2020 Volume 28 Issue 1 Pages 37-57
This paper reviews the development of the national sports policy in Japan. It provides a brief synopsis of the evolution of the sport for development and peace (SDP) movement in Japan and outlines the government’s administrative system for implementing the SDP program. It provides an analysis of government policies and objectives for SDP and the nature and extent of government supported SDP programs that are focused on (1) the contributions of sport to the SDGs undertaken by the Japan Sports Agency; (2) Sport For Tomorrow (international contributions to a sports initiative jointly implemented by the public and private sectors); and (3) the sport and development projects undertaken by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This article addresses the urgent need for a critical analysis of the relationships between poverty reduction strategies and SDP programs in Japan that are enshrined in the SDP framework. The last decade has seen considerable changes in the way Japanese sport has been governed, developed, and funded, yet these findings suggest there are strong expectations of SDP programs, while very little attention has been paid to the context of poverty reduction strategies.
