' (Ōzumō)||17.1%||15.1%|||15.8%||21.8%||27.3%||20.7%||20.1%||21.4%||20.0%||20.1%||18.5%||20.1%
|-
| '''Do not care about sports''' ||24.4%||22.0%||18.9%||24.0%||18.2%||18.2%||18.7%||20.2%||27.8%||20.3%||22.3%||20.0%  
|-
| '''[[Basketball]]''' ([[B.League]]) (W League)||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||6.0%||7.4%||6.5%||9.1%||6.3%||9.6%||8.9%||15.2%
|-
| '''[[Golf]]''' ([[Japan Golf Tour]] & [[LPGA of Japan Tour|JLPGA Tour]]) ||16.9%||19.9%||16.0%||13.4%||13.7%||13.9%||9.4%||15.4%||12.8%||13.6%||10.4%||12.3%
|-
| '''[[Tennis]]''' ([[Japan Open (tennis)|Japan Open]]) ||N/A||N/A||N/A||20.6%||21.7%||18.5%||19.8%||20.0%||14.0%||13.4%||9.9%||10.6%  
|-
| '''[[Boxing]]''' ||7.8%||7.7%||7.8%||9.8%||9.2%||10.3%||6.7%||9.6%||6.7%||8.5%||8.7%||7.9%
|-
| '''[[Motor racing]]''' ||6.2%||7.7%||7.0%||7.0%||5.2%||6.1%||5.0%||8.0%||4.2%||6.1%||5.4%||5.9%
|-
| '''[[Puroresu]]''' (pro-wrestling) ||4.2%||3.1%||3.5%||4.7%||3.8%||4.4%||3.3%||4.5%||2.2%||3.8%||4.0%||4.1%
|-
| '''Others''' ||8.0%||5.7%||7.8%||3.7%||7.8%||7.0%||8.5%||4.9%||7.0%||7.6%||5.1%||5.8%
|-
| '''[[American Football|Gridiron Football]]''' ([[X-League (Japan)|X-League]]){{ref label|X-League|a}} ||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A
|-
| '''[[Futsal]]''' ([[F.League]]) ||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A
|}

Notes: 
* {{Note|X-League|a}} Japan has no professional Gridiron Football teams. The above means watching the US [[National Football League]] and Canadian [[Canadian Football League]] games on TV.

In addition, there are professional sports for [[gambling in Japan|gambling]] purposes; some fans enjoy them as spectator sports without betting money.
* [[Horse racing in Japan|Horse racing]] – 25 races have international Grade I ratings. [[Arima Kinen]] is the world's biggest betting race.
* [[Keirin]] – bicycle racing. Became an Olympic sport in 2000 in its modified form
* [[Kyotei]] – powerboat racing
* [[Auto Race (Japanese sport)|Auto Race]] – motorbike racing on oval tracks

== School and sport ==
[[File:Hanshin Koshien Stadium 2007-21.jpg|thumb|right|[[National High School Baseball Championship]] at [[Koshien Stadium]]]]
There are opportunities to play various sports for all ages, and school plays an important role in community. Kindergarten and lower elementary school students can play in a private sport club that can be joined for a moderate fee. Most martial arts can be started as little as 5 to 6 years old. When a student starts 5th grade, school offers free after-school activities for its students to participate. Middle and high schools also encourage their students to join school sport clubs.

Prefectural and national-wide level contests and tournaments are held every winter and summer for all sports. Some of the tournaments, such as [[National High School Baseball Championship]], have a very high level of popularity among fans, comparable to professional sports.

==International competition==
{{see also|Japan at the Olympics}}
[[Image:Flickr - tpower1978 - Japan Open (1).jpg|thumb|2006 Olympic Champion [[Shizuka Arakawa]] skates at the 2009 Japan Open.]]
The second Monday of October is a [[Holidays of Japan|national holiday of Japan]], [[Health and Sports Day]]. This date, originally October 10, commemorates the opening day of the [[1964 Summer Olympics]] held in [[Tokyo]]. The event was documented in ''[[Tokyo Olympiad]]'' by filmmaker, Kon Ichikawa. Japan has hosted many international competitions including the [[1972 Winter Olympics]] in [[Sapporo]], the [[1998 Winter Olympics]] in [[Nagano (city)|Nagano]], [[2002 FIFA World Cup]], and the [[2006 World Baseball Classic|2006]] and [[2009 World Baseball Classic]]. Tokyo also hosted the [[2020 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-selects-tokyo-as-host-of-2020-summer-olympic-games/208784|title=IOC selects Tokyo as host of 2020 Summer Olympic Games|date=21 July 2016|access-date=1 March 2018}}</ref>

[[Image:Team Japan 2009 ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating podium.jpg|thumb|Japan's figure skating team at the 2009 World Team Trophy]]

The [[2019 Rugby World Cup]], or 'RWC 2019' was hosted by Japan. This was announced by RWCL Chairman Bernard Lapasset in Irish capital [[Dublin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8170488.stm |title=England will host 2015 World Cup |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=2009-07-28 |access-date=2009-07-28}}</ref> at a special [[International Rugby Board|IRB]] meeting on 28 July 2009, along with the host of the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]], [[England]].

Many major figure skating events are regularly held in Japan. The Grand Prix event, the [[NHK Trophy]], has been held in various cities throughout Japan every year since 1979. Japan has also been host of the [[World Figure Skating Championships]] and [[ISU Grand Prix Final]] numerous times. In 2009, it held the first [[ISU World Team Trophy]] in Tokyo, an event set to take place every two years. Figure skating is also a commercial success in Japan, and made-for-television competitions and ice shows like the [[Japan Open (figure skating)|Japan Open]] are broadcast across the nation. Along with countries such as the [[United States]], [[Canada]], and [[Russia]], Japan is widely considered to be a leading country in the sport.

==Individual sports==
===Sumo===
{{Main|Sumo}}
[[File:Lluita de sumo.jpg|thumb|right|Sumo wrestling]]
[[Sumo]] wrestling is the national sport in Japan. Sumo wrestling is believed to have originated in Japan, with its governing body being the [[Japan Sumo Association]]. It is considered a ''[[gendai budō]]'', which refers to modern [[Japanese martial art]], but the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from [[Shinto]].

Life as a wrestler is highly regimented, with rules regulated by the [[Japan Sumo Association]]. Most sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal sumo training stables, known in Japanese as ''[[Heya (sumo)|heya]]'', where all aspects of their daily lives – from meals to their manner of dress – are dictated by strict tradition.

===Boxing===
{{Main|Boxing in Japan}}
The history of [[boxing]] in Japan began in 1854 when [[Matthew C. Perry|Matthew Perry]] landed at [[Shimoda, Shizuoka]] soon after the [[Convention of Kanagawa]].  At that time, American sailors often engaged in sparring matches on board their ships, with their fists wrapped in thin leather.  It was the first example of boxing conveyed to Japan. In addition, an [[Makuuchi#Ōzeki|ōzeki-ranked]] [[rikishi|sumo wrestler]] named {{Nihongo|[[Koyanagi Tsunekichi|Koyanagi]]i|小柳 常吉}} was summoned by the [[Tokugawa shogunate|shogunate]], and ordered to fight a boxer and a wrestler from the [[United States]].  There were three fought matches, using different martial arts' styles, before Perry and other spectators.  Koyanagi reportedly won.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jpba.gr.jp/history/origin/origin_02.html|script-title=ja:ボクシングの伝来と協会の歴史 – 第二章 ペリー提督によって日本に伝来|year=2008|publisher=Japan Pro Boxing Association|language=ja|access-date=March 16, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dl.lib.brown.edu/japan/Kasahara-Sumo.html|title=Perry Visits Japan: a visual history – The Sumo Won Perry's Heart|author=Shun Kasahara, [[The University of Tokyo]]|date=Spring 2009|publisher=[[Brown University|Brown University Library]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719154723/http://dl.lib.brown.edu/japan/Kasahara-Sumo.html|archive-date=July 19, 2011|access-date=March 16, 2011}}</ref>

In Japan, every professional boxer must contract with a manager under the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) rules,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://j-boxwest.com/report/rule_1.html|title=JBC rules – Part 1|publisher=West Japan Boxing Association|language=ja|access-date=March 31, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104002039/http://j-boxwest.com/report/rule_1.html|archive-date=November 4, 2010}}</ref> and is required to belong to a boxing gym which has exclusive management rights for boxers as a member of each regional subsidiary body of [[Japan Pro Boxing Association]] under the Japan's conventional gym system.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jbc.or.jp/info/howtobox/question.html#q_01|title=Q and A – Question 1|publisher=Japan Boxing Commission|language=ja|access-date=March 31, 2011}}</ref> Two professional boxers belonging to the same gym have not been allowed to fight against each other unless one of them transfers to other gym, because it might disrupt the gym system.<ref>{{cite news|title=坂田 vs 興毅の元同門対決今夏にも実現へ|url=http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/news/p-bt-tp1-20080514-359653.html|newspaper=Nikkan Sports|date=May 14, 2008}}</ref> However, it is often quite difficult for boxers to transfer between the gyms due to the matters on transfer fees, match fees and so on.<ref name="asazawa2007">{{Harvnb|Asazawa|Shibuya|2007|p=61}}</ref>

===Figure skating===
In the [[2009–10 figure skating season|2009–10 season]] all four reigning World Champion singles skaters were from Japan. Figure skating events in Japan are well attended and TV broadcasts attract a large audience. The major surge in its popularity has come mainly within the past decade with the success of its native skaters, but there have been avid fans in the country for international skaters for much longer. Skater [[Dorothy Hamill]] is known to have received pearls from the Japanese royal family in the 1970s. Figure Skaters in Japan also enjoy some level of celebrity – some like [[Mao Asada]] and [[Yuzuru Hanyu]] (the first Japanese male figure skater to win an Olympic gold medal) becoming household names and gaining large sponsorships. The NHK Trophy, a major figure skating Grand-Prix event, is hosted in Japan every year.

===Skiing===
[[File:FIS Ski Weltcup Titisee-Neustadt 2016 - Noriaki Kasai3.jpg|thumb|[[Noriaki Kasai]]]]
FIS Ski Weltcup Titisee-Neustadt 2016: Noriaki Kasai
Skiing is also popular and taught in schools in northern parts of the mountainous country. In particular, Japan has been producing good [[ski jumpers]] since the [[Sapporo Olympics]] in 1972, when Japanese athletes won all three medals in the 70 Meter Jumps with [[Yukio Kasaya]] getting the first gold for Japan in Winter Olympics. In the 1990s, [[Noriaki Kasai]] and [[Kazuyoshi Funaki]] scored many wins in the [[FIS Ski Jumping World Cup]]. More recently, [[Ryoyu Kobayashi]] won the overall title in the 2018–19 season. In the women's arena, the four-time season champion [[Sara Takanashi]] is renewing her world record of most wins in the World Cup.

===Table tennis===
Table tennis is popular both as competition and recreation. From the 1950s to 1970s, Japan was one of the strongest countries in the world, producing [[List of World Table Tennis Championships medalists|13 World singles champions]]. After long struggling years, they regained momentum in the 2010s and won many medals in the [[World Table Tennis Championships|World Championships]] and the [[Table tennis at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]], though experiencing difficulty in surpassing China.

===Motorsport===
[[File:The frontview of Toyota YARIS WRC ver.2021 FIA World Rally Championship.jpg|thumb|[[Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT]]]]
[[File:Suzuka Circuit Pit Building.jpg|thumb|[[Suzuka Circuit]]]]
*[[Auto racing]]
**[[Sports car racing]] – see [[Super GT]], [[Japan Le Mans Challenge]], [[1000 km Suzuka|Suzuka 1000 km]], [[Fuji 1000 km]]
**[[Formula racing]] – see [[Super Formula Championship|Super Formula]], [[Japanese Grand Prix]], [[Pacific Grand Prix]], [[JAF Grand Prix]] and [[Indy Japan 300]]. [[Takuma Sato]] won the [[Indianapolis 500]] twice, in 2017 and 2020. 
**[[Touring car racing]] – see [[Japanese Touring Car Championship]], [[FIA WTCC Race of Japan]]
**[[Stock car racing]] – see [[NASCAR Thunder 100]] and [[Coca-Cola 500 (Motegi)|Coca-Cola 500]]. 
**[[Street racing]] – see [[Shuto Expressway]]
**[[Drag racing]]
**[[Drifting (motorsport)|Drifting]] – see [[D1 Grand Prix]]
**[[Rallying]] – see [[Rally Japan]]
*[[Motorcycle sport]]
**[[Grand Prix motorcycle racing]] – see [[Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix]] and [[Pacific motorcycle Grand Prix]]
**[[Endurance racing (motorsport)|Endurance racing]] – see [[Suzuka 8 Hours]]
**[[Superbike racing]] – [[All Japan Road Race Championship]]
**[[Auto Race (Japanese sport)|Auto Race]]
*Boat racing
**[[Kyōtei]]
***[[Star Racing]]

===Mixed martial arts===
[[File:Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki Ticket.jpg|thumb|[[Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki]], [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]] Ticket]]
{{Main|Mixed martial arts in Japan}}
[[Mixed martial arts]] (MMA) has been the most popular combat sport in Japan since the 1970s, and the country is considered a world power. The first example of this sport in Japan was the historic fight between Japanese fighter [[Antonio Inoki]] and American boxer [[Muhammad Ali]]. The classic match between a professional boxer and a professional wrestler turned sour when each refused to engage in the other's fighting style, and after a 15-round stalemate the match was declared a draw.

The Japanese promotion [[PRIDE Fighting Championships]] was one of the most important organizations in the world, and was called "the Mecca of MMA" because it brought together the best fighters in Japan and the world until its demise in 2007. Today there are promotions such as [[Rizin Fighting Federation]] (the most important in the country), [[Pancrase]], [[Shooto]] and [[ZST]].

===Others===
{{Main|Japanese martial arts}}
{{Div col}}
* [[Aikido]]
* [[Takagari]] ([[falconry]])
* [[Iaido]]
* [[Judo]]
* [[Jujutsu]]
* [[Karate in Japan]]
* [[Kemari]]
* [[Kendo]]
* [[Kenjutsu]]
* [[Kyūdō]] (Japanese archery)
* [[Naginatajutsu|Naginata]]
* [[Sumo]]
* [[Yabusame]]
{{Div col end}}

==Popular team sports==
===Baseball===
{{Main|Baseball in Japan}}
[[File:Japan Baseball.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The [[Japan national baseball team]] huddles around their manager after losing to [[Cuba national baseball team|Cuba]] in the [[2006 Intercontinental Cup (baseball)|2006 Intercontinental Cup]].]]

[[Baseball]] is historically the most popular team sport in Japan. It was introduced to Japan in 1872 by [[Horace Wilson (professor)|Horace Wilson]], who taught at the Kaisei School in [[Tokyo]]. The first baseball team was called the Shimbashi Athletic Club and was established in 1878. Baseball has been a popular sport ever since. It is called {{Nihongo|2=野球|3=yakyū}} in Japanese, combining the characters for "field" and "ball".

Hiroshi Hiraoka, who was in the [[United States]] studying engineering, introduced the game to his co-workers at Japan's national railways in 1878. He and his co-workers created the first baseball team, the Shimbashi Athletic Club, and dominated other teams which popped up in Japan. However, it was not until 1896 that a team from Ichikō, the elite [[University of Tokyo]] preparatory school, defeated a team from the [[Yokohama Country & Athletic Club]] 29 to 4 that the sport took a dominant hold in Japanese popular culture.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Reiss|first1=Steven|title=Sport in Industrial America, 1850-1920|date=2013|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|location=Oxford|isbn=978-1-118-53771-8|page=Chapter 6}}</ref> The match was the first recorded international baseball game in [[Asia]]. After that victory, several other universities in Japan adopted the sport, and it quickly spread throughout Japan. Since then, teams from Japan have traveled to learn from their American counterparts. [[Waseda University]] was one of the first teams to cross the ocean to improve their skills. In 1905, the team traveled to the United States, where it played college teams from around the country. Other universities in Japan made similar trips, and U.S. teams traveled to Japan to play.

From 1913 to 1922, American [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] stars visited Japan and played against university teams. They also held clinics on technique. [[Herb Hunter (baseball)|Herb Hunter]], a retired major league player, made eight trips to Japan, from 1922 to 1932 to organize games and coaching clinics.

Baseball is also played in Japan's junior and senior high schools. Each year in March and August, two tournaments are held at Koshien Stadium for senior high school teams that win a prefecture tournament.  References to [[High school baseball in Japan|high school baseball]] ({{Nihongo|2=高校野球|3=kōkō yakyū}}) generally refer to the two annual baseball tournaments, played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final showdown at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan. They are organized by the Japan High School Baseball Federation in association with Mainichi Shimbun for the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament in the spring (also known as "Spring Kōshien"), and Asahi Shimbun for the National High School Baseball Championship in the summer (also known as "Summer Kōshien").  These nationwide tournaments enjoy widespread popularity, arguably equal to or greater than professional baseball. Qualifying tournaments are often televised locally and each game of the final stage at Kōshien is televised nationally on NHK. The tournaments have become a national tradition, and large numbers of frenzied students and parents travel from hometowns to cheer for their local team. It is a common sight to see players walking off the field in tears after being eliminated from the tournament by a loss.

===Association football===
[[File:Japan national football team World Cup 2018.jpg|thumb|[[Japan national football team]]]]
{{main|Football in Japan}}

[[Association football]] is the second most popular team sport in Japan, behind Baseball. The [[Japan Football Association]] (JFA) is the governing body of Japanese football. The JFA organizes the [[Japan national football team|men's]], [[Japan women's national football team|women's]], and [[futsal]] national teams.

Association football was introduced to Japan during the [[Meiji period]] by [[O-yatoi gaikokujin]], foreign advisors hired by the Japanese government, along with many other foreign sports, like [[baseball]]. The first Japanese football club is considered to be [[Tokyo Shūkyū-dan]], founded in 1917, which is now competing in the Tokyo Prefectural amateur league.

In the 1920s, football associations were organized and regional tournaments began in universities and high schools, especially in Tokyo. In the 1930s, the [[Japan national football team]] was organized and drew 3–3 with [[China]] to win their first title at the [[Far Eastern Championship Games]]. The Japan national team also competed in the [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Berlin Olympic Games]], the team had a first victory in an Olympic game with a 3–2 win over powerful [[Sweden]].

The Japan national team is very successful at an international level, and has competed in the [[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998]], [[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002]], [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006]], [[2010 FIFA World Cup|2010]], [[2014 FIFA World Cup|2014]], [[2018 FIFA World Cup|2018]], [[2022 FIFA World Cup|2022]] and [[2026 FIFA World Cup|2026 FIFA World Cup]]s. Its best result was reaching the Round of 16 in 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022. The Japanese national team has also competed in six AFC Asian Cups, with the team being the Champions in [[1992 AFC Asian Cup|1992]], [[2000 AFC Asian Cup|2000]], [[2004 AFC Asian Cup|2004]] and [[2011 AFC Asian Cup|2011]] AFC Asian Cups. The team's highest ranking was 9th in the world in February 1998. Japan has competed in many other footballing events including the [[Confederations Cup]], the [[East Asian Football Championship]], and the [[Copa América]].

The [[J.League]] is the most popular football league in Japan and has grown rapidly in just a few decades-with teams such as [[FC Tokyo]] and [[Kashima Antlers]] regularly competing in continental competition and the league drawing the talents of [[Andrés Iniesta]] and [[Fernando Torres]].

The women's national team has enjoyed major success at the [[FIFA Women's World Cup|World Cup]], winning the [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup|2011 edition]] in Germany and finishing as runner-up in the [[2015 FIFA Women's World Cup|2015 edition]] in Canada.

The national team's colors are blue and white, Japan's main colors in most international sporting competitions.

===Basketball===
{{main|Basketball in Japan}}
[[Image:Yuta Tabuse (2008).jpg|thumb|140px|right|Yuta Tabuse is one of Japan's prime basketball players.]]
Especially since the emergence of [[Yuta Tabuse]] and [[Takuya Kawamura]], basketball has received a recent revival and become a popular sport in Japan.<ref name=consulteny>{{cite news|url=http://www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/c/vol_12-4/title_04.html|title=Hoop Dreams - Yuta Tabuse, "The Jordan of Japan"|publisher=Consulate General of Japan in New York|date=December 2004 – January 2005|access-date=2009-01-19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203204908/http://www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/c/vol_12-4/title_04.html|archive-date=2010-12-03}}</ref> The [[Japan national basketball team]] won the [[FIBA Asia Championship]] twice and has qualified for the event 25 out of 26 times.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fibaasia.net/Competition_Archives.aspx?id=2 |title=FIBA Asia.net: Competition Archives |access-date=2012-02-02}}</ref> Japan was host to the [[2006 FIBA World Championship]] which was played in the host cities of [[Hamamatsu]], [[Hiroshima]], [[Saitama, Saitama|Saitama]], [[Sapporo]] and [[Sendai]] and on 9 December 2017, Japan was announced as co-host the [[2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup]] with Philippines and Indonesia some matches will be in host city of [[Okinawa City]].

The prime basketball league in the country is the [[B.League]].

In 2010 the [[Japan Basketball Association]] recognized [[Takehiko Inoue]], the creator of ''[[Slam Dunk (manga)|Slam Dunk]]'', for the series' role in popularizing the sport in Japan as part of its 80th anniversary celebrations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/29/showbiz/takehiko-inoue-human-to-hero/|title=How 'Slam Dunk' Manga artist brings characters to life|publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref name="sl">{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-06-09/japan-basketball-association-awards-slam-dunk-inoue|title=Japan Basketball Association Awards Slam Dunk's Inoue|work=[[Anime News Network]]|date=June 9, 2010|access-date=June 17, 2013}}</ref>

In 2019, [[Rui Hachimura]] was selected ninth overall in the draft by the [[Washington Wizards]] of the NBA. He is a son between a Beninese father and Japanese mother.

==Other team sports==
===Handball===
{{Main|Japan men's national handball team}}
{{See also|Japan women's national handball team}}
 
The Japanese national [[Team handball|handball]] teams are controlled by the [[Japan Handball Association]].

===Ice hockey===
[[File:20170416 JPNDEN 4787.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Japan women's national ice hockey team]]]]
{{Main|Ice hockey in Japan|Japan Ice Hockey Federation}}
[[Ice hockey]] is a minor sport but growing in popularity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/26/national/womens-ice-hockey-team-banking-on-sochi/|title=Women's ice hockey team banking on Sochi|first=Tadashi|last=Watanabe|date=26 August 2013|access-date=1 March 2018|via=Japan Times Online}}</ref> Currently, four Japanese teams compete in the [[Asia League Ice Hockey]].

===Rugby union===
{{Main|Rugby union in Japan}}
{{See also|Japan women's national rugby union team}}
[[File:RWC-2007-AUSvsJAP.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Australia playing Japan (red) during the [[2007 Rugby World Cup]]]]

[[Rugby union]] is a moderately popular sport in Japan. The [[Japan national rugby union team|Japanese national rugby union team]], controlled by the [[Japan Rugby Football Union]], has been to every [[Rugby World Cup]] since 1987. The country hosted the Rugby World Cup in [[2019 Rugby World Cup|2019]], where they qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 December 2020 |title=10 magical moments from Rugby World Cup 2019 |url=https://www.world.rugby/news/588595/10-magical-moments-rugby-world-cup-2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724071337/https://www.world.rugby/news/588595/10-magical-moments-rugby-world-cup-2019 |archive-date=24 July 2021 |access-date=6 April 2025 |website=World Rugby}}</ref> Japan's first win in the Rugby World Cup was against [[Zimbabwe national rugby union team|Zimbabwe]] in [[1991 Rugby World Cup|1991]], which was also one of the national team's first wins. They also caused significant upsets in the 2015 World Cup, beating two-time champions at the time [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]], and the 2019 World Cup, beating second ranked in the world Ireland 19–12. The Japanese rugby team has been playing in international tournaments since the 1930s.

In [[2016 Super Rugby season|2016]], the [[Sunwolves]] joined [[Super Rugby]] as that competition's first Japanese team and first from the Northern Hemisphere. Super Rugby began in 1996 as Super 12, involving franchised teams from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and had involved only those countries until 2016. The competition became Super 14 in 2006 when it added two teams, and adopted its current name of Super Rugby when it expanded to 15 teams in 2011. The 2016 season saw the addition of three new teams, including the first-ever [[Jaguares (Super Rugby)|entry from Argentina]]. The Sunwolves play home matches mostly at [[Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium]] in Tokyo, with select "home" matches also played in [[Singapore]].

====History====

The first recorded instance of rugby being played in Japan was in 1874, when British sailors staged a game in [[Yokohama]]. The sport was introduced to students at Keio university in 1899, by Professor [[Edward Bramwell Clarke]] and [[Tanaka Ginnosuke]]. Japan's first international match took place on 31 January 1932, when a trade delegation from Canada brought the [[Canada national rugby union team]], who were also playing their first game. The Japanese won 9–8.

In 2015 an amateur form of [[Tambo rugby|mud tag rugby]] was invented.

===Volleyball===
{{See also|Japanese Volleyball League}}
[[File:Volleyball WC 2006 Japan flag.jpg|thumb|Japan national volleyball team fans in World Championship 2010]]
Volleyball is popular in Japan, where the sport enjoys much coverage by national broadcasters. The sport is played by many junior and senior high school students.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Johnson|first=Christopher|date=2010-11-13|title=In Japan, Volleyball Leaps to a Nationwide Passion|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/sports/14volleyball.html|access-date=2021-06-12|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The top regional teams play in the [[Japanese Volleyball League]]. Since 2006, Japan is the permanent host of the [[FIVB Volleyball World Cup (disambiguation)|FIVB Volleyball World Cups]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The weight of Japan on the women's volleyball team|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/the-weight-of-japan-on-the-womens-volleyball-team|access-date=2021-06-12|website=Tokyo 2020|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-08-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815215324/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/the-weight-of-japan-on-the-womens-volleyball-team|url-status=dead}}</ref>

At the 1964 Olympic Games on home soil, Japan became the first country in history [[Volleyball at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|to win Olympic gold in women's volleyball]]. The [[Japan women's national volleyball team|women's national team]] has since achieved Olympic podium placements multiple times, including an additional gold medal in 1976. The women's team now ranks seventh in the world.<ref name=":0" /> The [[Japan men's national volleyball team|men's national team]] has been less successful, having missed the two most recent Olympic games, but have qualified for the upcoming [[2020 Summer Olympics|Tokyo 2020]] Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Japan Men's Volleyball team: Ready to take on Tokyo 2020 and beyond|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/japan-mens-volleyball-team-ready-to-take-on-tokyo-2020-and-beyond|access-date=2021-06-12|website=Tokyo 2020|language=en-US}}{{Dead link|date=June 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

''[[Haikyu!!]],'' a manga and anime series about high school volleyball, has gained a significant amount of popularity all around the world.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cardine|first=Kyle|date=14 April 2020|title=Crunchyroll's Most Popular Anime of Winter 2020 By Country|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2020/04/14/crunchyrolls-most-popular-anime-of-winter-2020-by-country}}</ref>

Japan featured a women's national team in [[beach volleyball]] that competed at the [[2018–2020 AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |title= Continental Cup Finals start in Africa|url=https://www.fivb.com/en/about/news/continental-cup-finals-start-in-africa?id=94414 |accessdate=7 August 2021 |work=[[FIVB]] |date=22 June 2021}}</ref>

===American football===
{{Main|American football in Japan}}
The [[X-League (Japan)|X-League]] is the top league in Japan. It was founded in 1971, it has 60 teams split into four divisions. The final game is the [[Japan X Bowl]].

In 1999 Japan won the first ever [[1999 IFAF World Championship]], and also won in the [[2003 IFAF World Championship]]. Japan hosted the [[2007 IFAF World Championship]], but placed 2nd to the [[United States]]. Japan placed 3rd in the [[2011 IFAF World Championship]].

Additionally, Japan has eight major college football leagues. These leagues are the top level of college football in the country, with the East and West champions playing in the annual [[Koshien Bowl]] in [[Nishinomiya]]. The eight leagues are:
* [[Chushikoku Collegiate American Football Association]]
* [[Hokkaido American Football Association]]
* [[Hokuriku Collegiate American Football League]]
* [[Kansai Collegiate American Football League]]
* [[Kantoh Collegiate American Football Association]]
* [[Kyūshū Collegiate American Football Association]]
* [[Tohoku Collegiate American Football Association]]
* [[Tokai Collegiate American Football Association]]

The winners of the [[Japan X Bowl]] and [[Koshien Bowl]] play each other in the [[Rice Bowl]].

===Lacrosse===
The [[Japan men's national lacrosse team]] has qualified for the [[World Lacrosse Championship]] eight consecutive times (1994–2022). At the most recent event (2022), it finished 5th out of 23. They defeated Team England 7–6 in double overtime with 19-year-old Rinta Fujioka scoring the game-winner.<ref>[https://worldlacrosse.sport/article/u21-championship-day-11-recap/] Amit Mallik ([[UNITED STATES CLAIMS GOLD AT 2022 WORLD LACROSSE MEN'S U21 CHAMPIONSHIP]]), 20 Aug 2022. Accessed 25 August 2022.</ref>

Japan has sent national teams to the [[Under-19 World Lacrosse Championships]].<ref>[https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1108412/lacrosse-world-u21 Record 23 lacrosse teams to play at Men's Under-21 World Championship] Ali Iveson ([[Inside the Games]]), 30 May 2021. Accessed 9 June 2021.</ref>

== Original sports==
* [[Ekiden]]
* [[Keirin]]
* [[Gateball]]
* [[Soft Tennis]]
* [[K-1]]
* [[Pride FC]]
* [[Park golf]]
*[[Japanese-style baseball|Rubber Baseball]]
*[[Fukiya|Sports fukiya]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121017232847/http://www.internationalsportschanbara.net/index.html Sports Chanbara] AKA [[Spochan]]
* [[Bo-Taoshi]]

==New sports==
[[File:Bandy 2012. KYR - JPN.JPG|thumb|right|Japan in white against Kyrgyzstan in [[bandy]]]]

[[Japan Bandy Federation]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bandy.or.jp/|title=日本バンディ連盟：トップページ|website=日本バンディ連盟|access-date=1 March 2018}}</ref> was established in 2011 and the same year entered [[Federation of International Bandy]]. JBF sent a team to [[2012 Bandy World Championship]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bandy2012.kz/en/teams.html|title=Official home page of World Bandy Championship 2012|access-date=1 March 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607002825/http://bandy2012.kz/en/teams.html|archive-date=7 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bandy.or.jp/_userdata/teampictureFeb2.jpg|title=Team picture with Kyrgyzstan after their first meeting in the World Championships|access-date=1 March 2018}}</ref> and has participated ever since. Already in 2012 they started having plans to build a full-sized bandy arena similar to [[Medeu]].[http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http%3A%2F%2Fbandynet.ru%2Fv1%2Fnode%2F26961] In 2017 a successful deal was struck with [[Shintoku]] on [[Hokkaido]], where the new venue will open in December 2017.[https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGKKZO15553640Q7A420C1L41000/] Many cities are interested in hosting teams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://j-bandy.jp/greet.html|title=Greetings from Hiromasa Takamura President Japan Bandy Federation|access-date=1 March 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325055504/http://j-bandy.jp/greet.html|archive-date=25 March 2012}}</ref> In terms of licensed athletes, bandy is the second biggest winter sport in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbandy.com/newspost_7640.html|title=Bandy destined for the Olympic Winter Games!|website=www.worldbandy.com|access-date=1 March 2018}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[List of sports governing bodies in Japan]]
*[[List of Japanese sportspeople]]
*[[List of stadiums in Japan]]
*[[List of Japanese football champions]]
*[[List of Japan international footballers]]
*[[Lists of foreign footballers in Japan]]
*[[List of football clubs in Japan]]
*[[List of women's football clubs in Japan]]
*[[List of baseball parks in Japan]]
*[[List of Japanese baseball players]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball players from Japan]]
*[[List of Japanese records in swimming]]
*[[List of Japan women ODI cricketers]]
*[[List of Japan Davis Cup team representatives]]
*[[List of professional sports teams in Japan]]
*[[List of professional wrestling promotions in Japan]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

;Bibliography
*{{Cite magazine|last1=Asazawa|first1=Ei|last2=Shibuya|first2=Jun|script-title=ja:移籍騒動の高山、問題収束せぬまま10月に再起|date=September 10, 2007|magazine=Boxing Magazine|issue=October 2007 issue|publisher=Baseball Magazine Sha Co., Ltd.|location=Tokyo, Japan|language=ja|page=61}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.mext.go.jp/english/index.htm Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology]

{{Sport in Japan}}
{{Sport in Asia}}
{{Japan topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sport In Japan}}
[[Category:Society of Japan]]
[[Category:Sport in Japan| ]]