In this issue, we will look at sports from the following two perspectives.
(1) Comparison of "playing" sports in the world and in Japan
(2) Growth of sports technology
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has stated the basic idea that "the realization of a happy and prosperous life through sports is one of the rights that should be guaranteed to all people." The basic idea was put forth as a basic concept.
In order to create an environment where people can enjoy sports throughout their lives, both in terms of hardware (facilities, etc.) and software (programs, instructors, etc.), the Ministry defined "to do," "to watch," and "to support.
To do: People who actually "do" sports
To watching: People who "watch" sports, such as top-level competitions and professional sports games.
To support: People who "support (nurture)" sports, such as coaches and sports volunteers.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Let's take a look at the comparison between Japan and the rest of the world in terms of the number of people who "play" sports.
World's Top 5 Sports Population Ranking
No. 1: Volleyball: approx. 500 million people
The most populated sport in the world
No. 2: Basketball: approx. 450 million people
America has the largest number of players, and it is also popular in Europe.
No. 3: Table tennis, with an estimated 300 million players.
China has about 83 million players, nearly one-third of the population that plays
table tennis.
No. 4: Cricket: about 300 million people.
The national sport of Great Britain, the model for baseball, and overwhelmingly
popular in India.
No. 5: Soccer: approx. 260 million people
Outstanding popularity in Europe
Top 5 Sports Population Ranking in Japan
No. 1: Soccer: approx. 919,000
Japan Football Association in 2019, approximately 919,000 registered players
estimated 4.36 million playing population in Japan
No. 2: Baseball, approx. 650,000
Japan Youth Sports Association, approximately 650,000 registered players
estimated 3.84 million people play baseball in Japan
No. 3: Track and field: approx. 425,000
Japan Association of Athletics Federations in 2020, about 425,000 registered
athletes, and an estimated 10 million people compete in jogging and running.
The number of athletes is estimated at 10 million.
No. 4: Volleyball: approx. 418,000
Japan Volleyball Association in 2020, approximately 418,000 registered players
estimated 2.9 million playing people
No. 5: Table Tennis about 360,000 people
Japan Table Tennis Association in 2019, approximately 360,000 registered
members and an estimated 10 million people playing the sport
Reference：MUFG
Looking at the daily exercise population from a different perspective, the percentage of people who take a walk at least once a week is 35.7%, with an estimated population of 36.92 million.
In 1996, 13.6% of the population was walking at least once a week, with an estimated population of 13.06 million, while the 2020 survey showed 35.7% walking at least once a week, with an estimated population of 36.92 million. It's approximately 2.5 times higher than in the previous 24 years. This result shows that the number of people who take walking has steadily increased as people become more health-conscious, and that walking has become a widespread and well-established part of Japanese people's lifestyles.
(Reference：SASAKAWA SPORTS FOUNDATION Japanese Sports in the Data)
Next is (2) Sports Technology Growth.
We internet searched in Wearable devices x Sports. All articles describe growth in the wearable market in the medium term. Three selected articles are listed below.
The wearable devices in sports market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.82% over the forecast period (2021-2026). The market for wearable technology and devices is growing rapidly, and the industry is focusing on prioritizing service enhancements aside from adding new features to the devices themselves.
Reference：Mordor Intelligence.
In 2021, the global market size for wearable technology was US$ 61,861.1 million. The global market size for wearable technology is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2030, reaching US$ 182,894.0 million by 2030.
Reference：PR Times
Future smartwatch sales are projected to continue to increase to 3,025,000 units in FY2021 (up 31.9% from the previous year), 3,691,000 units in FY2022 (up 22%), 4,263,000 units in FY2023 (up 15.5%), 4,649,000 units in FY2024 (up 9.1%), and 4.9 million units in FY2025 (up 5.4%). The increasing trend is predicted to continue.
Reference：MMRI
Just considering the growth of exercise penetration in daily life, the growth of the Sports Tech market, and these factors alone, we look forward to the future of the sports market.