The Japan Professional Football League, also known as the J.League, was founded in 1992 and has become one of the most successful professional soccer leagues in Asia.

The Hakone Ekiden, a long-distance relay race held annually between Tokyo and Hakone, is one of the most prestigious races in Japanese college athletics.

The Japanese women's national soccer team, also known as the Nadeshiko Japan, won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011 and has been a dominant force in women's soccer.