Society

The rise, fall and rise again of Japanese football

May 18 (theroar.com.au) - This past weekend, the J-League celebrated its 28th anniversary. The Japanese top division has gone on to become one the best leagues in Asia.

But before the J-League, there was the Japan Soccer League, which was then considered an amateur league in Japan. The teams in the old JSL were owned by top Japanese corporations and lot of the players worked and played for those corporations.

Japanese soccer’s issues in the ’80s and early ’90s were somewhat similar to the issues that Australian football has had previously. In 1992, Japan hosted the Asian Cup and went on to win it, but a couple of years later, they narrowly missed out on going to the ’94 World Cup after losing to Iraq.

The Japanese national football team has suffered due to the status of the league being amateur and having players both working full-time and playing soccer as a hobby.

The Socceroos have suffered similar issues, despite the NSL being borderline professional in the late ’90s, going into the early 2000s, however, the NSL was a level or two above the Japan Soccer League.

After the 1992 Asian Cup, the JFA had to raise their domestic league to professional status.

The J-League was created, birthing nine new professional teams. Shimizu S-Pulse were brought up from JSL; the JSL became a second-tier league and was rebranded to Japanese Football League for six years.

Man Arrested in Nagano Triple Stabbing

A man has been arrested in connection with the stabbing of three individuals in front of JR Nagano Station in Nagano City, where one person was killed and two others sustained injuries of varying severity.

Child Welfare Centers in Japan Struggle as Staff Resignations Rise

Child consultation centers in Japan are at the forefront of efforts to protect children from abuse and make critical decisions about their care, including whether to return them to their families or place them in alternative arrangements. Despite their vital role, these centers are struggling under the weight of increasing workloads, rising abuse cases, and severe staff shortages, leading to high levels of burnout and resignations among welfare officers.

How Should Japan Navigate the Second Trump Administration?

Japan is facing critical questions about how to navigate its relationship with the United States following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th president.

BOJ Raises Policy Rate to 0.5%

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) has decided to raise its policy interest rate from an annualized 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent. This marks the first rate hike in six months and appears aimed at correcting the historically weak yen.

Severe Rice Shortage Looms in Japan

Japan is facing an unprecedented rice shortage, with recent data highlighting alarming supply-demand imbalances in the domestic market. The Agricultural Newspaper reported on January 10 that the DI (Demand-Supply Index), a measure of rice market balance, reached a record high of 80. This figure indicates a critical shortfall in rice availability, surpassing even last year's levels when supermarket shelves were emptied.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

'Great Cold Endurance Competition' Held at Mount Tsurumi

The annual 'Midwinter Endurance Tournament' was held at Tsurumi Mountain, standing 1,300 meters above sea level in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture.

Man Confesses: Gifu Stabbing Was Self-Harm, Not a Crime

Gifu Police have announced that what was initially reported as a stabbing incident in Gifu City was, in fact, an act of self-harm by the victim.

Man Admits to Dismembering Partner's Body With Farm Tools

Tokyo police are investigating a shocking case involving the disposal of a woman’s remains on the shores of Izu Oshima. The arrested suspect, 45-year-old Sōtatsu Yanase, who operates a tatami shop, has admitted to dismembering the body of his partner, Shizuka Takase, 37, using farm tools before disposing of her bones on the beach.