日本におけるアイスホッケーの普及 The Propagation of Ice Hockey in Japan

「日本におけるアイスホッケーの普及」ステファネーリ・ベアトリチェ

ホッケーの認知度調査

具体的な認知度の調査方法

調査結果

【まとめ】日本でアイスホッケーは普及するか？

Compared to other countries, winter sports are not as popular in Japan; among them, ice hockey is one of the least popular.
Although ice hockey exists in Japan, the reality is that most Japanese people know very little about the sport.

According to the Japan Ice Hockey Federation (JIHF), the history of ice hockey in Japan began in Nagano Prefecture in 1915. The catalyst was the import of ice hockey equipment, which led to the first game ever played in Japan.
Eight years later, students from Hokkaido University held the first intercollegiate match; the following year, the first intercollegiate tournament involving domestic students was also held. In 1936, the Japanese national team participated in the Winter Games ice hockey competition. In 1966, the Japan Ice Hockey League was established. Subsequently, in 2011, it was integrated into the Japan Ice Hockey Federation (JIHF).

Popularity of Ice Hockey in Japan

While ice hockey is not yet popular in Japan, it has enormous potential to grow.

On one hand, ice hockey offers the appeal of speed, powerful plays, strategic teamwork, and opportunities for multicultural exchange. On the other hand, Japanese ice hockey struggles with issues of low recognition, and the many difficulties associated with being a Japanese ice hockey player, such as high equipment costs and a lack of coaches or instructors.

As such, this paper conducts interviews with Japanese and American ice hockey players to investigate their perceptions of ice hockey and its potential for future growth.

The paper aims to reveal that while many people know little about ice hockey, it has great appeal and potential.

Interviewing hockey players

Six people total participated in interviews. This included five male ice hockey players from Toyo University in Tokyo, and one American professional ice hockey player on the Yokohama Grits of Asia League Ice Hockey. The university players ranged in age from 18 to 20 years old, while the American player was 28 years old.

University players were selected because they have been actively involved in ice hockey in Japan for most of their lives, and possess a deep understanding of the sport’s experience and current state in Japan.

The American player was selected because his professional ice hockey experience in both the United States and Japan allows for comparison of differences between the two countries.

The university student participants are identified as: Mr. A (18 years old, male), Mr. K (18 years old, male), Mr. T (19 years old, male), Mr. M (19 years old, male), and Mr. P (20 years old, male).

The American player is identified as Mr. Tyler Rockwell.

The interviews were conducted in mid- to late-October 2025.

Mr. Rockwell was interviewed via Zoom; the five Japanese ice hockey players participated in a group interview via Zoom. The responses from each group will be compared to analyze the potential for ice hockey’s growth.

First, I asked about the players’ backgrounds.

When I asked the college athletes, “What problems did you face regarding ice hockey as a child?,” Mr. T explained, “There were no youth teams in my hometown, and ice hockey equipment was prohibitively expensive.” Most of the college players agreed with this statement.

Mr. Rockwell explained, “In most sports, you can start just with a uniform, but in ice hockey, besides the uniform, you need a stick, gloves, and various other equipment. So, if a family doesn’t have the financial means, it can be incredibly difficult to start.”

From this, it can be understood that starting ice hockey can be very difficult for children, due to it being a sport with a significant financial burden.

Next, I asked, “Do you think ice hockey is popular in Japan? If not, why do you think ice hockey isn’t very popular in Japan?”

All respondents answered that ice hockey is not popular.

Regarding the reasons, university student K, speaking from a Japanese player’s perspective, explained, “Japanese players aren’t strong in ice hockey and can’t win medals at the Olympics, so it doesn’t get much attention in the news.” In other words, since Japanese teams have a lower skill level and acquire less Olympic recognition, information about the sport does not appear in the media, giving people few opportunities to learn about ice hockey.

Next, I asked about comparing Asian players to those of other nationalities.

When asked, “Do you think Japanese (or Asian) players can compete effectively when it comes to fighting and checking?,” the student athletes split between those who answered “Yes” and those who answered “No.” The reason given for ‘No’ was, “They don’t have the potential to play in the NHL (National Hockey League).” Some players believe Asian athletes cannot compete physically in the top league of ice hockey.

Conversely, those who answered “yes” explained, “Japanese athletes win medals and national teams perform well in collision-heavy sports like judo and rugby. Similarly, I believe hockey has the potential to compete globally.”

Mr. Rockwell responded, “No. Japanese players are smaller in stature, so things like checking and fighting do not come as easy to Japanese players when compared to American players.”

The jury is still out on whether or not Japanese players can compete physically on an international level. While some players believe they can compete physically on the level of Western players, others believe that Japanese players do not yet have the potential to fight or get physical on the same level of those players in the NHL.

Additionally, I asked Mr. Rockwell, “What do you find appealing about Japanese ice hockey?”

His response was, “The AIHL is definitely a ‘Skater’s League’ All of the players are incredibly skilled skaters.”
As such, an underutilized appeal of Japanese ice hockey is the level of skating skills.

Finally, when asked, “What do you think should be done to promote ice hockey?,” the university players answered, “I think it’s important for Japanese players to become stronger. If the level improves, opportunities to gain attention will increase, and that should lead to greater popularity for ice hockey overall.”

Mr. Rockwell explained, “If major cities had rinks and teams where people could actually watch games, they might become fans. Furthermore, if there were teams and events for children, more kids would want to become players, increasing ice hockey’s popularity.”

They also stated that more ice hockey events would benefit the community, as letting children experience the sport would heighten interest throughout the area.

Therefore, it is not only important for Japanese players to work hard and improve their skill, but it is also important for teams to do outreach to their communities to improve ice hockey’s popularity.

This paper has investigated the popularity of ice hockey in Japan. Compared to other sports, ice hockey is not very popular in Japan and rarely makes headlines in the news or becomes a topic on social media. Opportunities to play ice hockey in school education are also scarce, meaning most people know little about the sport. It has become clear that Japanese teams lack global competitiveness and receive very little media coverage.

Furthermore, aspiring players face various challenges. With very few teams and the need for expensive equipment, getting started is extremely difficult. For these reasons, ice hockey is not very popular in Japan.

To increase its popularity, promoting interest through events and exchange activities would be beneficial. If the level of Japanese players improves and domestic teams become stronger, they will likely receive coverage in the news and on social media.

Through these efforts, it has become clear that there is potential for the development of ice hockey in Japan. I believe that as Japanese teams grow stronger and gain attention in the news and on social media, the day will come when ice hockey achieves popularity comparable to Japan’s professional baseball.