ABSTRACT
Sport-like activities existed before the Meiji era (1868–1912) in Japan. There were, for example, shukyu (circle football) in court, kenjutu (kendo), jujutu (judo) and kyujutu (Japanese archery). In addition, there existed a range of other activities including falconry, the marathon of bushi, sumo, horse racing, rowing, mountain climbing, and, for common people, swimming. However, in this chapter, the concept of sport is restricted to ‘modern’ sport. Modern sport is a recreation and a competitive exercise of physical skill that originated in the Western world. In 1868, the Meiji government wished to establish Japan as a modern nation. This was to be achieved by reform of economic, political, military and educational institutions, and by throwing off the ties of feudalism and the closed society of bushi. All of these changes were implicit in the slogan ‘the wealth and military strength of a nation’.
