Sports
After moving to Japan, the excitement and chaos eventually settle, and you might find yourself stuck in a daily routine. If you’re looking for a way to spice up your week, why not pick up a new hobby? There are tons of unique Japanese pastimes, plus Western hobbies and sports just as loved in Japan. Pursuing a hobby in Japan is a fantastic way to get that extra cultural immersion while working on your personal growth. As a plus, you can make new friends, connect within the community and access a creative outlet for stress relief and self-expression. Here are five popular and accessible hobbies...
GaijinPot
Marathon running is an extremely popular sport in Japan. There are nearly 30 popular marathons planned throughout the year, and the largest, in Tokyo, is one of the World Marathon Majors. A championship-style competition for runners. It’s easy to see the appeal—the countdown at the start of the race over the loudspeakers, thousands of runners’ releasing stored-up energy and months of training coming to fruition. I ran theKyoto Marathon on Feb. 19, 2023. While the buildup for a marathon takes a lot of individual effort, there were around 16,000 runners taking part in the event! While it takes a...
GaijinPot
Being an American Football fan in Japan can be tough. Most of the U.S.A.’s National Football League (NFL) season games start at 2 a.m. for us in Japan. It’s hard to enjoy a game when you have to get up for work and catch the morning train in a few hours. That being said, there is an alternative available to football fans that doesn’t involve giving up a night of sleep: the X League. Japan has had its own football league in place for some time now, and it’s built up a loyal following around the country. Check out our article “Kicking Off: An Introduction to Japan’s American Football League” for...
GaijinPot
As a baseball lover, I’ve had the pleasure of catching a game at every professional ballpark in Japan. Nippon Professional Baseball’s 12 teams stretch from tip to tip of the country, and how each team’s fans celebrate the game is as different as the stadiums that house them. From Hokkaido to Kyushu, I was treated to unique ways of experiencing baseball: hearing the chants, seeing the colors and tasting the local flavors. As stubbornly conservative as the gameplay can sometimes be, the fan experience is refreshingly distinct from city to city and team to team. Here are the highlights (and lowli...
GaijinPot
Fans of American football (referred to simply as “football” in the rest of this article) can be easily spotted in Japan: they’re the ones dragging into work on Monday mornings with panda-like black circles around their eyes, having spent the night streaming live games in North America when they should’ve been sleeping. However, there is another option. Football does exist in Japan, and although it’s yet to become truly mainstream, it’s a quality product that can scratch the itch of fans of the North American game. What’s the X League?The X League (Japanese) is Japan’s top football organization...
GaijinPot
Naomi Osaka is the most accomplished Japanese tennis player of all time—man or woman—and it’s not even close. She is the highest-earning female athlete ever in any sport. She recently received perhaps the highest honor in athletics: being the final torchbearer who lights the cauldron at the Olympic Games—and she’s only 23 years old. But what Osaka doesn’t have is a country united behind her. Osaka’s relationship with Japanese fans and media remains a work in progress. It’s easy to love her poise and grit and she steadfastly handles things her own way in a culture that values conformity. In a c...
GaijinPot
After many delays due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are finally happening. Albeit mostly without spectators due to many of Japan’s prefectures entering the fourth state of emergency. While many foreigners in Japan are choosing to boycott the Olympics altogether, others were looking forward to seeing the games in person. Unfortunately, vaccinations are still slowly rolling out, and either at home on their television or computer will be their likely viewing experience. For those looking to catch the games, we’ve gathered the most convenient (and official) ways you ...
GaijinPot
閲覧を続けるには、ノアドット株式会社が「プライバシーポリシー」に定める「アクセスデータ」を取得することを含む「nor.利用規約」に同意する必要があります。
「これは何?」という方はこちら