ABSTRACT
Professional sport in Japan has gained social status and media attention. It is seen as giving passion and dreams to children and more children in recent years are attracted to becoming professional athletes. After the Japanese professional soccer league, J-League, was inaugurated in 1993, it went through a crisis period with decreased numbers of spectators. However, as can be seen from the 2006 league championship won by Urawa Reds, who broke the record for spectator numbers, we can argue that the professional soccer league has established a consolidated structure.
