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Top 30 Japanese Sports
Expanding the list to the top 30 sports in Japan requires including a broader range of traditional, modern, and niche sports that have cultural or participatory significance. Below is a comprehensive list based on popularity, participation, professional leagues, and cultural impact, drawing from general knowledge and available data. For each sport, I’ve provided the top 10 teams or players (where applicable), the largest stadium or venue, its prefecture, and five famous Japanese athletes. Note that some sports lack professional team structures or large stadiums, so I’ve adapted to individual athletes or primary venues as appropriate. Recent results are not included due to the lack of specific 2025 data, but I can provide guidance on finding them if needed.
Top 30 Japanese Sports
- Top 30 Japanese Sports
- Baseball
- Association Football (Soccer)
- Sumo Wrestling
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Tennis
- Golf
- Rugby Union
- Ekiden (Long-Distance Relay Running)
- Judo
- Kendo
- Karate
- Aikido
- Table Tennis
- Wrestling (Freestyle and Greco-Roman)
- Swimming
- Figure Skating
- Ski Jumping
- Auto Racing (including Drift Racing)
- Horse Racing
- Boxing
- Professional Wrestling (Puroresu)
- Badminton
- Track and Field (Athletics)
- Gymnastics
- Kyudo (Japanese Archery)
- Shorinji Kempo
- Marathon Running
- Ice Hockey
- Keirin (Bicycle Racing)
Details for Each Sport1. Baseball- Top 10 Teams:
- Hanshin Tigers
- Yomiuri Giants
- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
- Hiroshima Toyo Carp
- Yokohama DeNA BayStars
- Tokyo Yakult Swallows
- Chunichi Dragons
- Orix Buffaloes
- Saitama Seibu Lions
- Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
- Largest Stadium: Nissan Stadium (capacity: ~72,327)
- Prefecture: Kanagawa
- Famous Players:
- Ichiro Suzuki
- Shohei Ohtani
- Hideki Matsui
- Daisuke Matsuzaka
- Hideo Nomo
2. Association Football (Soccer)- Top 10 Teams:
- Urawa Red Diamonds
- Kawasaki Frontale
- FC Tokyo
- Kashima Antlers
- Yokohama F. Marinos
- Cerezo Osaka
- Sanfrecce Hiroshima
- Vissel Kobe
- Gamba Osaka
- Nagoya Grampus
- Largest Stadium: Saitama Stadium (capacity: ~63,700)
- Prefecture: Saitama
- Famous Players:
- Kaoru Mitoma
- Hidetoshi Nakata
- Shinji Kagawa
- Shunsuke Nakamura
- Yuto Nagatomo
3. Sumo Wrestling- Top 10 Players:
- Hakuhou Shou
- Asashoryu Akinori
- Kisenosato Yutaka
- Takanohana Koji
- Akebono Taro
- Kotozakura Masakatsu
- Taiho Koki
- Chiyonofuji Mitsugu
- Takanotsume Tadahiro
- Wakanohana Kanji
- Largest Stadium: Ryogoku Kokugikan (capacity: ~11,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Hakuhou Shou
- Asashoryu Akinori
- Kisenosato Yutaka
- Takanohana Koji
- Akebono Taro
4. Basketball- Top 10 Teams:
- Alvark Tokyo
- Utsunomiya Brex
- Chiba Jets
- Ryukyu Golden Kings
- Kawasaki Brave Thunders
- Nagoya Diamond Dolphins
- Sun Rockers Shibuya
- Shimane Susanoo Magic
- Hiroshima Dragonflies
- SeaHorses Mikawa
- Largest Stadium: Ariake Arena (capacity: ~15,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Rui Hachimura
- Yuta Watanabe
- Yuta Tabuse
- Takuya Kawamura
- Makoto Hiejima
5. Volleyball- Top 10 Teams:
- Panasonic Panthers (Men’s)
- JT Marvelous (Women’s)
- Suntory Sunbirds (Men’s)
- Hisamitsu Springs (Women’s)
- Toray Arrows (Men’s)
- NEC Red Rockets (Women’s)
- JTEKT Stings (Men’s)
- Denso Airybees (Women’s)
- Wolfdogs Nagoya (Men’s)
- Okayama Seagulls (Women’s)
- Largest Stadium: Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium (capacity: ~10,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Saori Kimura
- Yuji Nishida
- Kento Miyaura
- Sarina Koga
- Masahiro Sekita
6. Tennis- Top 10 Players:
- Naomi Osaka
- Kei Nishikori
- Hyeon Chung
- Taro Daniel
- Yoshihito Nishioka
- Shuko Aoyama
- Eri Hozumi
- Miyu Kato
- Ena Shibahara
- Shingo Kunieda (Wheelchair Tennis)
- Largest Stadium: Ariake Tennis Park (capacity: ~10,000 for main court)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Naomi Osaka
- Kei Nishikori
- Kimiko Date
- Shuzo Matsuoka
- Ai Sugiyama
7. Golf- Top 10 Players:
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Ryo Ishikawa
- Isao Aoki
- Shingo Katayama
- Tetsuji Hiratsuka
- Hideto Tanihara
- Yuta Ikeda
- Hiroyuki Fujita
- Ayako Okamoto
- Hisako Higuchi
- Largest Stadium: Not applicable (e.g., Kasumigaseki Country Club)
- Prefecture: Saitama
- Famous Players:
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Isao Aoki
- Ryo Ishikawa
- Ayako Okamoto
- Hisako Higuchi
8. Rugby Union- Top 10 Teams:
- Kobelco Steelers
- Saitama Wild Knights
- Tokyo Sungoliath
- Yamaha Jubilo
- Toshiba Brave Lupus
- Kubota Spears
- Canon Eagles
- Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars
- NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes
- Ricoh Black Rams
- Largest Stadium: Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium (capacity: ~27,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Michael Leitch
- Kenki Fukuoka
- Shota Horie
- Yu Tamura
- Rikiya Matsuda
9. Ekiden- Top 10 Teams (University/Professional):
- Meiji University
- Waseda University
- Komazawa University
- Aoyama Gakuin University
- Tokai University
- Konica Minolta
- Asahi Kasei
- Toyota
- Fujitsu
- Chugoku Electric Power
- Largest Stadium: Not applicable (e.g., Hakone Ekiden starts in Tokyo)
- Prefecture: Tokyo/Kanagawa
- Famous Players:
- Yuki Kawauchi
- Toshihiko Seko
- Kenji Kimihara
- Hitomi Niiya
- Mizuki Noguchi
10. Judo- Top 10 Players:
- Tadahiro Nomura
- Ryoko Tani
- Kosei Inoue
- Yasuhiro Yamashita
- Shohei Ono
- Masato Uchishiba
- Hifumi Abe
- Uta Abe
- Takanori Nagase
- Naohisa Takato
- Largest Stadium: Nippon Budokan (capacity: ~14,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Tadahiro Nomura
- Ryoko Tani
- Kosei Inoue
- Yasuhiro Yamashita
- Shohei Ono
11. Kendo- Top 10 Players:
- Masahiro Miyazaki
- Eiga Naoki
- Taro Ariga
- Shozo Kato
- Hiroshi Sakaguchi
- Takeshi Masago
- Masahiko Shoji
- Kenichi Hasegawa
- Kumi Sato
- Yuji Nakanishi
- Largest Stadium: Nippon Budokan (capacity: ~14,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Masahiro Miyazaki
- Eiga Naoki
- Taro Ariga
- Shozo Kato
- Hiroshi Sakaguchi
12. Karate- Top 10 Players:
- Ryo Kiyuna
- Kiyou Shimizu
- Kenji Midori
- Hirokazu Kanazawa
- Atsuko Wakai
- Mie Nakayama
- Gichin Funakoshi
- Masatoshi Nakayama
- Kenji Yamaki
- Tsuguo Sakumoto
- Largest Stadium: Nippon Budokan (capacity: ~14,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Ryo Kiyuna
- Kiyou Shimizu
- Kenji Midori
- Hirokazu Kanazawa
- Atsuko Wakai
13. Aikido- Top 10 Players:
- Morihei Ueshiba
- Koichi Tohei
- Moriteru Ueshiba
- Kisshomaru Ueshiba
- Gozo Shioda
- Kenji Tomiki
- Mitsuteru Ueshiba
- Nobuyoshi Tamura
- Hiroshi Tada
- Shigenobu Okumura
- Largest Stadium: Not applicable (e.g., Aikikai Hombu Dojo)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Morihei Ueshiba
- Koichi Tohei
- Moriteru Ueshiba
- Kisshomaru Ueshiba
- Gozo Shioda
14. Table Tennis- Top 10 Players:
- Tomokazu Harimoto
- Mima Ito
- Hina Hayata
- Jun Mizutani
- Koki Niwa
- Kasumi Ishikawa
- Miu Hirano
- Maharu Yoshimura
- Ai Fukuhara
- Hitomi Sato
- Largest Stadium: Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium (capacity: ~10,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Tomokazu Harimoto
- Mima Ito
- Hina Hayata
- Jun Mizutani
- Kasumi Ishikawa
15. Wrestling (Freestyle and Greco-Roman)- Top 10 Players:
- Saori Yoshida
- Kaori Icho
- Yui Susaki
- Hitomi Obara
- Eri Tosaka
- Risako Kawai
- Sara Dosho
- Seiko Yamamoto
- Kyoko Hamaguchi
- Shinobu Ota
- Largest Stadium: Makuhari Messe (capacity: ~10,000 for wrestling)
- Prefecture: Chiba
- Famous Players:
- Saori Yoshida
- Kaori Icho
- Yui Susaki
- Hitomi Obara
- Eri Tosaka
16. Swimming- Top 10 Players:
- Kosuke Kitajima
- Daiya Seto
- Rikako Ikee
- Kosuke Hagino
- Tomomi Morita
- Ippei Watanabe
- Ryosuke Irie
- Tomoyuki Matsushita
- Satomi Suzuki
- Akihiro Yamaguchi
- Largest Stadium: Tokyo Aquatics Centre (capacity: ~15,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Kosuke Kitajima
- Daiya Seto
- Rikako Ikee
- Kosuke Hagino
- Tomomi Morita
17. Figure Skating- Top 10 Players:
- Yuzuru Hanyu
- Shoma Uno
- Mao Asada
- Miki Ando
- Daisuke Takahashi
- Yuka Sato
- Midori Ito
- Satoko Miyahara
- Kaori Sakamoto
- Rika Kihira
- Largest Stadium: Saitama Super Arena (capacity: ~37,000 for skating)
- Prefecture: Saitama
- Famous Players:
- Yuzuru Hanyu
- Shoma Uno
- Mao Asada
- Miki Ando
- Daisuke Takahashi
18. Ski Jumping- Top 10 Players:
- Ryoyu Kobayashi
- Noriaki Kasai
- Sara Takanashi
- Yukio Kasaya
- Kazuyoshi Funaki
- Masahiko Harada
- Takanobu Okabe
- Daiki Ito
- Hideharu Miyahira
- Tsuyoshi Ichinohe
- Largest Stadium: Okurayama Stadium (capacity: ~50,000)
- Prefecture: Hokkaido
- Famous Players:
- Ryoyu Kobayashi
- Noriaki Kasai
- Sara Takanashi
- Yukio Kasaya
- Kazuyoshi Funaki
19. Auto Racing (including Drift Racing)- Top 10 Players:
- Takuma Sato
- Kazuki Nakajima
- Tetsuya Tanaka
- Keiichi Tsuchiya
- Nobuhiro Tajima
- Kamui Kobayashi
- Hiroshi Masuoka
- Naoki Hattori
- Yuki Tsunoda
- Toshio Suzuki
- Largest Stadium: Suzuka Circuit (capacity: ~155,000 for grandstands)
- Prefecture: Mie
- Famous Players:
- Takuma Sato
- Kazuki Nakajima
- Keiichi Tsuchiya
- Nobuhiro Tajima
- Yuki Tsunoda
20. Horse Racing- Top 10 Players (Jockeys):
- Yutaka Take
- Yuichi Fukunaga
- Christophe Lemaire
- Koji Fujita
- Hiroshi Yoshida
- Katsumi Ando
- Yasunari Iwata
- Kenichi Ikezoe
- Keita Tosaki
- Mirco Demuro
- Largest Stadium: Tokyo Racecourse (capacity: ~223,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Yutaka Take
- Yuichi Fukunaga
- Christophe Lemaire
- Koji Fujita
- Hiroshi Yoshida
21. Boxing- Top 10 Players:
- Naoya Inoue
- Masamichi Yabuki
- Takuma Inoue
- Yoshio Shirai
- Nobuo Nashiro
- Shinsuke Yamanaka
- Kosei Tanaka
- Kazuto Ioka
- Yutaka Niida
- Daisuke Naito
- Largest Stadium: Ryogoku Kokugikan (capacity: ~11,000, used for boxing)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Naoya Inoue
- Yoshio Shirai
- Shinsuke Yamanaka
- Kazuto Ioka
- Kosei Tanaka
22. Professional Wrestling (Puroresu)- Top 10 Players:
- Antonio Inoki
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Kazuchika Okada
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Tetsuya Naito
- Jushin Liger
- Mitsuharu Misawa
- Kenta Kobashi
- Giant Baba
- Keiji Mutoh
- Largest Stadium: Tokyo Dome (capacity: ~55,000 for wrestling events)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Antonio Inoki
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Kazuchika Okada
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Jushin Liger
23. Badminton- Top 10 Players:
- Kento Momota
- Akane Yamaguchi
- Nozomi Okuhara
- Yuta Watanabe
- Arisa Higashino
- Takeshi Kamura
- Keigo Sonoda
- Misaki Matsutomo
- Ayaka Takahashi
- Yuki Fukushima
- Largest Stadium: Musashino Forest Sport Plaza (capacity: ~10,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Kento Momota
- Akane Yamaguchi
- Nozomi Okuhara
- Yuta Watanabe
- Misaki Matsutomo
24. Track and Field (Athletics)- Top 10 Players:
- Koji Murofushi
- Mikio Oda
- Naoko Takahashi
- Mizuki Noguchi
- Yuko Arimori
- Shigenobu Murofushi
- Kinue Hitomi
- Toshihiko Seko
- Hiromi Taniguchi
- Koki Ikeda
- Largest Stadium: Japan National Stadium (capacity: ~68,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Koji Murofushi
- Naoko Takahashi
- Mizuki Noguchi
- Yuko Arimori
- Toshihiko Seko
25. Gymnastics- Top 10 Players:
- Kohei Uchimura
- Sawao Kato
- Takashi Ono
- Mitsuo Tsukahara
- Daiki Hashimoto
- Yukio Endo
- Akinori Nakayama
- Kenzo Shirai
- Koji Yamamuro
- Rie Tanaka
- Largest Stadium: Ariake Gymnastics Centre (capacity: ~12,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Kohei Uchimura
- Sawao Kato
- Takashi Ono
- Daiki Hashimoto
- Yukio Endo
26. Kyudo (Japanese Archery)- Top 10 Players:
- Hiroshi Yamamoto
- Takaharu Furukawa
- Miki Nakamura
- Tomohiro Akiyama
- Hideki Nagano
- Yuki Kawamura
- Kaori Kawanaka
- Ren Hayakawa
- Miki Kanie
- Osamu Sato
- Largest Stadium: Not applicable (e.g., Yumenoshima Park Archery Field)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Hiroshi Yamamoto
- Takaharu Furukawa
- Miki Nakamura
- Tomohiro Akiyama
- Kaori Kawanaka
27. Shorinji Kempo- Top 10 Players:
- Doshin So (founder)
- Yusuke Ota
- Kazuhiro Kawamura
- Tetsuo Imaizumi
- Shigeru Ueda
- Norio Kawasoe
- Hiroshi Aosaka
- Koichi Nakamoto
- Yuki Matsuda
- Akihiro Omi
- Largest Stadium: Not applicable (e.g., Shorinji Kempo Hombu Dojo)
- Prefecture: Kagawa
- Famous Players:
- Doshin So
- Yusuke Ota
- Kazuhiro Kawamura
- Tetsuo Imaizumi
- Shigeru Ueda
28. Marathon Running- Top 10 Players:
- Naoko Takahashi
- Mizuki Noguchi
- Yuko Arimori
- Toshihiko Seko
- Yuki Kawauchi
- Hiromi Taniguchi
- Takeyuki Nakayama
- Hitomi Niiya
- Mao Ichiyama
- Honami Maeda
- Largest Stadium: Not applicable (e.g., Tokyo Marathon course)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Naoko Takahashi
- Mizuki Noguchi
- Yuko Arimori
- Toshihiko Seko
- Yuki Kawauchi
29. Ice Hockey- Top 10 Teams:
- Oji Eagles
- Nippon Paper Cranes
- Anyang Halla (with Japanese players)
- Seibu Prince Rabbits (defunct, historically notable)
- Nikko Ice Bucks
- Yokohama Grits
- East Hokkaido Cranes
- Tohoku Free Blades
- Kokudo Ice Hockey Club (defunct, historically notable)
- Red Eagles Hokkaido
- Largest Stadium: Yokohama Arena (capacity: ~17,000 for hockey)
- Prefecture: Kanagawa
- Famous Players:
- Yutaka Fukufuji
- Go Tanaka
- Hiroyuki Miura
- Takeshi Saito
- Masahito Nishiwaki
30. Keirin (Bicycle Racing)- Top 10 Players:
- Koichi Nakano
- Yuta Wakimoto
- Tomohiro Fukaya
- Yudai Nitta
- Shigenori Inoue
- Tetsuo Fukuda
- Masamitsu Takizawa
- Kazunari Watanabe
- Keiichiro Yaguchi
- Satoshi Sakashita
- Largest Stadium: Tachikawa Velodrome (capacity: ~10,000)
- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Famous Players:
- Koichi Nakano
- Yuta Wakimoto
- Yudai Nitta
- Kazunari Watanabe
- Keiichiro Yaguchi





