Decreasing levels of physical fitness and activity in children are becoming increasingly common problems in Japan and South Korea. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the causal relationships between preferences on physical education (PPE), enjoyment of physical activity (EPA), environments and experiments (EE) relating to physical activity, and mastering movement skills (MMS) among Japanese and South Korean children. The study participants were 1,520 fifth- and sixth-graders in primary school in both countries. All students were asked to complete a questionnaire composed of 57 items relating to PPE, EPA, EE and MMS. Factor analysis extracted 10 factors: four for PPE (jumping and gymnastics, swimming, ball games, running), two for EPA (enjoyment of doing or watching), two for EE (negative experiments, environment relating to physical activity), and two for MMS (axis or limb skills). EPA and PPE tended to be higher in Japanese compared with Koreans students and in boys compared with girls. The common points on PPE between both nationalities were that boys enjoyed ball games and girls preferred swimming. The SEM indicated compatibilities in hypothetical models: EE and MMS affected PPE and PPE affected EPA (GFI > 0.9, CFI > 0.9, RMSEA < 0.1). PPE significantly affects EPA in both nationalities (p < 0.001). The Japanese model showed that PPE was affected by MMS (p < 0.05) ; however, no significant relation was observed with EE. On the other hand, the Korean model indicated that PPE was significantly affected by EE (p < 0.01) ; however, no significant relation was observed with MMS. These findings suggest that Japan and South Korea differ in terms of education and the mentality of children regarding physical fitness and activities.
