Sports in Japan
Sports Disciplines Practiced in the Archipelago
Japanese sports’ recognition has broadly crossed the borders of the archipelago for a long time now.
Martial arts in particular are taught to thousands of apprentices in the world. We can mention judo, karate, ju-jitsu and aikido (body to body) or kendo (with weapon) which count among the most famous ones. Much more traditional, Sumo wrestling is the national sport in Japan. However, and while this is surprising, one of the most popular sports in Japan is baseball.
Japanese inhabitants are a population who practices a lot of sports, especially children and teenagers who are encouraged to do many physical education during long hours every week. This contributes obviously to their good health.
Japan recently staged two major international sport events:
- The Rugby World Cup in September and October 2019, and,
- The Tokyo Olympic Games, initially scheduled in July and August 2020 (postponed in summer 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic).
The World Figure Skating Championships 2023 will take place in Saitama (in the north of the capital) in March 2023.