Japan Sports Tourism Market Size, Share, By Sports Type (Football, Cricket, Basketball, And Others), By Tourism Type (Sports Event Tourism, Nostalgia Sports Tourism, Active Sports Tourism, And Passive Sports Tourism), And Japan Sports Tourism Market Insights, Industry Trend, Forecasts to 2035

Japan Sports Tourism Market Insights Forecasts to 2035

• Japan Sports Tourism Market Size 2024: USD 10.41 Bn
• Japan Sports Tourism Market Size 2035:  USD 25.79 Bn
• Japan Sports Tourism Market CAGR 2024: 8.6%
• Japan Sports Tourism Market Segments: Sports Type and Tourism Type

The Japan sports tourism market represents travel industry where individuals travel within Japan domestically and internationally for the purpose of participating in, viewing, or having any type of interaction with sporting activities and events. This would include travelling and participating or attending training camps along with other sports-related activities that connect physical activity or sports-related culture with travel. Furthermore, the development of sports tourism will create a way for people to use sports as one of the primary reasons for relocating and taking travel opportunities, as well as provide opportunities to join tourism with sporting activities for regional economic growth opportunities.

The sports tourism in Japan are backed by government support, including the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), which actively markets Japan’s outdoor and sports tourism offerings to international visitors, thereby supporting regional tourism and diversifying inbound travel demand beyond typical sightseeing attractions. Japan’s overall tourism industry reached record levels in recent years, with 36.87 million foreign visitors in 2024 breaking the pre-pandemic peak, and tourism spending by international visitors hitting a record of 8.1 trillion yen, making tourism the country’s second-largest export sector after automobiles.

As technology advances, Japanese sports tourism providers are now using internet ticketing sites and mobile applications for booking events, as well as virtual reality applications offering immersive experiences of an event's highlight reel, and online platforms to plan travel itineraries are changing how sporting events are found, booked, and experienced by tourists. These also provide new methods of interaction and storytelling regarding sporting events that can enhance visitors interest in and affinity for brands in Japan.

Market Dynamics of the Japan Sports Tourism Market:

The Japan sports tourism market is driven by the Japan’s strong infrastructure for hosting major sporting events, its strategic location in the Asia-Pacific region attracting regional sports travel, increasing global enthusiasm for experiential travel, rising disposable incomes, strong government support for sports tourism, and increased global promotion of Japanese sporting events and natural attractions, continue to fuel inbound interest in sports tourism specifically.

The Japan sports tourism market is restrained by the seasonal fluctuations in sports event schedules, uneven tourist demand throughout the year, language barriers for international visitors in certain regions, and infrastructure limitations in some rural areas.

The future of Japan sports tourism market is bright and promising, with versatile opportunities emerging from the capacity to develop specialized travel packages and experiences that combine Japan's sporting traditions and its many unique sporting events. In addition, there is an opportunity to generate niche segments in tourism where there is a greater interest by potential travellers to find authentic and unique experiences while in Japan. Also combining Japan's cultural and natural attractions with sports tourism would create a greater pathway to marketing to both the domestic and international traveller.

Market Segmentation

The Japan Sports Tourism Market share is classified into sports type and tourism type.

By Sports Type:

The Japan sports tourism market is divided by sports type into football, cricket, basketball, and others. Among these, the football segment held the largest revenue market share in 2024 and is predicted to grow at a remarkable CAGR during the forecast period. Well maintained stadiums, easily playable in diverse settings, global cultural significance, massive commercialization, and constant high level content, keeping fans engaged consistently all contribute to the football segment's largest share and higher spending on sports tourism when compared to other sports type.

By Tourism Type:

The Japan sports tourism market is divided by tourism type into sports event tourism, nostalgia sports tourism, active sports tourism, and passive sports tourism. Among these, the passive sports tourism segment dominated the share in 2024 and is anticipated to grow at a remarkable CAGR during the forecast period. The passive sports tourism segment dominates because of massive global sports event, rising disposable incomes, cultural draw of iconic stadiums, large fan base in Japan, and individual interest in participation and revisiting sports history.

Competitive Analysis:

The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organisations/companies involved within the Japan sports tourism market, along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market.

Top Key Companies in Japan Sports Tourism Market:

• JTB Corporation
• Kinki Nippon Tourist
• Nippon Travel Agency
• Magical Trip & JAPANiCAN.com
• Expedia Group
• Oku Japan
• Walk Japan
• Bamba Travel & The Dragon Trip
• ASICS Corporation
• Mizuno & Yonex
• Victoria
• Others

Recent Developments in Japan Sports Tourism Market:

In December 2025, Fujitsu launched the “Fujitsu Accelerator Program for SPORTS,” a global initiative to co-create new sports innovations using AI and quantum computing, combining tech with their corporate sports teams assets.

In May 2025, Onitsuka Tiger expanded from a performance brand to a luxury lifestyle brand, adding fragrances and accessories to its lineup, reflecting a broader market trend towards lifestyle integration in sports tourism.

Key Target Audience

• Market Players
• Investors
• End-users
• Government Authorities 
• Consulting and Research Firm
• Venture capitalists
• Value-Added Resellers (VARs)

Market Segment

This study forecasts revenue at the Japan, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2035. Decisions Advisors has segmented the Japan sports tourism market based on the below-mentioned segments:

Japan Sports Tourism Market, By Sports Type

• Football
• Cricket
• Basketball
• Others

Japan Sports Tourism Market, By Tourism Type

• Sports Event Tourism
• Nostalgia Sports Tourism
• Active Sports Tourism
• Passive Sports Tourism