Don't know how to say soccer in Japanese? Want to learn how to speak basketball, baseball, volleyball and other sport-related words in the Japanese language? In this article we are going to see everything about sports in Japanese.
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Table of Contents
list of sports in japanese
Our list of sports in Japanese is quite extensive, so we recommend using CTRL + F to find the name of the sport you want. It is worth remembering that some sports have more than one way of referring to themselves in Japanese, a way imported from another language and the traditional way with ideograms.
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">アーチェリー (ācherī) - archery
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">アーチェリー (ācherī) - Archery shooting
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">アイスホッケー (aisuhokkē) - ice hockey
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">アメフト (amefuto) - American football
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">アメリカンフットボール (amerikanfuttobōru) - American football
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">エアロビクス (earobikusu) - aerobic gymnastics
- カーリング (kāringu) - curling
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">カヤック (kayakku) - kayak
- クリケット (kuriketto) - cricket
- クロスカントリースキー (kurossukantorīsukī) - cross-country skiing
- ゲーム (gēmu) - game
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">ゴルフ (gorufu) - golf
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">サイクリング (saikuringu) - cycling
- サッカー (sakkā) - football/ soccer
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">ジャンプ (janpu) - jump
- シュノーケリング (shunōkeringu) - snorkeling
- ジョギング (jōgingu) - Jogging
- シンクロナイズドスケーティング (shinkuronazudosukētingu) - synchronized artistic skating
- スイミング (suimingu) - swimming
- スキー (sukī) - ski
- スケート (sukēto) - skating
- スケートアグレッシブ (sukētoagureshivu) - Aggressive skate
- スケートストリート (sukētosutorīto) - street skate
- スケートパーク (sukētopāku) - skate park
- Skateboarder (スケートボーダー) - skateboard
- スケートボード (sukētobōdo) - skateboard
- スケートランニング (sukētoranningu) - speed skating
- スノーシューティング (sunōshūtingu) - ski shooting
- スノーシュート (sunōshūto) - alpine skiing
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">スノーボード (sunōbōdo) - snowboard
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">ダンシング (danshingu) - Dance
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">ダンススポーツ (dansusupōtsu) - dance sport
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">テニス (tenisu) - tennis
- テニス (tenisu) - Tennis
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">トライアスロン (toraiasuron) - triathlon
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">バスケットボール (basukettobōru) - basketball
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">バドミントン (badominton) - badminton
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">バレーボール (barēbōru) - Volleyball
- バレーボール (barēbōru) - Volleyball
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">フットサル (futtosaru) - futsal
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">ブレイクダンス (bureikudansu) - street dance
- フレンチブル (furenchiburū) - beach volleyball
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">ボウリング (bōringu) - bowling
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">ボクシング (bokushingu) - boxing
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">ホッケー (hokkē) - Hockey
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">マラソン (marason) - street race
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">マラソン (marason) - Marathon
- ラグビー (ragubī) - rugby
- ラグビー (ragubī) - Rugby
- ラクロス (rakurosu) - lacrosse
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">ラフティング (rafutingu) - rafting
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">ランニング (ranningu) - race
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">レスリング (resuringu) - Free fighting
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">乗馬 (jōba) - Equestrianism
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">体操 (taisō) - gymnastics
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">体育 (taiiku) - Physical Education
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">卓球 (takkyuu) - table tennis
- 将棋 (shōgi) - Shogi/Japanese Chess
- 射撃 (shageki) - Shooting
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">水泳 (suiei) - swimming
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">登山 (tōzan) - Climbing
- 碁 (gō) - Go (board game)
- 競走 (kyōsō) - race
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">競馬 (kyōba) - horse race
- 試合 (shiai) - Game/Event
- 運動 (undō) - exercise
- 野球 (yakyu) - baseball
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">釣り (tsuri) - fishing
- class="data-no-translation" data-no-translation="">陸上競技 (rikujō kyōgi) - athletics
Terms Related to Sports in Japanese
In addition to sports names, we are going to share a list of vocabulary and terms that are related to the vast majority of sports:
- Athlete (senshu) - player
- チーム (chīmu) - team
- 試合 (shiai) - game/match
- 勝つ (katsu) - win
- loss (makeru) - to lose
- Score (sukōa) - score
- Draw (hikiwake) - tie
- ホームラン (hōmuran) - home run
- Three-base (surībēsu) - triple
- グランドスラム (gurandosuramu) - grand slam
- Save (sēbu) - save
- Goal (gōru) - goal
- アシスト (ashisuto) - assistance
- Path (pasu) - pass
- シュート (shūto) - shoot
- Set (setto) - set
- Match (matchi) - match
- スイング (suingu) - swing
- スイミング (suimingu) - swimming
- Training (torēningu) - training
- 試験 (shiken) - test/examination
- 練習 (renshuu) - practice
- 練習試合 (renshuu shiai) - practice match
- Start (sutāto) - start
Martial Arts in Japanese
Martial Arts are also very popular sports in Japan, so we've separated them here. We also recommend reading our specific articles on martial arts below:
List of Japanese Martial Arts:
- 柔道 (jūdō) - judo
- 剣道 (kendō) - Japanese fencing
- 空手 (karate) - karate
- 剣術 (kenjutsu) - art of traditional Japanese swordsmanship
- 和武道 (wadō) - modern Japanese martial art
- 相撲 (sumō) - sumo wrestling
- 武道 (budō) - general Japanese martial art
- 居合道 (iaidō) - Japanese martial art of drawing the sword
- 古武道 (kobudō) - ancient Japanese martial art
- 武者修行 (mushashugyō) - traditional Japanese martial training
- 忍術 (ninjutsu) - ninja espionage techniques
- 忍者 (ninja) - spy or Japanese warrior
- 武士道 (bushidō) - code of conduct of Japanese warriors
- 合気道 (Aikidō) - Way of Harmonization
- 弓道 (Kyūdō) - Way of the Bow
- 武術 (Bujutsu) - Japanese War Art Systems
- 小林流空手 (Shorin-Ryu Karate) - Small School Karate
- 居合道 (Iaidō) - Art of Drawing Your Sword
- 柔術 (Jiu-jitsu) - Art of Flexibility
- 武者修行 (mushashugyō) - traditional Japanese martial training
- 和武道 (wadō) - modern Japanese martial art
- 相撲 (sumō) - sumo wrestling
Types of Diving in Japanese
There are so many sports categories that we need to make a list just for diving and water sports:
- スカイダイビング (sukaidivingu) - scuba diving
- スキンダイビング (sukindivingu) - scuba-free diving
- スキューバスイミング (sukyūbasuimingu) - free diving
- スキューバトゥデイ (sukyūbatōdei) - one-day dive
- オープンウォータースイミング (ōpunwōtāsuimingu) - swimming in open waters
- スキューバダイビング (sukyūbadivingu) - diving
- フライ (furai) - backstroke
- バタフライ (batafurai) - such as butterfly
- シンクロナイズドスイミング (shinkuronazudosuimingu) - synchronized swimming
