| Ice hockey in Japan | |
|---|---|
Exhibition game Amur Khabarovsk vs. Japanese national team on August 23, 2012. Face-off at the beginning of the game. Amur forwards Juha-Pekka Hytönen (at right) and Jakub Petružálek.
| |
| Country | Japan |
| Governing body | Japan Ice Hockey Federation |
| National team(s) | Men's national team; Women's national team |
National competitions | |
International competitions | |
Ice hockey is a minor sport that is gaining popularity in Japan.[1][2][3] Baseball and football (soccer) have dominated Japanese sports for decades, but ice hockey has been less popular in Japan since its founding in the 1920s.[4] It is governed by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation.
The Japan Ice Hockey League (JIHL) was the national league in the country from 1966-2004, when it folded in favor of the international Asia League. Only Japanese teams were allowed to compete, and there were only six teams at any time in the league.[5]
Since 1933, a cup competition, the All Japan Ice hockey Championship has been held, in which four teams compete. It has been held annually since the 1930s and is one of the oldest sporting competitions in the country. A women’s counterpart has been held since 1982.[6]
Japan has men’s, women’s and junior national teams. The Japan women's national team qualified for the 2014 Winter OlympicsinSochi[7][8][9][10][11] and the 2018 Winter OlympicsinPyeongChang, South Korea.
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