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SPORTS INDEX
Sumo · Baseball · Soccer · Circuits · Resorts
🗺️SPORTS MAPS📍: SPORTS AREAS IN JAPAN.
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🏎️ MOTORSPORT
🥋 MARTIAL ARTS
1924–TODAYICONIC VENUE
Guide ToKOSHIEN
Hanshin Tigers Home
Nat'l H.S. Tournament
Sports Guide by JAPAN.GG
VENUE GUIDE 🔥
Nat'l H.S. Tournament
Sports Guide by JAPAN.GG
1993–TODAYTOP FLIGHT
Guide ToJ-LEAGUE
20 J1 Clubs
Nationwide Stadiums
Sports Guide by JAPAN.GG
LEAGUE GUIDE 🔥
Nationwide Stadiums
Sports Guide by JAPAN.GG
1684–TODAYGRAND SUMO
Guide ToSUMO
6 Honbasho a Year
15 Days Each
Sports Guide by JAPAN.GG
SUMO GUIDE 🔥
15 Days Each
Sports Guide by JAPAN.GG
JAPOW–TODAYPOWDER SNOW
Guide ToSKI & SNOW
Niseko & Hakuba
Olympic Venues
Sports Guide by JAPAN.GG
RESORT GUIDE 🔥
Olympic Venues
Sports Guide by JAPAN.GG
🤼 GRAND SUMO DIVE · SPORTS GUIDE BY JAPAN.GG
💥 SUMO
GRAND SLAM 🛫
GRAND SLAM 🛫
EST.
1684
EDO PRO SUMO
HONBASHO
6
PER YEAR
DURATION
15
DAYS EACH
TOKYO · RYŌGOKU KOKUGIKAN
★ BEST VENUE IN EACH REGION
🏟️ RYŌGOKU KOKUGIKAN (TOKYO)📍 MAP
Opened 1985. Capacity 11,098. Hosts three honbasho a year (January, May, September). Sumo Museum inside.
⛩️ EDION ARENA OSAKA (OSAKA)📍 MAP
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (Edion naming rights since 2015). Hosts Haru Basho every March. Near Namba Station.
🏆 IG ARENA (AICHI)📍 MAP
Nagoya Basho moved here July 2025 — replacing the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium after 60 years. Capacity 17,000.
🌊 FUKUOKA KOKUSAI CTR. (FUKUOKA)📍 MAP
Hakata-ku waterfront. Hosts the Kyūshū Basho every November — the final honbasho of the calendar year.
🥋 JAPAN MARTIAL ARTS DIVE · SPORTS GUIDE BY JAPAN.GG
MARTIAL ARTS
IN JAPAN
IN JAPAN
EST.
1882
KODOKAN JUDO
OLYMPIC JUDO
1964
TOKYO GAMES DEBUT
BUDOKAN
14,471
SEATS, CHIYODA
HOMBU DOJOS
⭐ BONUS
THE BEATLES AT THE BUDOKAN
In 1966, martial arts purists were outraged when the Fab Four played five sold-out shows at judo's Olympic shrine — the first rock concert ever held there.
🥋 KODOKAN JUDO📍 MAP
Founded 1882 by Jigoro Kano with just 9 disciples on 12 tatami mats — now an 8-story complex in Bunkyō and judo's spiritual home worldwide.
🏟️ NIPPON BUDOKAN📍 MAP
Built for judo's 1964 Olympic debut, its octagonal shape echoes Nara's ancient Yumedono hall. Hosted karate's own Olympic debut in 2021.
⚔️ KYOTO BUDOKAN📍 MAP
This 1899 wooden hall was headquarters of the Dai Nippon Butokukai, which helped standardize modern judo, kendo and karate — now a National Important Cultural Property.
🎯 MEIJI JINGU SHISEIKAN📍 MAP
The shrine's own budo hall teaches kyudo, judo, kendo and aikido side by side — its adjoining archery ground is among the most beautiful in Japan.
🌊 AIKIKAI HOMBU DOJO📍 MAP
Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba built this dojo in Wakamatsu-chō in 1931; his descendants still lead classes here as Doshu today.
🥊 JKA HONBU DOJO📍 MAP
Formed in 1949 by students of Okinawan-born Gichin Funakoshi, the JKA was the first karate body to send instructors abroad, spreading Shotokan worldwide.
⚾ JAPAN BASEBALL DIVE · SPORTS GUIDE BY JAPAN.GG
KOSHIEN
& BEYOND
& BEYOND
FOUNDED
1872
JAPAN BASEBALL
NPB TEAMS
12
CLUBS
WBC
2026
TOKYO DOME
CENTRAL LEAGUE
PACIFIC LEAGUE
🏟️ HANSHIN KOSHIEN📍 MAP
Built 1924. Japan's most sacred ballpark — home of the Tigers and the National High School Baseball Championships every August.
🗼 TOKYO DOME📍 MAP
Japan's first dome (1988). Home of the Yomiuri Giants — 22 Japan Series titles — and hosted WBC 2026 Pool C.
❄️ ES CON FIELD📍 MAP
Opened 2023, Kitahiroshima — Japan's most modern ballpark, retractable roof, natural grass. Home of the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
🌊 THE MLB WAVE📍 MAP
Nomo (1995) · Ichiro (3,089 hits) · Matsui (2009 WS MVP) · Darvish (2012) — each opened the door wider.
🐦🔥 RIKUZENTAKATA📍 MAP
After the 2011 tsunami, local youth teams kept playing. The Miracle Pine — last of 70,000 — became the city's enduring symbol.
🏙️ ŌSHŪ & HANAMAKI HIGASHI📍 ŌSHŪ📍 HANAMAKI
Iwate, Tōhoku. Hanamaki Higashi High School consistently sends players to NPB and MLB — small city, outsized legacy.
⭐ BONUS
UNIQLO FIELD AT DODGER STADIUM📍 MAP
Witness historic baseball moments at the iconic Dodger Stadium!
⚽ J1 LEAGUE — TOP FLIGHT JAPAN · SPORTS GUIDE BY JAPAN.GG
JAPAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
FOUNDED
1993
J.LEAGUE
J1 TEAMS
20
CLUBS
WC
2026
NORTH AMERICA
KANTO EAST
KANTO NORTH
KANSAI & CHUGOKU
CENTRAL & KYUSHU
🎌 JAPAN SOUVENIR
JAPAN
JERSEY SOUVENIR
JERSEY SOUVENIR
JAPAN × ADIDAS × FIFA
🇯🇵 JAPAN JERSEY SOUVENIR · GIFT · SOUVENIR · FANATICS
⚡ 2022 WORLD CUP — R16
Looking to challenge the world. Japan reached the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, for the 4th time.
🌏 8 STRAIGHT WORLD CUPS
Qualified for every FIFA World Cup since 1998 — a run of 8 consecutive tournaments that reflects how far the national team has come.
🏆 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP
The biggest World Cup ever — 48 teams across North America (Canada, USA & Mexico.)
Get the Japan Jersey as a Football Gift, Soccer Souvenir!
Get the Japan Jersey as a Football Gift, Soccer Souvenir!
🏎️ JAPAN MOTORSPORT DIVE · SPORTS GUIDE BY JAPAN.GG
MOTORSPORT · SUZUKA · CIRCUIT
EST.
1962
SUZUKA CIRCUIT
F1 JAPAN GP
40
RACES SINCE 1976
RALLY JAPAN
WRC
TOYOTA CITY, AICHI
JAPAN'S F1 HOSTS
⭐ BONUS
"I'M BUILDING A CIRCUIT. PLEASE COME TO TOKYO."
Soichiro Honda's entire telegram to Dutch designer John Hugenholtz in 1961 — the result was Suzuka's one-of-a-kind figure-eight layout.
🏎️ SUZUKA CIRCUIT📍 MAP
Japan's only figure-eight circuit on the F1 calendar — the back straight crosses over the front via a flyover. Opened 1962 as a Honda test track.
🌋 FUJI SPEEDWAY📍 MAP
Toyota-owned since 2000, sitting right at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Hosts the WEC's 6 Hours of Fuji every autumn, plus Super GT and Super Formula.
🏍️ MOBILITY RESORT MOTEGI📍 MAP
Honda's second home circuit, renamed from Twin Ring Motegi in 2022. Hosts MotoGP's Japanese round on its 4.8km road course.
🏁 OKAYAMA CIRCUIT📍 MAP
Twice hosted F1 as TI Circuit Aida, the 1994 & '95 Pacific Grand Prix — both won by Michael Schumacher. Now a Super GT & Super Formula regular.
🏔️ AUTOPOLIS📍 MAP
Built high in the Kyūshū mountains in 1990 as an exclusive members' circuit before opening up to Super GT, Super Formula and Superbike racing.
🌲 RALLY JAPAN📍 MAP
Back on the WRC calendar since 2022 — narrow tarmac mountain stages through Aichi & Gifu, run out of Toyota Gazoo Racing's home turf.
🏁 TOP 3 RECOMMENDED MOTORSPORT AREAS IN JAPAN
Home of the F1 Japanese GP since 1987 — a whole leisure resort built up around Honda's legendary figure-eight circuit.
Race weekends with Mt. Fuji as the backdrop — Toyota's home track and the WEC's annual stop in Japan.
Honda's MotoGP home — a resort town built around the circuit, with a hotel, museum and campgrounds on site.
⛷️ JAPAN WINTER DIVE · SPORTS GUIDE BY JAPAN.GG
POWDER
KINGDOM
KINGDOM
SEASON
DEC–APR
PEAK JAN–FEB
RESORTS
500+
ACROSS JAPAN
OLYMPICS
2X
SAPPORO・NAGANO
HOKKAIDŌ
⭐ BONUS
"THE TRAIN CAME OUT OF THE TUNNEL..."
Yasunari Kawabata's Nobel Prize-winning novel Snow Country opens on that very line, set in the onsen town of Yuzawa — today the exit for GALA Yuzawa's slopes.
❄️ NISEKO UNITED📍 MAP
Japan's powder capital. Siberian storms crossing the Sea of Japan dump some of the driest, lightest snow on Earth — "Japow." Mt. Annupuri tops out at 1,308m.
🏔️ HAKUBA VALLEY📍 MAP
Host of the 1998 Winter Olympics. Ten resorts spread across one valley, ~3 hrs from Tokyo by Shinkansen + bus — Japan's widest terrain variety.
🚄 GALA YUZAWA📍 MAP
The only ski resort with its own Shinkansen station — 75 minutes from Tokyo Station to the gondola, no transfers required.
♨️ ZAŌ ONSEN📍 MAP
Ride past "Juhyō" — wind- and frost-sculpted "snow monsters" — then soak in a hot spring town that's welcomed skiers for a century.
🐒 JIGOKUDANI📍 MAP
Snow Monkey Park near Shiga Kōgen. Wild Japanese macaques have bathed in this hot spring valley since the 1960s — pair it with a day on the slopes.
🎊 SAPPORO SNOW FEST📍 MAP
Early February, Odori Park. Started with 6 statues in 1950; now draws 2M+ visitors for building-sized snow sculptures lit up at night.
⛷️ TOP 3 RECOMMENDED SNOW RESORTS IN JAPAN
Japan's powder capital — deep, dry "Japow" snow across four linked resorts near Mt. Yōtei.
Host of the 1998 Winter Olympics — ten resorts spread across one valley in the Japan Alps.
Ski past frost-sculpted "snow monster" trees, then soak in a hot spring town skiers have visited for a century.