Jose Sanchez
Research expert covering society, economy, & politics for Latin America
Professional sports in Japan - statistics & facts
Japan has a vibrant professional sports scene. Team sports such as baseball and soccer are the most popular among the Japanese. Both sports feature seasonal professional circuits which are highly organized and run for most of the year. The format and size of a professional circuit can vary strongly. For example, the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB) was comprised of no more than 12 teams, while 60 soccer teams were playing in three different divisions in the J.League during the 2023/2024 season. Other sports leagues with sizable followership include the B.League in basketball, the V.League in volleyball, and the Japan Rugby League One. The professional sports scene in Japan is highly dynamic and keeps developing, with many of the circuits being relatively new. For instance, the J.League was inaugurated in 1992, while the V.League鈥檚 maiden year was in 1994, and that of the B.League was in 2015. Another indicator for the development of the professional sports scene in Japan is the rapid growth of already existing professional circuits, such as exemplified by the J.League.
