School Football
Football in Japanese schools includes everyday club activity and major tournaments, alongside a separate but intersecting club-academy pathway.
Japanese Popular Culture
Emperor’s Cup
Japan’s national football knockout championship connects professional and amateur teams through a competition whose origins date to 1921.
J.League
Japan’s professional men’s football league system combines divisional competition with a programme of locally rooted clubs and community sport.
Samurai Blue
Samurai Blue is the nickname of Japan’s senior men’s football team, distinct from club teams and other national representative sides.
JFA
The Japan Football Association governs football nationally, supporting competitions, representative teams, coaching, refereeing and the development of the game.
Soccer in Japan
Association football in Japan connects national teams, professional clubs, schools and local communities through distinct institutions and competitions.
Basketball in Japan
Basketball in Japan grew through education and the YMCA, then school tournaments, company teams, professional leagues and international competition.
Volleyball in Japan
Volleyball in Japan connects school and company teams, six-player and nine-player traditions, Olympic memory and the development of national leagues.
Heisei Retro
Heisei Retro revisits the objects, media and styles of Japan’s recent past, especially the 1990s and early 2000s, through collecting and reinterpretation.
Sanrio
Sanrio is a Japanese company whose character brands connect small gifts, retail, licensing and entertainment, including Hello Kitty and a wider cast of identities.