Alexandru Arba
Research expert covering Japan
Sports participation in Japan - statistics & facts
Sport plays an important role in Japanese society, as evidenced by the fact that most children and over 50 percent of the adult population engage in it weekly.
Physical exercise and sports take place in different settings. This includes institutional settings, such as partaking in physical education classes at school, subscription-based paid participation at commercial sports clubs, and private (cost-free) settings, such as going for a run in the park. Adult sport participation is most common in private settings, relatively common in commercial settings, and uncommon in institutional settings. In Japan, the most prevalent physical exercise is walking. Golfing and going to the gym are the leading sports for adults that require payment, both in terms of participant numbers and generated revenue. While the overall share of people engaging in sports is relatively high, there appears to be a reluctance to pay for sports, as the majority of people do not spend any money or relatively little on practicing sports. For those who do spend money on sports, facility utilization fees comprise the main part of the expenses.
Sports participation is an important component of life in Japan. Young Japanese are introduced to sports at an early age and are given the possibilities to pursue sports, if they desire, into adulthood and well beyond.
Governmental policies
Sports participation is considered a key element in the Japanese government’s expressed endeavor to enable people to live happy and fulfilled lives. Sport is also seen by the Japanese government as essential to children’s development. The government has introduced comprehensive and ongoing policies and plans, such as the “Third Sport Basic Plan”, for the organization and administration of sports with the overall aim to further various aspects of sports in Japan, including sports participation and performance. Numerous initiatives and programs receive financial support from the government sports budget. Children's sports are especially highly valued, as many of the programs specifically target the youth. This is also reflected by the distribution of sports facility types in Japan, as most facilities belong to educational institutions.School and university clubs
The majority of children’s sports are institutionalized, either in the form of physical education classes or sports clubs at schools and other educational institutions. Attending such sports clubs is usually free. School club activities cater to diverse fields of interest, ranging from cultural endeavors such as playing musical instruments to sports. In Japan, more than half of the children and close to half of the adolescents participate in sport-related school club activities. Club activities are also very common at universities. Sports clubs can be highly competitive, with members of ambitious sports clubs having daily training sessions spanning several hours and participating in national tournaments regularly. For some, their high skill in sports is their entry ticket to prestigious universities. The overall interest in university sports is best exemplified by the fact that certain sports, such as the national baseball tournament between universities (koshien), and Ekiden (an annual long-distance running competition among universities), are nationally televised and enjoy broad popularity among sports enthusiasts.Sports participation is an important component of life in Japan. Young Japanese are introduced to sports at an early age and are given the possibilities to pursue sports, if they desire, into adulthood and well beyond.
