Japanese National Team Research Articles

Review of distance in the application of the Japanese national team's compactness principles case study Japan vs Spain FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Review of distance in the application of the Japanese national team's compactness principles case study Japan vs Spain FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Nationalism or cosmopolitanism? How Chinese football fans viewed the Japanese team and Japanese fans during the 2022 Men’s World Cup

ABSTRACT This study focuses on Chinese football fans’ reactions to the Japanese national team and their fans’ behaviour during the World Cup 2022. Despite the historical and contemporary problems that make friendly relations with Japan difficult to achieve, football fans in China largely welcomed the good performance of the Japanese national team. This attitude may be described as ‘thin cosmopolitanism’ because Chinese fans’ major frame of reference was still nationalistic. For them, the impressive performance of the Japanese national team means that Asians and the ‘yellow race people’ can also play good football. However, the Japanese fans, whose cleaning up of stadia received wide coverage during the World Cup, were criticized by the Chinese fans who interpreted the Japanese fans’ action as reinforcing the existing global racial order. The findings of this paper help reveal the limits regarding football’s role in contributing to a more cosmopolitan worldview.

RELATION BETWEEN DOWNWARD AND UPWARD PHASES ON THE TRAMPOLINE BED DURING JUMPING

The time of flight in trampoline competitions relies on the jumping movement executed on the trampoline bed, which can be divided into a downward phase and an upward phase. These two phases of the jumping movement exhibit distinct characteristics. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate fundamental data regarding the vertical deflection length, time, velocity, and force involved in the vertical movement on the trampoline bed. The study involved ten trampoline athletes, including participants in the All Japan Championships and members of the Japanese national team. These athletes were instructed to perform 15 consecutive jumps on the trampoline bed, starting from a standing-still position, aiming for maximum height, and maintaining a straight trajectory in the center of the trampoline bed. The findings revealed that all measured parameters were significantly greater in the downward phase compared to the upward phase. Interestingly, it was observed that the jumping height during a prolonged flight is predominantly determined by the actions in the downward phase of the trampoline bed, rather than the upward phase. As a result, the downward phase should be executed as an active jumping movement.

The 2022 World Cup soccer tournament will activate the faultline? A study on the self-service attributional bias of Japanese national team’s matches

The 2022 World Cup soccer tournament will activate the faultline? A study on the self-service attributional bias of Japanese national team’s matches

The support for the Japanese national badminton team using videos in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

The support for the Japanese national badminton team using videos in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

A clinical survey of dehydration during winter training in elite fencing athletes.

Fencing is suggested as one of the most dangerous sporting events in terms of dehydration because of the uniform and gear covering the entire body. We aimed to elucidate the change in hydration status before and after training in elite fencing athletes in winter along with the assessment of sex and fencing style differences. Twenty-seven elite fencing athletes (14 males and 13 females) belonging to the Japanese National Team participated in this clinical survey. Dehydration status before and after winter training was assessed using body mass change, fluid intake, urine osmolarity, urine specific gravity (USG), and sodium, potassium, chlorine, and creatinine levels. More than half of the participants (59.3%) drank water and tea during training. The change rate of body mass (males vs. females, 1.61±0.82% vs. 0.45±0.68%, P<0.01; foil vs. epee, 2.25±0.45% vs. 1.16±0.72%, P<0.05) and sweating rate (males vs. females, 938±251 g/h vs. 506±92 g/h, P<0.01; foil vs. epee, 1136±156 g/h vs. 796±207 g/h, P<0.05) during training showed significant differences between sexes and fencing styles. Of all participants, 66.7% were dehydrated (USG≥1.020), and 37.0% were seriously dehydrated (USG≥1.030) before training. Fencing athletes may be susceptible to severe dehydration before training, even in winter. Additionally, males and foil fencers appear to be at a greater risk than females and epee fencers of developing dehydration during exercise.

Successful Reboot of High-Performance Sporting Activities by Japanese National Women's Handball Team in Tokyo, 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Initiative Using the Japan Sports-Cyber Physical System (JS-CPS) of the Sports Research Innovation Project (SRIP).

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted sporting activities across the world. However, practical training strategies for athletes to reduce the risk of infection during the pandemic have not been definitively studied. The purpose of this report was to provide an overview of the challenges we encountered during the reboot of high-performance sporting activities of the Japanese national handball team during the 3rd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tokyo, Japan. Twenty-nine Japanese national women’s handball players and 24 staff participated in the study. To initiate the reboot of their first training camp after COVID-19 stay-home social policy, we conducted: web-based health-monitoring, SARS-CoV-2 screening with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, real-time automated quantitative monitoring of social distancing on court using a moving image-based artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, physical intensity evaluation with wearable heart rate (HR) and acceleration sensors, and a self-reported online questionnaire. The training camp was conducted successfully with no COVID-19 infections. The web-based health monitoring and the frequent PCR testing with short turnaround times contributed remarkably to early detection of athletes’ health problems and to risk screening. During handball, AI-based on-court social-distance monitoring revealed key time-dependent spatial metrics to define player-to-player proximity. This information facilitated appropriate on- and off-game distancing behavior for teammates. Athletes regularly achieved around 80% of maximum HR during training, indicating anticipated improvements in achieving their physical intensities. Self-reported questionnaires related to the COVID management in the training camp revealed a sense of security among the athletes that allowed them to focus singularly on their training. The challenges discussed herein provided us considerable knowledge about creating and managing a safe environment for high-performing athletes in the COVID-19 pandemic via the Japan Sports–Cyber Physical System (JS–CPS) of the Sports Research Innovation Project (SRIP, Japan Sports Agency, Tokyo, Japan). This report is envisioned to provide informed decisions to coaches, trainers, policymakers from the sports federations in creating targeted, infection-free, sporting and training environments.

Education and football: a history of the cultural accommodation of British association football into Japanese society

ABSTRACT Japanese educational institutions remain the country’s prominent football culture exponents since its emergence in higher education extra-curricular activities during the late nineteenth century. In Britain, whilst professional football culture evolved rapidly following the sport’s re-organisation in English public schools; Japan maintained a prolonged period of amateurism, which endured until establishing the professional J. League in 1992. After its acceptance as a physical education activity, football slowly circulated from extra-curricular activities at higher educational schools to secondary and elementary schools. From the introductory period to establishing the Japanese professional football league, football cemented its relationship with education, with university clubs dominating nationwide competitions and their prominent involvement in the Japanese national team. Also, despite the establishment of professionalism, educational institutions continue to significantly influence football culture throughout the country in terms of both the recruitment of players and the game’s ethics. In particular, the efficacy of extra-curricular activities as a medium for Japanese youths’ moral education and the cultural significance such institutions continue to retain are contributing factors.

Associations between wheelchair user’s shoulder pain index and tendinitis in the long head of the biceps tendon among female wheelchair basketball players from the Japanese national team

BackgroundAmong injuries in wheelchair athletes, shoulder injury is the most common. An easy and valid assessment tool is required to monitor the shoulder status in wheelchair athletes anytime. The present study aimed to investigate the association of wheelchair user’s shoulder pain index (WUSPI) with physical examinations for tendinitis in the long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT) and range of motion (ROM) of shoulder movements among female wheelchair basketball players from the Japanese national team. MethodsA total of 21 female players (mean age, 32.0 ± 7.9 years) participated in this study. LHBT tendinitis was assessed using findings of tenderness in the bicipital groove point (TBGP) and speed test. Shoulder ROMs were evaluated in three movements—namely, abduction, flexion, and extension. ResultsThe mean total WUSPI score was 9.55 ± 13.35 points. The players were more likely to experience shoulder pain during activities related to wheelchair pushing and object lifting. A higher total WUSPI score was strongly and moderately associated with positive findings of TBGP (effect size r = 0.82) and speed test (r = 0.49), respectively. Furthermore, the total WUSPI score was significantly associated with limited ROM in shoulder abduction (r = 0.47) and flexion (r = 0.43). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the total WUSPI score had a significant area under the curve (AUC) for positive findings of TBGP (AUC = 0.98), speed test (AUC = 0.83), and limited ROM in abduction (AUC = 0.84). When optimal cut-points were set by the Youden index, total WUSPI scores of 4.1 points (sensitivity = 1.00, specificity = 0.92), 11.3 points (sensitivity = 0.80, specificity = 0.81), and 3.3 points (sensitivity = 1.00, specificity = 0.65) were recommended for screening positive findings of TBGP, speed test, and limited ROM in abduction, respectively. ConclusionTBGP, which is a major finding of LHBT tendinitis, was strongly associated with the total WUSPI score in physical examinations. Hence, pain assessed by WUSPI could reflect the presence of LHBT tendinitis. The WUSPI is a superior tool for monitoring the shoulder status of wheelchair basketball players.

A case study of psychological support for the Japanese women's national softball team

A case study of psychological support for the Japanese women's national softball team

Bone mineral density in Japanese badminton national team players

Bone mineral density in Japanese badminton national team players

Sport scientific considerations of psychological states, competitive skills and physical conditions for Japanese national team: the case study of the 7th World Naginata Championship.

Sport scientific considerations of psychological states, competitive skills and physical conditions for Japanese national team: the case study of the 7th World Naginata Championship.

Investigation of the Female Athlete Triad in Japanese Elite Wheelchair Basketball Players.

Background and objectives: Para-sports have become increasingly competitive, necessitating greater physical activity; secondary disorder prevention is therefore crucial. Among secondary disorders, the female athlete triad (FAT) is defined as low energy availability (EA), menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density (BMD); although studied in able-bodied athletes, reports on female para-athletes are scarce. We retrospectively investigated the FAT in wheelchair basketball players in the Japanese national team. Materials and Methods: Thirteen female wheelchair basketball players (mean age: 28.9 ± 8.1 years) were enrolled. The medical history (underlying diseases, gynecological disorders, and stress fractures), athletic and sport-specific parameters (wheelchair basketball classification, and wheelchair usage conditions), hematological status (hemoglobin, iron, estradiol, progesterone, total P1NP, and TRACP-5b levels), nutritional status (total energy, protein, calcium, and iron intake), body composition (BMD and lean body mass (LBM)), and EA were assessed. Results: Two (15.4%) had pertinent gynecological histories and six (46.2%) had menstrual cycle disorders. Three (23.1%) experienced excessive menstrual flow and nine (69.2%) had menstrual pain. No stress fractures were reported. All laboratory data were within normal limits. Total energy and iron intakes based on age-specific requirements were 99.8% and 59.8%, respectively. Iron and hemoglobin levels correlated with menstrual flow (ρ = −0.63, p = 0.019 and ρ = −0.56, p = 0.046, respectively). The mean total BMD was 109.2%, and the mean EA (41.4 kcal/kg LBM) was lower than recommended levels. The leg BMD in spinal disorders was significantly lower than that in skeletal disorders (p = 0.003). The arm LBM was higher (150.6%) than that of age-matched controls. Conclusion: Among female wheelchair basketball players with FAT, the total BMD was comparable to that of age-matched controls; however, leg BMD in spinal disorders was significantly lower than that in skeletal disorders. Players with heavy menstrual flow had lower hemoglobin and iron levels. Further research is needed on the FAT to optimize health and sports performance among para-athletes.

The Comparison of Psychological Characteristics between Korean and Japanese Women Pro-Basketball Players.

ObjectiveKorea (ranked 16th) and Japan (ranked 13th) show similar rankings, skills, and performance in basketball. However, the countries differ in size and the number of players in the national women’s basketball system. The current study aimed to compare the psychological factors (anxiety, and temperament and character) and the national teams’ players’ characteristics between 80 Korean (WKBL players) and 76 Japanese (WJBL players) female basketball players in six professional teams each. MethodsAll players were asked to complete demographic characteristics including age, career years, position, number of past and presents positions, and clinical scales, including sports anxiety, state anxiety, trait anxiety, and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses among individual factors, physical factors, basketball status, anxiety factors, and temperamental conditions were conducted. ResultsIn all basketball players, all five models were significantly associated with national team players. The TCI factors were the strongest predictive factors for Korean national team players, while the anxiety factors were the strongest predictive factors for Japanese national team players. WKBL players in all positions showed higher sports anxiety and harm avoidance than WJBL players. WJBL players scored higher on self-directedness and cooperativeness than WKBL players. ConclusionFor predicting national team players, temperament and character were crucial factors in WKBL players where anxiety was the most important one for WJBL players.

Estimating the impact of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Japanese adolescent girls: a causal analysis of sports role models

ABSTRACT The performance or successes of elite athletes have been assumed to affect ordinary people by encouraging them to play sport. This plausible effect is referred to as the trickle-down or role-modelling effect. Previous studies of this subject have examined the correlation between indicators associated with the hypothesis or compared indicators before and after an event. Causal issues, therefore, remain unexplored, regardless of whether or not they support the view that elite athletes influence the general public. The main contribution of this paper is to identify the causal effect of elite athletes’ success on teenagers’ sports participation based on a case study of Japan. The hypothesis tested in this study was that Japanese women’s victory in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup increased Japanese junior high school girls’ participation in extracurricular sports activity, especially soccer. We found no quantitative evidence supporting the role-modelling effect. This implies that the increase in their participation following the 2011 World Cup would have been observed regardless of whether the Japanese national team won. We discuss the implications of this finding, and suggest further research directions, paying special attention to the Japanese situations.

No More Passing: Japan’s Foreign Policy in Interesting Times

No More Passing: Japan’s Foreign Policy in Interesting Times Kevin Cooney (bio) In my interviews with Japanese foreign policy decision-makers in the late 1990s and again in the mid-2000s, I found an almost single-minded focus on the purpose of Japanese foreign policy. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) were particularly noteworthy in this regard. Of the officials interviewed, who ranged from some of the most senior to fairly junior, they almost unanimously answered that the goals of Japanese foreign policy were “the safety and prosperity of the nation.” When probed for specifics, these officials had difficulty giving any and tended to repeat the same mantra, “the safety and prosperity of the nation.” This national goal seemed to be drilled into career MOFA bureaucrats as the raison d’être of their jobs. For the Japanese foreign policy community, this goal has kept Japan on track in a changing world and has permitted it to focus on purpose-driven outcomes. When rapid changes occur, tangible policy goals can be changed quickly because they no longer serve the nation. For example, the safety and prosperity of the nation at one time may have been served by the pursuit of a permanent UN Security Council seat—a tangible goal that Japan has long had but is no longer pursuing as actively as it once did because this goal no longer seems as necessary. There are other paths to the safety and prosperity of the nation, given current global circumstances, like through a closer relationship with U.S. leadership. The overall result is that Japanese foreign policy is becoming more adept at adapting to sudden changes in the global foreign and security policy environment. This essay examines Japan’s ability to adapt quickly to radical changes in global leadership and traditional foreign policy norms that have left other nations adrift and confused. It concludes that a purpose-driven foreign policy is more likely to aid and guide the nation in a strange and interesting policy environment than one driven by tangible goals. Adapting to Change In the late 1980s, Japan was on top of the world. Its economy was second globally, only behind that of the United States, and was rising. Scholars such [End Page 24] as Paul Kennedy predicted that Japan would overtake the United States as the next global hegemon.1 Then came the sudden and unexpected end to the Cold War in 1989, followed by the bursting of Japan’s economic bubble in 1991 and over two decades of recession, deflation, and economic stagnation. In the late 1990s, Japanese foreign policy experts argued that Japan was experiencing a phenomenon that they called “Japan passing,” in which the country was being passed over as no longer relevant.2 However, the 2000s brought a new special relationship between the United States and Japan, thanks to the personal connection between President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. This highly personal approach to foreign policy has continued under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Donald Trump. Key to Japan’s success has been the ability to recognize change and quickly adapt to it, plus the luck of circumstances. In 2001, Koizumi came to power in Japan a few months after Bush entered office. Whereas Bush’s predecessor, Bill Clinton, saw eight Japanese prime ministers during his eight years in office, Koizumi served almost concurrently with Bush. The relationship between these two heads of state was aided by the fact that when the September 11 attacks occurred, the Japanese national security team was meeting in a late-night session to deal with a typhoon that was about to hit Japan. Koizumi thus was able to be the first world leader to pick up the phone and offer the United States sympathy and assistance. The Koizumi-Bush relationship, cemented by this phone call, transformed the bilateral relationship overnight. As one MOFA official told me in the summer of 2005 when asked about the status of the relationship, “It is the best ever!”3 Fast-forward to November 9, 2016, when Japan woke up to the surprise victory of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election...

Migration and Laws of Contagion: Cultivating Talent in Japanese Women’s Soccer

ABSTRACTEven in 2018, a relatively small number of Japanese women play soccer; however, the Japan Football Association (JFA) and its affiliated leagues have played a central role in the development of the women’s game globally. In the earliest years of the new semi-professional L-League, team owners and trainers were committed to bringing some of the best female soccer players in the world to Japan, but that strategy changed dramatically just a decade later. Instead of foreign internationals playing in Japan, top Japanese national team members were heading abroad. This significant shift in the flow of female players provides a unique vantage point from which to think about the development of elite women’s soccer in Japan and to contemplate underlying assumptions about how soccer expertise is developed and transmitted. I will argue that the unique history of Japanese women’s soccer migration encourages us to ask some more probing questions about the logics that undergird many female players’ decisions to move from one country to the next. Common to these decisions are tacit ideas about the power of physical proximity and place, which I analyse using the anthropological concept of contagion.

Comparison of metamotivational dominance and cultural identity between Japanese National Team and Māori All Blacks rugby players

This pilot study used a reversal theory framework to examine metamotivational dominance of rugby players on the Māori All Blacks (MABs) squad of New Zealand and the Japanese National Team (JNT). Since the two groups have different cultural team demographics, cultural identity was also examined. Twenty six players from the MABs and 31 from the JNT completed questionnaires on metamotivational dominance and cultural identity. In terms of metamotivational dominance, the findings indicated that the MABs were more playful minded and spontaneous oriented than the JNT. Regarding cultural identity, the JNT showed a greater knowledge of their own culture and higher comfort level in their cultural context, while the MABs felt more positive and willing to sustain their own culture. The motivational personality differences between the teams may reflect the style of play that is valued within each team culture that is, flair, spontaneity and high-risk play within Māori rugby, and structure, team unity and conformity within the JNT. This suggests that metamotivational dominance of teams and players is influenced by the cultural identity of both the individuals and the group, which may have a further impact on team cohesion and performance.

A survey of deep tissue injury in elite female wheelchair basketball players.

To investigate deep tissue injuries (DTIs) in elite female wheelchair basketball players and identify factors associated with their occurrence. Study participants were 22 female wheelchair basketball players on the Japanese national team. The sacral and bilateral ischial regions of each participant were examined using ultrasonography to detect DTIs. DTIs were found in 15 players (68.2%). DTIs were more frequent in players with a central nervous system disorder (CNSd) (85.7%) than in those with skeletal system disease (SSd) (37.5%, p = 0.020), and in players using a wheelchair in daily life (84.6%) than those using a wheelchair only for basketball (44.4%, p = 0.046). Players with pelvic instability were more likely to have DTIs (90.9% vs. 45.5%, p = 0.017). DTIs were deeper in the ischial region than the sacral region (p = 0.022). Players with CNSd had more DTIs in sacral regions (90% vs. 10%, p = 0.014). Players with DTIs had lower systolic blood pressure (sBP), red blood cell (RBC) count, and serum creatinine levels (sCr) (all p < 0.05). Ischial DTIs were deeper than sacral DTIs. Players with CNSd had more sacral DTIs than those with SSd. CNSd, wheelchair use in daily life, pelvic instability, and lower sBP, RBC, and sCr increased the risk of DTIs.

Correlation between sleep and psychological mood states in female wheelchair basketball players on a Japanese national team.

[Purpose] Although some studies suggest the importance of getting adequate sleep for enhancing mood, there is not yet sufficient evidence on the relationship between sleep and mood states in athletes, especially for athletes with physical disability. The purpose of this study is to reveal relationships between sleep and psychological mood states in female wheelchair basketball players. [Subjects and Methods] Seventeen female wheelchair basketball players (30.9 ± 9.4 years old) on a Japanese national team participated. Sleep states were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and mood states with the Japanese version of the Profile of Mood States short form (POMS-SF). Spearman’s rank correlations were computed. [Results] The mean PSQI score was 5.4 ± 2.6 points, and 9 athletes (52.9%) exceeded the cutoff point (5.5) for insomnia. Higher sleep efficiency (rS=0.58), fewer sleep disturbances (rS=−0.58), and lower total PSQI score (rS=−0.51) were significantly correlated with higher vigor. Lower likelihood of daytime dysfunction was also significantly correlated with lower tension (rS=0.50). [Conclusion] Vigor was the mood state most frequently correlated with sleep variables. Because vigor is a known key psychological factor in optimal performance, the findings are valuable for wheelchair basketball players.