Japanese Sports: Unusual Activities You Should Try!

Japanese sports are a big part of national and school culture, as you may know from iconic anime like Haikyu!! and The Prince of Tennis. And if you’ve attended a baseball or football (soccer) game, you’ll know how enthusiastic each team’s fans are.

But while you might follow Western or mainstream Japanese sports, you’re probably unfamiliar with more traditional activities. Today, we’ll introduce some bizarre and exciting ones, how they’re played, and why they’re so popular. Here are some unusual activities you should try in Japan.

What are the most popular sports in Japan? 

Since the Meiji Restoration (1868), Western games have become popular with Japanese students. Baseball is the most widely watched professional sport, in person and on television. But Japanese athletes also excel in soccer, tennis, and even golf. And we can’t forget racing, especially auto racing and keirin (where cyclists keep pace with a motor—or electric bike).

However, Japan also has many traditional sports that are kept alive today. Sumo wrestling is Japan’s national sport and its most recognizable. Then there are various martial arts, such as karate, judo, and kendo. And there are other games you might not know but remind you of activities you’ve played in your home country. Let’s check out some unusual sports from Japan!

Bo-taoshi

Our first Japanese sport is the most dangerous one on this list. Bo-taoshi translates to “pole-toppling,” which is exactly what players are doing! While its origins are debated, bo-taoshi might be a mishmash of several team games. It may have also started at the National Defence Academy, and it’s still played there and at some other schools today.  

Bo-taoshi’s rules are simple: each team of 150 players has a pole with a flag to defend while capturing the other team’s flag. To win the match (which is two minutes long), they have to tilt their opponents’ poles to a 30-degree angle. Roughhousing is strictly prohibited, with three fouls disqualifying a team, but there’s still a lot of face-kicking. Considering how risky bo-taoshi is, you might feel safer watching it from the stands than playing it!

Yukigassen

Next is a literal snow battle! Yukigassen is the newest sport on this list; the game was created in 1988, and the first international tournament, aimed at attracting tourists to Japan in the winter, was held in 1989. Tournaments are also held outside Japan, including Finland, Russia, Canada, and Australia. The World Championship is played in Sōbetsu, Hokkaido.

The rules are simple: As in our previous entry, each team has seven players and a flag. A team wins by capturing their opponents’ flag or eliminating the other team using 90 snowballs. The match is played in three sets (three minutes each), and a team must win two to be declared champions. Forget snowball fights – yukigassen is the ultimate winter game!

Kendama

Our final sport is also the safest. Kendama (combining the words for “sword” and “ball”) is more a test of skill than strength. While it’s believed to be based on the French game bilboquet, which came to Japan during the 16th or 17th centuries, kendama as we know it supposedly originated in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, during the Edo Period (1600-1868).

The kendama comes with a ken (wooden handle), two sarado (cups), and a tama (ball) tied together with string. The goal is to toss the tama into the air, catching it in the ken. While you can play kendama by yourself, you can also participate in championships like the Kendama World Cup in Hatsukaichi and the Catch and Flow Freestyle World Championships in Tokyo.

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Why are these unusual Japanese sports so special?

All three Japanese sports seem strange but are easy to follow. Kendama is a cup-and-ball toy that will quickly suck you in. Yukigassen is a snowball fight of dodgeball’s epic proportions. And bo-taoshi is an intense capture-the-flag. Don’t they all sound like fun?

These games also teach various skills. The team activities require creating strategies, both for offense and defense. And kendama teaches dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Whatever you play, your mind and body will be much stronger afterward.

Finally, these games offer opportunities for participants, especially students on exchange, to compete nationally and internationally. They can then share their knowledge with their families back home so that more people outside Japan are familiar with them.

Japan doesn’t disappoint with its mixture of international activities and traditional pastimes. And while Western games like tennis and baseball are exciting, we can’t overlook home-grown ones. Bo-taoshi and yukigassen showcase teamwork amid chaos, while kendama trains the player in dexterity and perseverance. We hope you can watch or play one of these games yourself. Which of these unusual Japanese sports would you like to try? Let us know in the comments.