The 2022
SSF National Sports-Life Survey
Executive Summary December 2022, Japan

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

Overview

Table of contents

1 Introduction
In order to understand the levels of participation in sports and physical activities byJapanese, the Sasakawa Sports Foundation (SSF) has examined the statistical data
gathered through the “SSF National Sports-Life Survey”, which has been conducted
every other year since 1992. This survey measures the number of people aged 18 andover taking part in sports and physical activities across Japan in terms of frequencies,
duration, and intensity. People take part in sports and physical activities in diﬀerent
ways, with many doing a range of activities including sports spectating and sports
volunteering.

2 Survey design1）Population: People aged 18 and over who live in Japan
2）Sample size: 3,000
3）Number of locations: 300(90 in metro areas; 122 in cities with a population of over 100,000 people; 64 incities with a population of less than 100,000 people; 24 in towns and villages)
4）Extracting method: Quota method

3 Survey period
June 10th - July 10th, 2022

4 Survey methods● Levels of sports and physical activities● Types of sports and physical activities● Sports clubs● Sports spectating● Sports volunteering● Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ)

1
2
4
6
8
11
12

Description of terms■ Range of sports and physical activities

This survey measures a wide range of sporting activities including fitness
activities, Strolling/Walking/Cycling for leisure or travel and dance.
The school PE classes were excluded whilst sports club activities at schools
and workplaces were included.
■ Estimated participantsLeaving method:
The survey oﬃcials visit respondents, distributing a paper-based questionnaire andhaving the respondents ﬁll out the questionnaire within a certain period. Then, thesurvey oﬃcials return to the respondents to collect the questionnaire.

5 Survey sample
3,000（Male : 1,503, Female : 1,497）
18・19 years old 75（Male : 41, Female : 34）
20-29
374（Male : 193, Female : 181）
30-39
437（Male : 223, Female : 214）
40-49
582（Male : 299, Female : 283）
50-59
529（Male : 267, Female : 262）
60-69
489（Male : 241, Female : 248）
70 and over514（Male : 239, Female : 275）

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey● Annual changes in sports and physical activities

Date
Produced by
Published by

Estimated sports participants are calculated by applying the rate of regularsports and physical activities participation over the past year to the total
population of those 18 and over (105,448,713 people in Japan).
■ Level of participation in sports and physical activities

In this survey, the participation in sports and physical activities are divided into
the following levels; “Level 0” for those who did not participate in any sports orphysical activities for the past year; “Level 1” for those who participated at least
once during the year, but less than twice a week; “Level 2” for those who
participated at least twice a week; “Level 3” for those who participated at least
twice a week with a duration of “more than 30 minutes”; and “Level 4” for those
who participated at least twice a week, duration of “more than 30 minutes”, andwith more than moderate intensity.

31 Dec. 2022
Kazutoshi Watanabe
Sasakawa Sports Foundation
1-2-2 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 Japan
Phone. +81‑3‑6229‑5300 FAX. +81‑3‑6229‑5340
URL. https://www.ssf.or.jp/ Email. data@ssf.or.jp

Printed by
Cover Designed by

Nihon Publicity Co.,Ltd.
Atsuhiko Sanbongi©Sasakawa Sports Foundation, 2022 Printed in Japan

Annual changes in sports and physical activities
Annual changes in sports and physical activities
At least once a year

（%）
100

At least once a week

At least twice a week

Active sports participant

90
80

65.9

70
60
50

50.9 51.4
40.6

40
30
20
10
0

31.5
23.7
16.1
6.6

1992

21.7
7.6
1994

65.7
45.4
35.2

70.7
51.4
40.8

68.0
49.7
40.0

73.4
55.4
45.3

68.3
51.5
41.9

72.1
56.4
45.5

76.0

74.4

73.7

72.4

74.0

73.3

72.9

59.0

59.1

57.2

56.0

57.9

59.5

58.5

49.1

49.3

47.5

45.1

47.8

49.9

49.1

18.4

20.0

18.7

19.6

20.7

22.1

20.2

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022（year）

27.8
9.1 13.0
1996

1998

17.6
2000

13.3
2002

16.1

15.9

17.4

2004

2006

2008

（n=1,640）（n=1,596）（n=1,571）（n=2,322）（n=2,232）（n=2,267）（n=2,288）（n=1,867）（n=2,000）（n=2,000）（n=2,000）（n=2,000）（n=3,000）（n=3,000）（n=3,000）（n=3,000）
Note 1: Until 2014, the survey targeted people aged 20 and over; starting in 2016, it targeted those aged 18 and over.
Note 2: Active sports participant is Level 4 people (those who participated for at least 30 minutes twice a week at moderate intensity or greater).

72.9% of people participated in sports and physical activities at least once in 2022.

The percentage of those who participated in sports and physical activities at least once a week has risen since 1992, from 23.7% to 58.5% in 2022.
Furthermore, the percentage for sports participation at least twice a week in 2022 was 49.1%, continuing its increase from 16.1% recorded in 1992.

The rate of active sports participants was 20.2%, exceeding 20% for three consecutive surveys since 2018. It is three times more than 1992 at 6.6%.

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

1Levels of sports and physical activities
Definition of levels

Level
Level 0Level 1
Level 2

Definition

Level 420.2%

No sports/physical activities
at all for the past year

21.30 million estimatedparticipants

Level 3At least once a year, but less than
twice a week (1-103 times a year)

19.3%

20.35 million
estimatedparticipants

At least twice a week(at least 104 times a year)

Level 3At least twice a week andat least 30 min at a time

Level 4At least twice a week, at least
30 min at a time, and at moderateintensity at least slightly hard(Active sports
participant)Levels of sports and physical activities

Level 210.02 million
estimated participants

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

27.1%

28.58 million estimatedparticipants

Level 1

23.9%

25.20 million
estimatedparticipantsNote: The estimated number of participants was calculated by multiplying
the total population of individuals aged 18 and over (105,448,713 people
according to the basic resident register as of January 1, 2021) by thepercentage for each participation level.

27.1% of people (28.58 million) were Level 0 for those who did not participate in any
sports or physical activities for the past year. 23.9% of people (25.20 million) were
Level 1; 9.5% (10.02 million) were Level 2; 19.3% (20.35 million) were Level 3; and20.2% (21.30 million) were Level 4 that is defined as the active sports participantgroup.

2

9.5%

Level 0

Levels of sports and physical activities:
By gender
Level 0Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Levels of sports and physical activities:
By ageLevel 0Level 4

18-19

16.0

(n=75)

Male

24.8(n=1,503)

26.1 8.3 18.0 22.9

29.3

21.6 10.8 20.7 17.6

20

40

60

80

100
（%）

5.3 9.3

Level 4

46.7

30.7

5.3 16.3

21.7

30-39

28.6

31.8

8.0 15.3

16.2

40-49

23.5

30.1

12.5

18.7

15.1

50-59

30.1

24.8

10.2 15.3

19.7

60-69

27.4

19.0

21.1

21.7

70 and over

28.8

8.9 8.9

29.6

40

60

(n=529)(n=489)(n=514)0

Level 325.9

(n=582)(n=1,497)

22.7

Level 220-29

(n=374)(n=437)

FemaleLevel 1

0

20

10.8

23.7
80

100
（%）

49.2% of males and 49.1% of females participated in sports and physicalThe percentages of people who participated at least twice a week for the past year

activities at least twice a week for the past year (Level 2 or greater).

(Level 2 or greater) differed by age groups. The highest percentage of Level 2 or greater

On the other hand, the percentage of Level 0—those who did not participate in sports
and physical activities at all for the past year—was 4.5 points higher for females(29.3%) than for males (24.8%).

was 62.2% in the 70 and over age group, whereas the lowest was 39.5% in the

30-39 age group. The 18-19 age group also showed a higher rate of 61.3%. In other age
groups, it ranged from 40 to 55%: 43.3% in the 20-29 age group, 46.3% in the

40-49 age group, 45.2% in the 50-59 age group, and 53.6% in the 60-69 age group.

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

3Types of sports and physical activities
Types of sports and physical activities
Total (n=3,000)
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
15
16
17
18
19
20

Types of sports
Strolling
Walking
Calisthenics and light exercises
Weight training
Jogging/Running
Fishing
Cycling
Golf on a course
Golf practice on a driving range
Bowling
Mountaineering
Jumping rope
Swimming
Badminton
Camping
Yoga
Playing catch
Table tennis
HikingFootballParticipation
（％）
rate

31.8
29.4
17.4
16.4
8.9
7.2
7.0
6.7
6.1
5.5
5.1
5.0
4.8
4.8
4.6
4.5
4.4
4.0
3.5
3.4

Types of sports and physical activities:
By gender
Male (n=1,503)

Estimated participants

Rank

3,353
3,100
1,835
1,729
938
759
738
707
643
580
538
527
506
506
485
475
464
422
369
359

1

Walking2Strolling3

Weight training

4

Jogging/Running

5

Calisthenics andlight exercises

6

Golf on a course

7

Fishing8

Golf practice ona driving range

9

Cycling（in 10,000s）

Note: The estimated number of participants was calculated by multiplying the total
population of individuals aged 18 and over (105,448,713 people according to the basic
resident register as of January 1, 2021) by the percentage for each participation level.

In terms of sports and physical activities performed in the past year, “Strolling” camein the first place at 31.8% (33.53 million), followed by “Walking” at 29.4% (31.00

million), “Calisthenics and light exercises” at 17.4% (18.35 million), “Weight training”
at 16.4% (17.29 million), and “Jogging/Running” at 8.9% (9.38 million).

Types of sports

10 Mountaineering

Participation Rank
rate （％）

28.6
27.3
19.4
12.6
11.8
11.7
11.5
10.2
8.7

6.2

Female (n=1,497)
Types of sports

1

Strolling

2

Walking3

Calisthenics andlight exercises

4

Weight training

5

Yoga

6

Jumping rope

7

Badminton

8

Cycling
Bowling

10 Jogging/Running

Participation
rate （％）

36.4
30.2
23.0
13.4
8.4
6.7
6.1
5.2
5.2

5.1

For both males and females, “Strolling”, “Walking”, “Calisthenics and light exercises”,
and “Weight training” were ranked in the top 5 sports participation. On the other hand,different types of sports and physical activities by gender were listed in subsequent
rankings. Furthermore, the top 4 sports participation rates were higher for females
than for males, whereas the rates of the subsequent rankings were higher for males
than for females.

4

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

Types of sports and physical activities: By age
18‑19（n=75）
Rank
1
2
3
4
7
8

Types of sports
Weight training
Jogging/Running
Strolling
FootballBasketball
Bowling
Walking
Playing catch
Badminton
Volleyball
Baseball

50‑59（n=529）
Rank

Types of sports

1
2
3
4
5

Walking
Strolling
Weight training
Calisthenics and light exercises
Fishing
Cycling
Jogging/Running
Yoga
Golf on a course
Golf practice on a driving range

6
8
9
10

Participation Rankrate（％）

36.0
24.0
21.3
20.0
20.0
20.0
14.7
10.7
10.7
10.7
10.7

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Participation Rankrate（％）

29.3
28.7
16.8
15.3
8.3
7.6
7.6
7.0
6.2
5.5

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

20‑29（n=374）
Types of sports
Strolling
Weight training
Walking
Bowling
Jogging/Running
Badminton
Basketball
Cycling
Playing catch
Calisthenics and light exercises

60‑69（n=489）
Types of sports
Strolling
Walking
Calisthenics and light exercises
Weight training
Golf on a course
Golf practice on a driving range
CyclingFishing
Mountaineering
Jogging/Running

Participation Rankrate（％）

26.7
23.3
20.9
12.6
12.3
9.6
9.1
7.8
7.5
7.5

1
2
3
4
5
7
9

Participation Rankrate（％）

35.2
35.0
21.7
13.3
9.8
7.8
6.7
6.3
5.5
5.3

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

10

30‑39（n=437）
Types of sports
Strolling
Walking
Weight training
Calisthenics and light exercises
Jogging/Running
FishingCamping
Jumping rope
Playing catch
Cycling

Participation Rankrate（％）

34.1
20.1
17.6
12.6
9.8
9.8
7.6
7.6
6.4
6.4

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

9
10

40‑49（n=582）
Types of sports
Strolling
Walking
Calisthenics and light exercises
Weight training
Jogging/Running
Fishing
Cycling
Badminton
Camping
Golf on a course

Participationrate（％）

32.1
30.2
17.2
15.8
12.5
10.0
9.3
9.3
8.1
7.6

70 and over（n=514）
Types of sports
Walking
Strolling
Calisthenics and light exercises
Weight training
Golf on a course
Golf practice on a driving range
Ground golf
Table tennis
HikingCycling
Swimming

Participationrate（％）

39.5
34.8
28.6
10.7
7.8
7.0
5.3
4.9
4.5
4.1
4.1

For those aged 30 and over, “Strolling” and “Walking” were the two most-participated sports. These two sports were also ranked in the top 10 for
the 18-19 and 20-29 age groups, but their first and second places were “Weight training” and “Jogging/Running” for the 18-19 age group, while “Strolling”
and “Weight training” for the 20-29 age group respectively. Furthermore, team sports such as “Football”, “Basketball”, “Volleyball”, and “Baseball” weremainly participated by the 18-19 age group, whilst “Golf on a course” was ranked in the top 10 for those aged 40 and over.

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

5Sports clubs
Sports club membership: Total and by gender
Currently member

Formerly member

Never joinedSports club membership: By age

18-19

Total 16.6

24.0

(n=2,986)

29.3(n=75)

59.4

20-29 15.3

Male 16.9

25.6

61.4

24.6

65.5

40-49 13.4

25.4

61.2

50-59 15.4

24.3

60.3

60-69

19.1

23.5

57.4

70 and over

23.8

21.1

55.1

(n=486)(n=508)

0

20

40

60

80

100
（%）

16.6% of people were current members of sports clubs and 24.0% were former
members. Those who never joined sports clubs were 59.4%.

0

20

40

60

80

100
（%）

The percentage of “Currently member” was the highest at 29.3% in the 18-19 age

group. It decreased to 9.9% of the 30-39 age group through 15.3% of the 20-29

In terms of gender comparison, the percentages of “Currently member” were notage group. Then, it increased with age: 13.4% of the 40-49 age group, 15.4% ofpercentage of “Never joined” (57.5%) that was 3.9 points lower than females (61.4%).

over age group.

different between 16.9% of males and 16.2% of females, whereas males reported a

6

41.3

30-39 9.9(n=527)

Female 16.2 22.4
(n=1,487)

29.3
60.6

(n=582)

57.5

Never joined

24.1(n=373)(n=435)(n=1,499)

Formerly member

Currently member

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

the 50-59 age group, 19.1% of the 60-69 age group, and 23.8% of the 70 andTypes of sports clubs: Total and by gender
Community groups and clubs
Workplace clubs

Total(n=494)Male(n=253)

Private clubs

Alumni clubs

Friends and acquaintances' clubs

30.8

24.3 8.5 28.9

28.9

3.6
15.0 13.8

Others32.8

Female(n=241)02040(n=43)

80

100
（%）

Alumni clubs

13.6

15.8

21.1

10.5
20.9

4.7

22.7

Others

22.7
31.6

7.0

23.3

25.6

4.7
5.1

40-49

30.8

17.9 3.8 11.5

30.8

50-59

27.2

32.1

28.4

(n=81)

3.76.2

60-69

39.8

32.3

70 and over

39.2

25.8

(n=93)

2.9

4.5 13.6

20.9

30-39

(n=78)

24.5
60(n=57)

Private clubs

Friends and acquaintances' clubs

22.7

20-29 14.0

4.7
2.9 2.9

Workplace clubs

18-19

33.2

34.0

Community groups and clubs(n=22)

3.8

4.3

Types of sports clubs: By age(n=120)

0

20

40

2.2
0.80.8

60

25.8
31.7
80

2.5

1.7

100
（%）

“Community groups and clubs” showed the highest membership rate at 30.8%,“Community groups and clubs” showed a higher membership rate at 39.8% in the

The sports club membership types differed by gender. For males, “Friends andage groups. On the other hand, “Workplace clubs” was higher in the 20-29 age group“Community groups and clubs” at 28.9%. On the other hand, “Private clubs” was the“Private clubs” was joined by the 50-59 (32.1%) and 60-69 (32.3%) age groups

followed by “Friends and acquaintances' clubs” at 28.9%, and “Private clubs” at 24.3%.
acquaintances' clubs” was the highest membership rate at 33.2%, followed byhighest at 34.0% for females, followed by “Community groups and clubs” at 32.8%.

60-69 age group and at 39.2% in the 70 and over age group compared to other(21.1%) and in the 30-39 age group (23.3%) than in other groups. Furthermore,
more than by others.

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

7Sports spectating
Live sports spectating at the venue:
Total and by genderLive sports spectating at the venue: By age

18-19

19.3

Total

(n=3,000)

30.7(n=75)

20-29

20.3

30-39

20.8

(n=374)(n=437)

40-49

23.2

Male

(n=1,503)

23.9(n=582)

50-59

18.3

(n=529)15.4

Female(n=1,497)

60-69

16.0

70 and over

14.6

(n=489)(n=514)

0

20

40
（%）

20

40
（%）

The percentage of people who attended a live sporting event at the stadium or arena

The rate of live sports spectating at the stadium or arena was the highest at 30.7%

7.8 points higher than 15.4% of females.

30-39 age group, 20.3% in the 20-29 age group. Those aged 50 and over showedin the past year was 19.3%. In terms of gender comparison, 23.2% of males wasThis trend of males with more attendance to a live sporting event than females hasremained unchanged since the first survey of this item in 1994.

80

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

in the 18-19 age group, followed by 23.9% in the 40-49 age group, 20.8% in thea relatively low percentage of less than 20.0%: 18.3% in the 50-59 age group,

16.0% in the 60-69 age group, and 14.6% in the 70 and over age group.

Types of live spectating sports at the venue
Total (n=3,000)
Rank

Types of sports

①

②

③

Attendance Estimated Frequency Estimated annual
rate （%） spectators （times/year） total（①×②）（in 10,000s）（in 10,000s）

1Professional
baseball (NPB※)

8.7

917

2.74

2,513

2

Professional football(J.LEAGUE)

3.0

316

2.93

926

3

High school baseball

2.8

295

3.29

971

4

Football(high school, university,
JFL, WE LEAGUE, etc.)

1.3

137

3.49

478

5

Professional basketball(B.LEAGUE)

1.0

105

2.50

263

Note: The estimated number of spectators was calculated by multiplying the total
population of individuals aged 18 and over (105,448,713 people according to the basic
resident register as of January 1, 2021) by the percentage of each attendance rate.
※NPB: Nippon Professional Baseball

Types of live spectating sports at the venue:
By gender
Male (n=1,503)
Rank

Types of sports

Attendance
rate （%）

1Professional
baseball (NPB※)

5.8

High school
baseball

4.2

2

2.0

Professional
football(J.LEAGUE)

Professional
football(J.LEAGUE)

3.9

3High school
baseball

1.5

1.4

4

Football(high school, university,
JFL, WE LEAGUE, etc.)

1.2

1.3

5

Professional
baseball (NPB※)

2
3

5

Types of sports

11.6

1

4

Attendance
Rankrate （%）

Female (n=1,497)

Professional
basketball(B.LEAGUE)

Martial arts
(boxing, mixed
martial arts, etc.)

Football(high school, university,
JFL, WE LEAGUE, etc.)

Basketball(high school, university,
W LEAGUE, etc.)

1.0

1.3

※NPB: Nippon Professional Baseball“Professional baseball (NPB)” recorded the highest attendance rate at 8.7%.

For both males and females, “Professional baseball (NPB)” recorded the highest

at 2.8%, “Football (high school, university, JFL, WE LEAGUE, etc.)” at 1.3%, andbaseball” at 4.2% and “Professional football (J.LEAGUE)” at 3.9% for males, while

It was followed by “Professional football (J.LEAGUE)” at 3.0%, “High school baseball”“Professional basketball (B.LEAGUE)” at 1.0%. These were the top 5 sports with thehighest attendance rate.

attendance rate at 11.6% and 5.8% respectively. It was followed by “High school
it was followed by “Professional football (J.LEAGUE)” at 2.0% and “High school

baseball” at 1.5% for females.

Aside from baseball, football, and basketball, “Martial arts (boxing, mixed martial arts,etc.)” was ranked in the top 5 for males for the first time since the survey started.

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

9Sports spectating
Types of sports watching on TV: Total and by gender
Total (n=3,000)
Rank

1
2

Types of sports

Professional baseball（NPB※1）

Japan national football teamgames (including the Olympics
and Nadeshiko Japan※2)

Male (n=1,503)
ViewingRankrate（%）

46.0

1

36.8

2

34.8

Types of sports

Professional baseball（NPB※1）

Female (n=1,497)
ViewingRankrate（%）

Types of sports

Viewingrate（%）

55.9

1

Figure skating

42.4

Japan national football teamgames (including the Olympics
and Nadeshiko Japan※2)

42.6

2

Professional baseball（NPB※1）36.0

3High school baseball

37.1

3

Marathon/
Ekiden road relay

35.1

Marathon/
Ekiden road relay

34.5

4

Japan national football teamgames (including the Olympics
and Nadeshiko Japan※2)

30.9

3

Marathon/
Ekiden road relay

4

High school baseball

33.9

4

5

Figure skating

30.2

5

Major League Baseball
(MLB)

31.0

5

High school baseball

30.7

20.3

Didn't watch any sports on TV

16.6

Didn't watch any sports on TV

24.0

Didn't watch any sports on TV※1 NPB: Nippon Professional Baseball※2 Nadeshiko Japan: Women's national teamRegarding sports that were watched on TV in the past year, the most popular was “Professional baseball (NPB)” at 46.0%, followed by“Japan national football team games (including the Olympics and Nadeshiko Japan)” at 36.8%, “Marathon/Ekiden road relay” at 34.8%,“High school baseball” at 33.9%, and “Figure skating” at 30.2%.

For males, “Professional baseball (NPB)” was the most watched on TV at 55.9%, followed by “Japan national football team games (including
the Olympics and Nadeshiko Japan)” at 42.6%, and “High school baseball” at 37.1%. On the other hand, for females, “Figure skating” wasthe most watched at 42.4%, followed by “Professional baseball (NPB)” at 36.0%, and “Marathon/Ekiden road relay” at 35.1%.

10 The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

Sports volunteering
Sports volunteering: Total and by gender
Participation rate

Total

Participation rate

Rate of desire to participate

18-19（n=75）

4.2(n=2,999)

Sports volunteering: By age（n=374）5.5

4.1

40-49（n=582）

4.1（n=582）13.0(n=1,502)

Female（n=527）10.6（n=489）

9.8
2

12.9

60-69（n=489） 3.9(n=1,494)
08.7

50-59（n=529） 3.4

2.9(n=1,497)

15.0

30-39（n=437）（n=437）

Male

4

6

8

12

14
（%）

4.2% of people participated in sports volunteering in the past year.
The rate has slightly decreased compared to the first survey in 1994 at 6.1%.

In terms of gender comparison, 5.5% of males and 2.9% of females participated in
sports volunteering. The trend of males with a higher volunteer participation rate thanfemales was also seen in past surveys.

9.6

70 and over（n=513）

5.5

0

5

（n=512）

10

33.3

20-29（n=374） 3.5

11.4(n=1,502)

9.3（n=75）(n=2,996)

Rate of desire to participate

8.8
10

15

20

25

30

35
（%）

The sports volunteering participation rate was the highest for the 18-19 age group(9.3%), followed by the 70 and over age group (5.5%).

The rate of desire to participate in sports volunteering activities was also the highest
for the 18-19 age group (33.3%), followed by the 20-29 age group (15.0%), andthe 40-49 age group (12.9%).

The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

11Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ)
Sufficient physical activities for healthaccording to the WHO recommendations ※ :Total and by gender

Total

53.6

(n=2,977)

Male

Female

0

20

40

333.8

Male

348.9

Female318.6(n=1,503)

46.4(n=1,487)

Total(n=3,000)

60.7(n=1,490)

The amount of time spent being sedentary(Sedentary behaviours): Total and by gender(n=1,497)

60

80（%）

0

100

200

300

※The WHO recommendations: Adults aged 18 and over should do at least 150-300
minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; or at least 75-150 minutes ofvigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderateand vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week.

Overall, 53.6% of people met the WHO recommendations on physical activities for

400

500
（min/day）

The time spent being sedentary includes any time spent sitting or reclining on ahealth.

typical day, but does not include time spent sleeping. Overall, 333.8 min/day on

There was a difference in gender comparison. Males accomplished theaverage (about five and a half hours) was reported as the amount of time spent being

recommendations by 60.7%. In contrast, the rate of accomplishing therecommendations among females was 46.4%, which was 14.3 points lower thanthat of males.

12 The 2022 SSF National Sports-Life Survey

sedentary. Regarding the time by gender, it was 30.3 min/day higher for males(348.9 min/day) than for females (318.6 min/day).

A think tank whose every dream and action is taken with the future in mind.
The activities of the Sasakawa Sports Foundation (SSF) are aimed at creating a "Sport for Everyone society"in which everyone enjoys sports in a manner that fits their own lifestyle and interests.
The role of the community in people’s lives has been shrinking over the years, and kids are growing up withfewer opportunities to interact with those in different age groups. The rapid graying of the population ispushing up health- and nursing-care costs, exacerbating already strained fiscal resources. These are issues
confronting not just Japan but also an increasing number of countries around the world.
We at the Sasakawa Sports Foundation (SSF) believe that one way of tackling these issues is to utilize thepower of sports to build a healthier, more vibrant, and more inclusive society.
Sports can lead to better physical and mental health and can also be used as a communication tool to bridge
differences in age, language, and gender. Our task at the SSF is to help provide an environment where
everyone can participate in sports and expand opportunities for interpersonal contact, thereby energizing
and invigorating both individuals and communities. Such initiatives can not only encourage greater “self-help”
efforts toward better health but also deepen understanding of others, fostering an altruistic desire for “mutualaid” and prompting the government to enhance “public assistance.”
And as people’s engagement with sports and the community increases, they will experience all three facets ofsports: “participate,” “spectate,” and “volunteer.”
To achieve these goals, we undertake research activities to obtain the data needed to develop concrete,effective policy solutions. We then work with individual and organizational partners to implement thosepolicies, actively engaging with the community to gauge their effectiveness and feeding the results back to
our research team. The two pillars of our activities thus act as a feedback mechanism, enabling us to develop
even better, more practical solutions confronting society.
A key component of this virtuous cycle is World Challenge Day—a day on which communities around theworld encourage as many people as possible to be physically active. It provides an opportunity for not only
individual participants to take up physical activity but also the host municipalities to directly engage withlocal residents and to promote good health and stronger community ties.
It has been thanks to our active involvement in Challenge Day that we have been able to conclude
partnership agreements with a number of local governments to jointly develop and implement sports-related
initiatives, and we hope to share the best, most successful practices with many more municipalities both inJapan and around the world.
It is our strong hope that our efforts to address social challenges through the power of sports will trigger
similar initiatives abroad, and we intend to actively offer our insights to organizations sharing the Sports for
All philosophy. At the same time, we seek to incorporate many innovative, promising practices from othercountries, working closely with researchers and professionals around the globe to create a better world for all.

Kazutoshi Watanabe, President
Sasakawa Sports Foundation

Outline of activities
1 Research and surveys
The Institute of Sports Policy, established in SSF carries out factfinding surveys, case studies and empirical research.
The institute gathers and analyses quantitative data andadvanced cases in the country as well as overseas, which areessential for the national government and local governments todraft sports policy and for various organizations to plan sports
promotion programs. SSF proactively makes proposals for policies
to governments and for plans to sports organizations, based onevidence obtained from the research and survey.

2 Collaboration with local governments
SSF promotes a nationwide sport program, which aims toencourage people to participate in sports and physical activities,
called Challenge Day. In this program, municipal communities withsimilar size of populations compete over the percentage of theirresidents who did some kind of sports and physical activities
for a minimum of fifteen minutes on the last Wednesday of May.
Through Challenge Day, SSF is able to forge closer links withlocal governments and other organizations, and to verify thatsports are beneficial in building local communities and promoting
relationships between people of different generations, and to
propose a system in which individual residents can enjoy sports
in their communities.
Furthermore, in collaboration with local governments who
participate in Challenge Day and with other local governments
nationwide, SSF draws up sports promotion plans for local
communities and offers the results of its surveys and research.

3 Public relations
SSF disseminates the information about its initiatives as
described above, and releases the latest sports information in the
country and overseas that is beneficial for sports policy research,through its official website, social media, symposiums, seminars,
and international conferences.
As part of its public relations activities, SSF publishes the resultsof the National Sport and Lifestyle Survey, which is biannuallyconducted to understand the state of participation andinvolvement in sports by Japanese, by means of a report called
the SSF National Sports-Life Survey.
SSF also brings out and extensively distributes Sport White Paper,in which the latest data in the country and overseas is printed.

The 2022
SSF National Sports-Life Survey
Executive Summary
December 2022, Japan