Asian Games put spotlight on cricket’s growth in Japan

Cricket is one of the world’s most popular sports, yet in Japan, the bat-and-ball game only enjoys a niche following and lags light years behind baseball in national relevance.

The ongoing Asian Games and a historic contest against India, however, are giving the sport a moment in the sun and an opportunity to add a jolt to its steady growth in Japan.

Cricket is a major sport across Southeast Asia, and some of the top cricket nations in the world are being represented at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which is featuring the sport’s faster-paced T20 format.

The women’s competition, which began Sept. 17 and wrapped up on Tuesday, featured four teams that are in the top 10 of the T20 international world rankings. The men’s competition, which starts Thursday and is scheduled to end on Oct. 3, will feature global powerhouse India, the two-time reigning T20 World Cup champion, and four other top 10 nations.

Japan’s men warmed up for the Asian Games with a special “Suzuki Cup” contest against India at Sano International Cricket Ground 1 in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture on Tuesday.

The match, the first men’s international contest between the two nations, was part of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and India.

It was nearly notable for an entirely unexpected reason, with Japan falling just short of a giant-killing of massive proportions in a two-run loss that came after a controversial ruling that saw a wide ball overturned in the final over.

The chance to see so many top teams compete in Japan is not one that comes around often, and those behind the sport are looking to make the most of the opportunity.

“I think you can sort of compare it to when the Yankees come to Japan, or Manchester United or Real Madrid come to Japan,” Japan Cricket Association CEO Naoki Alex Miyaji told The Japan Times ahead of the Asian Games. “People know about cricket. People know that cricket is supposed to be the second-largest sport in the world and that these top stars earn so much money. But without having the first-hand experience of seeing or hearing or watching India or the top teams in the world, you don’t actually see the impact.

“So the Asian Games and this Suzuki Cup are the opportunity for us to sort of be able to showcase cricket in a way that people can have a first-time experience of the impact of the sport.”

The Suzuki Cup was a prime example.

“There’s something very special about watching cricket find new homes,” India legend Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X on Thursday. “Seeing India play Japan is wonderful in itself, but what made me smile was seeing reckoners (reference guides) being given to the audience at the entrance so they could understand the game better.

We’ve all had our first cricket match. It’s lovely to see more people getting theirs.”

Cricket was a late addition to the Asian Games, leaving organizers just 17 months to prepare without the luxury of facilities in the region that met the required standards.

With the JCA providing support in a third-party capacity, organizers were able to secure Korogi Athletic Park, in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, and set up a cricket ground to host the matches and temporary stands for fans.

“Within that short timeframe, they’ve done a fantastic job and got the stands and the facilities … in the best possible place they could within the resources and time frame,” Miyaji said.

The buildup did not come together without a few issues, namely with the Board of Control for Cricket India reportedly having complaints about the facilities and accommodations before the Asian Games.

Despite that, the Asiad is a chance for Japan to reap some of the benefits of hosting an international showcase.

“We’re having the top teams from (around) the world,” Miyaji said. “And so, being able to showcase that to the Japanese audience is a great opportunity for us.​

“And we hope that it attracts a lot of new people.”

The Japan Cricket Association was founded in 1984 and has been an ICCl member since 1995. According to the JCA, there are 7,300 cricket players in Japan, while the number of annual participants in the sport is 14,000.

International Cricket Council chief executive Sanjog Gupta recently told Matt Slater of The Athletic that the ICC views Japan as a critical new market in East Asia.

The sport is making inroads, with participation numbers rising and awareness spreading, albeit slowly.

When the Korogi venue opened in May, around 300 curious fans, many new to the sport, according to AFP, turned up for the match being held there.

The JCA is working to raise awareness on multiple fronts, with the organization’s efforts resulting in it receiving the global award for fan engagement for 2025 from the ICC in July.

Japan's Ayaka Kato (center) plays the ball against India during their first-round Asian Games cricket match at Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, on Friday. | JIJI

Japan is getting better on the pitch as well. The women’s T20 team is ranked 39th in the world, while the men are 41st.

Japan’s women’s team lost its match against India on Sept. 18 and did not advance in the eight-team tournament. The men, competing in a 10-team tournament, opened play against Afghanistan on Thursday.

The Asian Games are also an opportunity for the sport to tackle two of its major weaknesses in Japan: recognition and facilities.

“Once you build it, and you have a legacy, how are you going to utilize it and make sure it creates a lasting legacy for cricket if the community isn’t interested in cricket?” Miyaji said.

“That was our main concern, and we’ve been focusing on that for the past 17 months. First we went to the mayor (of Nisshin), and he was very sort of ‘what’s cricket, what’s going to happen here?’ But at the end of the meeting, he was really excited to be chosen as the host city for one of the largest sports in Asia.

“The mayor jumped on board and got all the people in the city, key people, backing the Games and cricket, and opened the doors for us to go into the schools, and there were a lot of cricket activities in the schools in the city. So we’ve done a lot of education with teachers and got some kids playing cricket; we’ve gone to shopping centers and local events. So we feel that, within this short time, we’ve been able to do (a lot) in terms of generating interest and fans for cricket.”

The JCA is also working to create facilities that can get people involved in the sport in various ways.

“We’ve got a good covering of places across the main parts of Japan, and building junior programs, social cricket, indoor cricket sort of programs for people to get involved in a more enjoyable level, a highly social level, not just a competitive level,” Miyaji said.

The return of cricket to the Olympics for the 2028 Los Angeles Games will give more international exposure to the sport. It will also allow Japan’s cricket body to receive help and funding from the Japanese Olympic Committee to improve the country’s national teams.

International facilities are also a big piece of the puzzle.

“Having international facilities across Japan, a few international facilities across Japan, is so important,” Miyaji said. “So if we’ve got Sano International Cricket Ground, we’ve got Nisshin, Korogi Park, if we can add another one that can host international cricket, suddenly, you can actually host a Champions Trophy. You’re looking at the potential of hosting global events.

“Then you can be looking at what football did, what rugby did in hosting World Cups, global events to really kick off the next level.

“I think the Asian Games and the Suzuki Cup are going to be able to give us the platform to get to the next stage.”