by Japan has long been a popular travel destination for Americans, and its popularity has been growing even more since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The country has a very strong sports culture, and it is only natural that sports fans like you would want to enjoy local sports in the destinations they visit.
With direct flights to Japan from Chicago, Minneapolis, and Houston, as well as major cities on the East and West Coasts, Japan is now more accessible than ever from the U.S. Add to this the current depreciation of the Japanese yen, and there has never been a better time to visit Japan. In this article, we are going to introduce some of the best Japanese sporting events for such sports fans planning to visit Japan this winter and spring.
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#1 SUMO
Sumo is Japan’s national sport and also a traditional divine art. It is a sort of full-contact wrestling where two rikishis attempt to force their opponent out of a circular ring or to touch the ground by other than the soles of their feet by throwing or pushing down. There are official two-week tournaments held several times a year, including the ones held in November, January, and March.
Especially Hatsubasho, the year’s first tournament of the first tournament of the year in January, takes place at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, also known as Sumo Hall, located in Tokyo. In such tournaments, as many as 600 wrestlers compete. Having been used since 1985, the arena is very spectacular with a clay circular ring and a roof suspended directly above. The roof, tsuriyane, resembles that of a Shinto shrine and the details are something you don’t wanna miss.
#2 BASEBALL
There is no doubt that baseball in Japan is one of the world’s best along with the MLB in the US. In 2023 Japan won the World Baseball Classic for the third time, which makes the country with the most titles ever in its history.
Just like the MLB, Japan’s baseball league, NPB, has a two-leg system consisting of the Pacific League and the Central League, with a playoff between the winners of the two leagues after the regular season.
The schedule is also very similar to that of MLB, with the season starting at the end of March and the playoffs held at the end of October. Since games are not played during the winter, we would recommend that baseball fans visit Japan in the spring or later. Furthermore, several bookmakers who operate in Japan, offer a bunch of pre-match and live betting odds on Japanese baseball which give you a great opportunity to enjoy the live sports.
#3 ICE SKATING
Japan is a long country that spans from north to south, extending from just next to Russia in the north to almost as south as the Philippines in the south. Naturally, there is a wide variety of climates, and if you head north, you can enjoy a variety of winter sports.
The ski resort of Niseko is particularly well known, and its powder snow is said to be the world’s best quality. But that’s not what we’re talking about now. We are talking about ice skating. However, unlike in the US, the preferred sports are speed skating and figure skating, not ice hockey.
Figure skating in particular is massively popular there, and there is no shortage of Japanese athletes competing for medals at major international championships such as the Olympics and World Championships. During the winter to the spring seasons, in addition to the NHK Cup, one of the main events of the Grand Prix Series at the beginning of the season, there is also the World National Championships 2025 which will be held in Tokyo in April 2025.
#4 SOCCER
Japan is one of the strongest soccer nations in Asia. Currently, there are several Japanese players in top European leagues, including Takefusa Kubo who plays in La Liga, and Kaoru Mitoma in the Premier League, and their success could make them a threat to European powerhouses in a major international competition.
Japan’s local soccer league, the J-League’s season usually spans from February through December, but also has the Asian qualifying rounds for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this winter and spring, with important matches planned in November and a few more in March. At this time, Japan’s Samurai Blue is stronger than ever and has not lost a single game out of the four matches played.
Incidentally, the J-League is set to move from its current schedule to a fall-spring schedule, similar to the major European leagues. The new system is expected to start in 2026, so be careful if you travel to Japan after that date.
