Jose Sanchez
Research expert covering society, economy, & politics for Latin America
Sports participation in Japan - statistics & facts
Sport plays an important role in Japanese society, as evidenced by the fact that most children and over 50 percent of the adult population engage in it weekly.
Physical exercise and sports take place in different settings. This includes institutional settings, such as the physical education classes at school, subscription-based paid participation at commercial sports clubs, and private (cost-free) settings, such as going for a run in the park. Adult sport participation is most common in private settings, relatively common in commercial settings, and uncommon in institutional settings.鈥 In Japan, the鈥most prevalent physical exercise鈥痠s walking. Golfing and going to the gym are the leading paid sports for adults, both in terms of participant numbers and generated market revenue. While the overall share of people engaging in sports is relatively high, there appears to be a reluctance to pay for sports, as鈥痶he majority of people do not spend any money or relatively little on practicing sports. For those who do spend money on sports, facility utilization fees comprise the main part of the expenses.
