Japanese Sports

By: Michelle Ayers5/13/09

Baseball

• Known as puro yakyu in Japanese.

• 6 teams in one league• Teams face each other

28 times– Through April and

October

• Japan Series in Oct.– Decides the

championship team

Continued…

• Baseball was introduced in 1873 at Kaisel Gakko(known as Tokyo University)

• Spread to high schools & middle schools

• 1st professional team in 1934

• 1st league was 1936

Soccer

• Introduced by British instructors at the Japanese Naval Academy– In 1873

• National soccer association in 1921

• 1st professional league ( J- League ) in 1922• Emperor’s cup held in Nov.

and Dec.– Determines what team is the

champion.

Sumo

• Most popular sport in Japan • Wear colorful costumes• Distinctive hairstyle called

oichomage.• Rikishi is the wrestler• Gyoji is the referee• Dohyo is the ring they fight

in.• Yokozuna is the

championship.– who ever wins get a reward

Martial Arts

• Grew out of fighting techniques of samural warriors

• Different parts of Martial Arts.

Different Parts ofMartial Arts

• Judo– Based on agility, balance

and practice of techniques

• Kendo– Fight with a shindi– Made of 4 bamboo

shafts, bound with silk & a leather thong

Continued…• Aikido

– Purely defensive– One of the gentler part in

martial arts

• Kyudo– Japanese archery– Wear yugake (deerskin glove)

on drawing hand & tabi (Japanese style socks)

• Karatedo– 3 main techniques

• Uchi (arm strikes)• Tsuki (thrusts)• Keri (kicks)

Golf

• Introduced in 20th century

• Very popular now• Estimate of 12 million

amateur golfers in Japan

• 3500 professionals in Japan

• Over 100 professional tournaments

Winter Sports

• Introduced in the 20th century

• Skiers and ski resorts increased since then

• Winter sports led to the Winter Olympics held at Japan twice

Horse Racing

• Keiba means horse racing in Japanese

• Didn’t be become a gambling sport until the Western of Yokohama introduced it in the mid 1800s

• Emperor’s Cup is held in October

• The Japan Cup is held in November

Formula One Motor Racing

• Popular in Japan• Has its own Grand Prix

– Held at the Suzuka circuit every autumn started in 1987

– Japanese has ever won a Grand Prix

• Most successful drivers are:– Suzuki Aguri– Katayalma Ukyo