Why Cricket?

Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world. There are currently 104 countries who are represented by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of the game. The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) is responsible for administrating and developing cricket within Japan.

As a sport that is greatly loved and cherished around the world, we believe it can prosper here in Japan. It has unique characteristics, traditions and values as well as being fun to play and exciting to watch.

Although a minor sport in Japan, cricket has a rich history here, dating back more than 150 years to before the Meiji Restoration: a full history of cricket in Japan can be read here.

The mission of the JCA is to enrich lives by bringing people, communities, and countries closer together through the spirit and community of cricket. This has already been seen when the ICC East Asia Pacific Women’s Trophy was played in Sano, Tochigi in May 2014 and featured teams from five other countries.

Today there are more than 3,000 senior players involved directly in cricket throughout Japan, while at junior level we are taking the sport to an estimated 14,000 children each year. With this growth happening we believe it is vital to have a firm structure in place to secure the long-term future of the sport. This involves not just educating children, but showing teachers and volunteers exactly what cricket can do for them and creating as many opportunities as possible to learn more about the sport.

We firmly believe that Cricket Blast is a great way to promote cricket among the youth of Japan. We will help to encourage an outdoor lifestyle that is fully inclusive for all children, giving everyone a fair and equal opportunity. The sport will help develop core skills such as communication, leadership and teamwork and motor skills including coordination, movement and speed.

Cricket is truly a sport for everyone and the benefits of participating include:

• Great for general health and well-being, as well as being a safe game to play.
• The social environment encourages people of all ages to socialise and form new friendships.
• The opportunity to participate in competitions and community activities, and
• Because it’s fun!

If you would like to know more about how this exciting sport is growing in Japan please feel free to contact us through this website.

For Parents