Japan is a country that loves sports. With many game shows involving creative sportsmanship and sports emphasized in the school curriculum, the Land of the Rising Sun sure has their people fit and active. Here are some sports that originated in Japan and have gained popularity in other countries.
The martial art that is considered as the country’s national sport is sumo wrestling. In this sport, the sumo wrestlers will need to gain an incredible amount of weight while being able to maintain their balance as they battle with each other to force the other outside the ring or touch the ground. This sport originated from Edo period Japan, and is said to be a form of entertainment among samurai. The daily regimen of a sumo wrestler is extremely disciplined to maintain their fit condition and stamina despite the size of their bodies. Nowadays, there are even foreign participants in this popular sport.
Japan is also very popular for other martial arts, such as Judo, Karate, Kendo, and Ninjutsu, among many others. They originally came about as warrior traditions among samurai and as a form of caste differentiation. Eventually, martial arts became a philosophy where one would need to take it as a way of life, instilling their mind, body, and soul to focus on their life battles. Such martial arts have gained so much popularity around the world that some of these sports are also included in the Olympics and Commonwealth games.
Japan is also popular for the Japanese racing or drifting. The sport originated from racing on the sharp slopes of the mountains in Japan. This form of Japanese racing requires a lot of skill and control so that the vehicle does not fall off its tracks or even crash. However, the sport has been adopted into Western countries where tracks are made in stadiums for the purpose of drifting. Japanese sports have sure found their way into to the hearts of many across the globe!
