Depressive symptoms threaten the mental and physical health and performance of athletes. However, little is known about symptom distribution and related factors among Japanese athletes. This study was aimed to describe the distribution of depressive symptoms and rates of Japanese college athletes who scored above the cut-off score of depression. It also examined the relationship between depressive symptoms, injuries, and performance decrement. A cross-sectional survey was used to measure depressive symptoms, the experience of injuries, performance decrement, and duration of inactivity in 368 Japanese college athletes. The results indicate that one out of three college athletes had depressive symptoms above the cut-off score established by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) (CES-D≥16). However, the experience of injuries, performance decrement, and duration of inactivity were not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Additional research is warranted to investigate further factors related to depressive symptoms among Japanese athletes.