Japan and Cricket: Why? Here is why!

I have always wondered (given how seriously we are about soccer and cricket) if wars couldn't be resolved with sports teams vs. tankers!

I was in Japan recently on work. One of Vymo Asia 's local partners is also a sponsor of the Japan women’s cricket team; and I had the opportunity to interact with the players one evening. I was a skeptic; why should a country bother with cricket when they already had two well loved sports: soccer and baseball.

Japan's population is amongst the world’s 'oldest', with a median age of 48+ years. Add to this the country’s population declining every year, it is in the middle of a demographic crisis. For example, Sano city (near Tokyo; one of the first cricket grounds) had about 130,000 people a decade ago and is down by ~15%. The population to projected to dip to about half of this in the next 15 years. This means inadequate workforce to support the town.

To address this,? the government is encouraging immigration to ensure a functioning workforce. A large chunk of the immigrants are coming in from South Asian countries. And the onus is on the government to integrate various communities - mitigate resentment and avoid discriminatory sentiments.

How do you do this? What is that one avenue where people come together irrespective of race, culture, religion and status? Sports!

Hence the focus on cricket. Afterall, this game, although not popular in Japan, is extremely popular in many South Asian countries. And as a bonus, cricket is a lucrative business. For example, the Indian Premier League 2022 broadcast deal touched $6 billion - considered one of the largest sports deals in recent years. Top tier cricketer, Virat Kohli’s earnings for this year is pegged at $24 million!

This has led to the Japan Cricket Association wielding the bat. They are actively building a player base, promoting the game in several suburban communities, and finding ways to create a buzz. If Tokyo can build a world class winning cricket team, the country will rally behind a multi-racial team and that would help tighter integration of immigrants into the country's core identity.

Here's wishing the Japan Cricket Association, team and players a bright future! ?