| Playing and watching sports are popular | | | | continues even today, started in late 1920s |
| activities in Japan whether it is a | | | | but a persistent rumors of bribes and a |
| traditional sport like judo, a team sport | | | | general attitude that sports should be for |
| like baseball, a new sport like BMX or one of | | | | amateur players or as a hobby persisted. |
| the many motorsports series. | | | | Until after World War II when airing of |
| | | | sporting event on radio and television became |
| The earliest sports in Japan were most likely | | | | common, matches between schools attracted a |
| archery and hunting. Kemari is known to have | | | | larger crowd. |
| been played in Asuka period and sumo may be | | | | |
| even older, perhaps used to settle disputes | | | | Baseball and professional wrestling were |
| between villages. Falconry also began in the | | | | staples of early television, and boxing and |
| Asuka period, heavily influenced by Mongolian | | | | sumo were aired periodically. Initially, |
| practices. | | | | running live sport games were viewed with |
| | | | skepticism as it was believed that fans would |
| Sumo shows an important side of traditional | | | | rather stay at home if they could watch for |
| Japanese sport, a religious occasion as well | | | | free. But, as it actually increased interest |
| as a sporting event. Many sumo rituals are | | | | and sold more merchandise, airing of sports |
| closely associated with Shinto belief. It is | | | | on TV became popular. |
| believed that some of ancient sumo matches | | | | |
| were a purely religious event with a | | | | Judo has been recognized as an official event |
| predetermined outcome as an offering to kami. | | | | in the Olympic Games since the 1964 Summer |
| Some matches were done as a divination. For | | | | Olympics in Tokyo. It is also one of the four |
| example, if a fisherman and farmer held a | | | | main forms of amateur competitive wrestling |
| match and the fisherman won, a good catch was | | | | practiced internationally today. Keirin |
| predicted for the year. | | | | racing has also become an Olympic Games event |
| | | | since the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. |
| The Kamakura period was a starting point for | | | | |
| many martial arts. Kyudo became popular as | | | | Motorsport has become quite popular in Japan |
| kyujutsu, literally bow skill, as a pastime | | | | especially during the latter third of the |
| for samurai. Yabusame also started as a sport | | | | 20th century. Japanese car manufacturers use |
| in this period, but is now considered a | | | | the many motorsports series as a form of |
| sacred ceremony. Hunting also became a | | | | marketing; the classic "race on Sunday sell |
| popular sport and dogs were used to aid a | | | | on Monday" philosophy. Another factor that |
| hunt. Hunting was also called Inuoimono, | | | | contributes to the popularity of motorsports |
| literally dog chasing. | | | | is the use of cars as a form of personal |
| | | | expression. With cars costing less than homes |
| In the Edo period, sports became a popular | | | | in Japan, many youth spend a lot on their |
| way to spend time. The only problem was that | | | | cars and consequently get involved in both |
| they were often accompanied by gambling. A | | | | amateur racing, both legal (on track) and |
| notice to punish playing and betting on sumo | | | | illegal (street racing). Many Japanese racing |
| without an authorization was repeatedly | | | | drivers come from this background to find |
| posted to little effect. Kyudo was encouraged | | | | success in many racing series both in Japan |
| by shogun and daimyo as a pastime and | | | | and around the world. Drifting is a |
| contests as well as record making attempts | | | | relatively new form of motorsport that is |
| were held. In April 26, 1686, a samurai named | | | | distinctly Japanese and is now being exported |
| Wasa Daihachiro made an unsurpassed record of | | | | abroad. |
| shooting 13,053 arrows and hitting the mark | | | | |
| 8,133 times over a 24 hour period. This is | | | | School and Sport |
| even more remarkable when one considers the | | | | |
| shooting range for this attempt, a 120 meter | | | | There are opportunities to play sports for |
| long corridor with a ceiling of only 2.2 | | | | every age groups and a school plays an |
| meters. In the Olympic games, archers shoot | | | | important role in community. Kindergarten and |
| over a distance of only 70 meters. Martial | | | | lower elementary school students can play in |
| arts like jujutsu were popular but schools | | | | a private sport club that can be joined for a |
| avoided inter-school matches and only | | | | moderate fee. Most martial arts can be |
| internal matches were held. | | | | started as little as 4 or 5 years old. When a |
| | | | student starts 5th grade, school offers free |
| After the Meiji Restoration, various kinds of | | | | after-school activities for its students to |
| Western sports were introduced into Japan. | | | | participate. Middle and high schools also let |
| Playing sports was adopted as a school | | | | its student join school sponsored sports |
| activity and matches between universities | | | | clubs and teams. Like the United States, it |
| became popular. During the 1870s, track and | | | | is rare for a professional athlete to become |
| field events, baseball, soccer, rugby, and | | | | a pro after graduating from a high school. |
| ice skating were introduced. In 1911, an | | | | Most advance to a university often with a |
| Austrian gave skiing instruction to the | | | | scholarship and become a pro after |
| Japanese army. In those days, Western sports | | | | graduation. |
| were played by few people, but through the | | | | |
| educational system they spread throughout the | | | | Prefectural level contests and tournaments |
| country. Western sports were initially | | | | are held every winter and summer if not more |
| stressed as a form of mental discipline, but | | | | often and for those sports that does not have |
| Japanese have now come to enjoy them as | | | | a professional league, this seasonal contest |
| recreational activities.[1] Professional | | | | is the necessary step for eventually |
| sports, the most famous being baseball which | | | | competing in an Olympic Games |