In a survey conducted in September 2024, around **** percent of respondents in Japan chose baseball when asked about what sports they liked to watch, compared to **** percent who stated to like watching soccer. Other surveys indicated that this was true not only in terms of TV watching, but also in terms of live attendance at sports events in gymnasiums or stadiums. With an estimated **** million fans, ************** were one of the most supported professional baseball teams in Japan in 2024. Baseball — the national sport in Japan Imported from the United States at the end of the 19th century, baseball quickly gained popularity, both in playing and watching. Today, even primary schools have their baseball teams and competition for places in high school teams is fierce. Baseball has therefore become the undisputed favorite in team sports. The popularity of the game is further driven by Japanese players performing well in the U.S. Major League. A prime example of this is Shohei Ohtani, whose successes abroad were closely followed by Japanese people, and who has been repeatedly crowned as Japan's most popular athlete. Successful Japanese athletes Apart from baseball, football is one of the most watched sports in Japan, showing that modern sports have surpassed traditional Japanese sports, such as Sumo, Kendo, or Karate. Moreover, exceptional athletes push public interest and adoration in their respective sport: figure skating partly owes its popularity to Yuzuru Hanyu, considered one of the greatest figure skaters in history. The successful participation of Japanese tennis players in international tournaments, such as Kei Nishikori or Naomi Osaka, have brought millions of Japanese to the television screens.

According to a survey conducted in September 2024 in Japan, **** percent of respondents stated that baseball was their favorite sport. Soccer was the second most popular sport, favored by **** percent of respondents.

We asked Japanese consumers about "Most popular sports activities" and found that ***************** takes the top spot, while ******* is at the other end of the ranking.These results are based on a representative online survey conducted in 2025 among 2,450 consumers in Japan.

In 2024, professional baseball was the most popular sport discipline watched on TV or the internet by men in Japan, with a viewership of **** percent, while **** percent of women did the same. According to the survey, women watched, in general, fewer sports on TV or the internet than men. The survey revealed gender preferences regarding sports. Women showed heightened interest in figure skating, marathon and baseball.

According to a survey conducted in November 2024, the share of adults participating in sports in Japan amounted to **** percent. This included people who participated in sports during the past year. What are the most popular sports to participate in? Children and adolescents engage in a variety of sports via physical education classes and sports clubs at their educational institutions. A broad range of sports is actively practiced by adolescents, with ******* and ****** currently being the most popular choices in Japan. Among adults, ******* done for exercise is the most common physical exercise for both genders. Otherwise, gender discrepancies arise, with men engaging more in ******* and ***********, while women are more active in **********. Attitude towards sports ****** was the leading reason for people in Japan to engage in sports. Many were also keen on improving or maintaining their physical strength. A considerable share of people felt they lacked physical exercise. This was especially the case for cohorts between the ages of ********, showing that people in these age groups wanted to do more sports but could not due to other priorities. At the same time, a substantial share of people want to exercise more often in Japan.

We asked Japanese consumers about "Interest in sport types" and found that ********** takes the top spot, while ********** is at the other end of the ranking.These results are based on a representative online survey conducted in 2025 among 3,052 consumers in Japan.

In a survey conducted in November 2024 in Japan, close to ** percent of respondents stated that they watched professional ******** on TV or the internet during the past year. Other sports that were broadly watched included ******, *****************, and **********.

According to a survey conducted in September 2025, baseball player ************* was the most popular athlete in Japan, with **** percent of respondents voting for him. Is baseball the most popular sport in Japan? With its roots stretching back to the 1870s, baseball has a rich history in Japan. Following the establishment of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 1950, the sport has gone from strength to strength and ranked as the most popular spectator sport in Japan as of 2025. The Japanese national team has typically performed well on the international stage. In fact, the national team had won three of the five Baseball World Classic tournaments between 2006 and 2023. Japanese baseball players in Major League Baseball Alongside the victories of the Japanese national team on a global scale, the success of players such as Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the Los Angeles Dodgers has no doubt helped cement baseball's prominent standing in Japan in recent years. In fact, Ohtani is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time and the current best two-way player in the world.

In a survey conducted in September 2025, 34.4 percent of respondents in Japan chose baseball when asked about what sports they liked to watch. Meanwhile, 21.2 percent of respondents said they liked watching soccer. Baseball — the national sport in Japan Imported from the United States at the end of the 19th century, baseball quickly gained popularity. Today, baseball is played at all levels and ages, with even primary schools having their own baseball teams. On the professional side, Nippon Professional Baseball is the most prestigious baseball league in Japan and has a following of over 20 million domestic fans. Making up a large share of this following is the fan base of the Hanshin Tigers, which had the most fans among professional baseball teams in Japan as of 2025. Successful Japanese athletes Alongside a thriving domestic baseball league and a highly successful national team, Japan has also produced numerous players who have excelled in Major League Baseball (MLB). In recent years, Shohei Ohtani has ranked as the most popular athlete in Japan by a considerable margin. In fact, Ohtani's pivotal role in the Los Angeles Dodgers' back-to-back World Series wins in 2024 and 2025 has put him in strong contention as the greatest baseball player of his era.

A survey conducted in 2023 in Japan revealed that the most popular sport among teenagers was badminton, performed by **** percent. The next most popular sports activities was basketball, played by **** percent of youths. Compared to their younger peers, fewer teenagers engaged in games such as playing tag.

According to a survey conducted in December 2023 in Japan, ****** was the most popular sports brand, with 30.7 percent of respondents stating it was one of their favorite brands. The most popular Japanese sports brand was *****, with **** percent. ASICS Despite the popularity of western sports brands, Japanese sports brands are still enjoying the trust of domestic consumers. ASICS Corporation has gained recognition both in the domestic and overseas sports apparel markets. Headquartered in Hyogo Prefecture, the company is best known for its innovative technologies for manufacturing training shoes for sports such as running, volleyball, and handball. Sports brands for fashion In Japan, sportswear and sports shoes have penetrated the casual wear segment of the fashion market. Not limited to sporting activities anymore, consumers wear athletic clothes and shoes in everyday life for the style. Thanks to the relaxation of dress codes and widespread acceptance of the more casual athletic leisure style (athleisure), items like sneakers are more commonly worn for daily activities than for sports, contributing to the success for brands like Adidas and Nike.

A survey conducted in 2023 in Japan revealed that more than ** percent of children aged between 4 and 11 years played tag often in the past year. Playing tag was the most popular type of exercise among children, followed by dodgeball and swimming.

According to a survey conducted in in Japan in November 2023, around **** percent of respondents stated that they watched sports on TV or the internet during the past year. Soccer games played by the national team were the most popular sports event to watch on digital media, followed by professional and high school baseball tournaments.

According to a survey conducted in September 2024, baseball player Shohei Ohtani was the most popular athlete in Japan, with 29.2 percent of respondents voting for him. Shohei Ohtani also placed first in the previous years. Baseball as the most popular sport in Japan Baseball has been one of the most recognized sports in Japan since the start of the 1990s. With the introduction of the two-league system in 1950, the Japanese professional league, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) was established into what it is today and gained popularity. The Japanese national baseball team also frequently participates in international baseball competitions. Japanese baseball players in Major League Baseball The Japanese national team has typically performed well on the international stage. In fact, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) placed the Japanese national team first in the current world ranking, ahead of the United States. Despite this, playing in the Major League Baseball (MLB) is considered a glorious career path for Japanese baseball players. Ichiro Suzuki, who began his career in the MLB at the Seattle Mariners in 2001 and announced his retirement in 2019, has been an idol of the nation for decades. Shohei Ohtani is another example of this phenomenon. Since his signing with the Los Angeles Angels in 2017 and then in 2024 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, people in Japan (and the world) have acclaimed him as one of the best baseball players of all time.

In 2024, Japan's national baseball team had an estimated fandom of approximately **** million people. The baseball national team had the highest number of fans in Japanese professional sports, followed by the national soccer team. Attendance during COVID-19 times The distribution of the number of fans is also reflected in attendance figures. Japan’s best-attended sports were baseball and soccer, both of which have a professional circuit, the NPB for baseball and the J.League for soccer. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance figures at baseball games at stadiums declined significantly, while the same was the case for attendances at J-League matches. Making live spectating possible For sports governing bodies and presumably athletes alike, having spectators at sports matches is essential. To make live spectating at stadiums and venues possible during the pandemic, measures had to be taken to comply with governmental hygiene regulations and to gain the trust of fans. Numerous safety steps were aimed at relieving prospective fans’ COVID-19-related anxiety, which ranged from physical distance keeping to body temperature control when entering the premises. Sports fans in Japan tended to stick to regulations, as was observed at J.League matches where most of the audience was wearing masks and refrained from vocal cheering (clapping was allowed).

According to a study conducted in Japan in 2023, about ** percent of children aged four to eleven stated that they did sports or participated in a sports group at least ***** times a week. More than ***** percent of respondents, on the other hand, reported that they did not exercise at all during the surveyed period.

Physical education at schools Physical education in Japan begins in kindergarten. Through physical play using balls and playground equipment, dancing, or games, children learn the basic movement of their bodies. Swimming classes are also held at most kindergartens. From elementary school to senior high school, classes of physical education are conducted several times a week. Some of the main sports disciplines taught are track and field, gymnastics, swimming, and dancing. As the Japanese government supports martial arts education at schools by providing sufficient budget, students also learn martial arts such as kendo or judo in classes. Additionally, a sports day takes place every year at schools. On the day, children compete in teams in various types of athletics events like relay races and gymnastics.

Sports clubs In addition to physical education classes, sports clubs at schools are also very active, and it is often required for most of the students to participate in club activities after classes. Clubs compete in a variety of sporting events throughout a year, such as the high school baseball championship Koshien. Koshien is one of the biggest sporting tournaments for students in Japan and attracts not only the young generation but also an adult audience. Some children also participate in private clubs outside of schools. Rugby, which is recently gaining popularity in the country because of the successful national Rugby team, for example, has multiple active private clubs for children across Japan.

According to a survey conducted in November 2024 in Japan, approximately **** percent of respondents stated that they watched professional baseball games at venues in that year. Over ** percent, on the other hand, reported that they have not attended any sporting events during the last year.

As of June 2024, the number of junior high school pupils belonging to school sports clubs amounted to approximately **** million. Soccer and basketball were among the most popular sports clubs among boys, while volleyball and tennis were the most popular sports clubs among girls.

According to a survey conducted in September 2023, Nike was the favorite sports brand of adults between the ages 30 and 60 years. The most popular Japanese brand was Asics, with an average of over ** percent of respondents naming the sportswear manufacturer a favorite.

In a survey conducted in January 2024 on the sports participation of disabled individuals in Japan, the most common sport played by people aged between seven and 19 years old was walking, accounting for **** percent. The second most common exercise was taking a stroll, with **** percent.