July 16, 2025

Japan has a low rate of sports participation. The 2025 Japan Sports Agency survey showed that 52.5% of people took part in sports and physical activities more than once a week while 66.6% are wishing to play sports at least once a week. In the same survey, 77% answered that they “feel a lack of exercise lately”. This trend is especially noticeable among the prime working age population (ages 25-54 years).

The Japanese Communist Party recently conducted a questionnaire survey to find out about people’s needs in regard to sports participation. In the survey, asked about the reason for less or no participation in sports, the most common response was a “lack of time due to work and childcare responsibilities”, which accounted for 40.8% of those surveyed.

The biggest factor that makes it difficult for people to play sports regularly is excessively long working hours. The association between work hours and people’s participation in sports has been recognized globally.

In Japan which has a 52% sport participation rate, workers work 1,948 hours per year, more than 300 hours longer than those in France with an 82% participation rate and Denmark with a 95% rate.

Seeking to achieve shorter working hours along with wage hikes, the JCP calls for reducing the standard workweek from the current 40 to 35 hours. To shorten work hours is the best way to protect people’s health and enable people to enjoy sports activities.