Ice hockey in Japan

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Ice hockey in Japan
Face-off at the beginning of 2012-08-23 Amur--Japanese national team exhibition game.jpeg
Exhibition game Amur Khabarovsk vs. Japanese national team on August 23, 2012. Face-off at the beginning of the game. Amur forwards Juha-Pekka Hytönen (at right) and Jakub Petružálek.
CountryJapan
Governing body Japan Ice Hockey Federation
National team(s) Men's national team;
Women's national team
National competitions
International competitions

Ice hockey remains a relatively minor sport in Japan but has been gradually gaining traction in recent years. [1] [2] [3] While baseball and football (soccer) have long dominated the country's sports scene, ice hockey has maintained a more modest presence since its introduction in the 1920s. [4] The sport is overseen by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation.

Contents

National and International Competitions

Japan Ice Hockey League

From 1966 to 2004, Japan's top domestic competition was the Japan Ice Hockey League (JIHL), which exclusively featured Japanese teams and was limited to six clubs at any one time. The league was eventually replaced by the Asia League to include international teams and foster broader competition. [5]

All Japan Ice Hockey Championship

Japan also hosts the All Japan Ice hockey Championship, a national cup tournament that dates back to 1933, making it one of the oldest and most enduring sports competitions in the country. Organized annually by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation, the championship brings together four top-level teams to compete for national honors, showcasing some of the best talent in Japanese ice hockey. Its long history reflects the sport's deep-rooted, albeit niche, presence in Japan’s sporting culture. In recognition of the growing participation of women in the sport, a women's edition of the championship was introduced in 1982 and has been held every year since. [6]

International competitions

The country fields men's, women's, and junior national teams. Notably, the women's national team qualified for both the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] and the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, reflecting the growing development of the sport in Japan. [12]

References

  1. ↑ "'Samurai' Boost Japanese Hockey". Wsj.com. 1998-02-11. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  2. ↑ "CWHL's Japanese skaters driven by passion for Olympic hockey podium". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  3. ↑ Bob Birge (2013-03-25). "Former Oiler Terai adjusting to hockey and life in Japan". The Hour. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  4. ↑ "Former NHLers find hockey adventure in Japan". NHL.com. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  5. ↑ "JIHL league archives". www.jihf.or.jp. Archived from the original on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
  6. ↑ "Eurohockey All Japan". www.eurohockey.com. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
  7. ↑ "Women's ice hockey team "Smile Japan" chase Olympic dream - Olympic News". Olympic.org. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  8. ↑ Samer Kalaf (2013-12-18). "Japan's Women's Hockey Team Is The Lovable Underdog Of The Olympics". Deadspin.com. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  9. ↑ Meadows, Mark (2009-04-01). "Ice hockey-Japan's 'Bunnies' boiled by economic crisis". Blogs.reuters.com. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  10. ↑ Watanabe, Tadashi. "Women's ice hockey team banking on Sochi". The Japan Times . Archived from the original on 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  11. ↑ "Japan's ice hockey women chase Olympic dream". Al Jazeera English. 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  12. ↑ "Japan's long Olympic dream". IIHF. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
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