Sports in Japan are a significant part of Japanese culture. Both traditional sports such as sumo and martial arts, and Western imports like baseball, association football, basketball and tennis are popular with both participants and spectators.
Tokyo Verdy is a Japanese professional football club based in Inagi, Tokyo. The club is set for a return to the J1 League for the 2024 J1 League, following promotion from the J2 League in 2023.
Samurai is a Japanese superhero in the Super Friends animated television series. His real name is Toshio Eto. He was one of the later additions to the team along with other ethnically diverse heroes in an effort for the show to promote cultural diversity. The visual design of the character was created by cartoonist Alex Toth. His voice actor is Jack Angel. In addition to being a prominent figure in several other animated shows, Angel also did the voice for The Flash and Hawkman.
The X-League is the top-level Professional Gridiron football league in Japan. It was founded in 1971 as the Japan American Football League, and changed its name to the X League in 1997. There are four divisions among which there is promotion and relegation. Teams are split into different divisions or blocks, depending on the tier. There are two types of teams, one being a company team in which only employees of that particular sponsoring company may play, and the other being a club team for which anyone can try out.
Rugby union in Japan is a moderately popular sport. Japan has the fourth largest population of rugby union players in the world and the sport has been played there for over a century. There are 125,000 Japanese rugby players, 3,631 official rugby clubs, and the Japan national team is ranked 12th in the world.
Gōtoku Sakai is a professional footballer who plays as a full back for Vissel Kobe. Born in the United States but raised in Japan, where he represented internationally.
The Tainai Deers is an American football team located in Chofu, Tokyo, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
The Obic Seagulls are an American football team located in the Narashino, Chiba, Japan. They are a member of the X-League. The Obic Seagulls have won over 17 championships during their team history the most of any American football team in Japan.
Jordan Canzeri is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team from 2011 to 2015. He rushed for a career-high 256 yards on a school-record 43 carries against Illinois on October 10, 2015. He helped lead the 2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team to an undefeated 12–0 record during the regular season, as he rushed for 976 yards during the season. He was selected by both the coaches and media as a third-team player on the 2015 All-Big Ten Conference football team. He played for the Elecom Kobe Finies of the X-League from 2016 to 2017. On March 19, 2018, Canzeri was assigned to the Albany Empire. On March 31, 2018, he was placed on recallable reassignment.
The Nojima Sagamihara Rise are an American football team located in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
The Panasonic Impulse is an American football team based in Kadoma, Osaka, Japan. The Impulse compete in the X-League, and are a member of the top tier X1 Super division along with Fujitsu Frontiers, Obic Seagulls, IBM Big Blue, Nojima Sagamihara Rise, Elecom Kobe Finies, Tokyo Gas Creators, and All Mitsubishi Lions. The team currently holds 7 Japan X Bowl championship titles along with 4 Rice Bowl Championships.
The Asahi Beer Silver Star are an American football team located in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
The Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers are an American football team located in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
The All Mitsubishi Lions are an American football team located in Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
The AS ONE Black Eagles are an American football team located in Osaka, Osaka, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
The Sidewinders are an American football team located in the Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan. They are a member of the X-League X2 division.
Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2019 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was the twenty-eighth January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the thirteenth promoted under the Wrestle Kingdom name. The event was streamed live on NJPW World and FITE TV and was aired on tape delay on AXS TV. Wrestle Kingdom is traditionally NJPW's biggest event of the year and has been described as their equivalent to WWE's WrestleMania.
The 2020 J.League Cup, known as the 2020 J.League YBC Levain Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 28th edition of J.League Cup, a Japanese association football cup competition. It began on 16 February 2020 and ended on 4 January 2021.
The WE League (WEリーグ), officially the Japan Women's Empowerment Professional Football League, also known as the Yogibo WE League for sponsorship reasons, is the top flight of women's association football in Japan, starting from the 2021–22 season. It is the first fully-professional women's soccer league in Japan.
