Tickets to a soccer match

Since co-hosting the World Cup in 2002, football (known as soccer in Japan) has enjoyed a surge of popularity in Japan.  Whilst baseball is still firmly entrenched as the No. 1 sport, expect soccer to challenge this in years to come as more and more young people take up the sport.

Many Japanese players now ply their trade in the top leagues in Europe, which explains why you may see young Japanese wearing Celtic (Shunsuke Nakamura) or Saint Etienne (Daisuke Matsui) shirts, although the majority of the Japanese National team play in Japan in the J. League. Recently, an influx of Brazilian players has added excitement and flair to the competition. 

Sitting with the cheer squad is the highlight of any J. League match, with a carnival-like atmosphere.  The organization is perfect, exactly what you would expect in Japan.  However the enthusiasm in infectious, and before long you will find yourself joining in with the chants. Don't worry about the language barrier though, as most of the chants involve singing the team name over and over again - although with names like Kyoto Purple Sanga and Nagoya Grampus Eight, this may not be as easy as it seems!

We recommend trying to catch an Urawara Red Diamonds game. Although not the best team in the league, they are certainly the most supported, and sitting with the Red's cheer squad is a truly amazing experience!

And as the 'football hooligan' doesn't exist in Japan, taking in a J. League match is exactly what sport should be - good, clean fun.