Did you know Japan has a City of Cricket, and that more are starting to pop up. Head of Japan Cricket Association, Alex Miyaji talks us through how Togchigi's Sano City fell in love with Cricket, and how more and more cities are feeling the attraction.  ..read more

parkrun made its way into Japan in 2019 - we talk to one of the key players in parkrun Japan's foundation, Chiaki Okada and find out about how community sport and the parkrun movement are tackling isolation and creating positive social change in Japan. We also hear about the Hikkikomori and aging issues that Japan is experience and discover how realising the joy of movement is helping to manage these issues.,  ..read more

Caz won the world's first ever Paralympic track event in Tokyo 1964. 10 gold medals later she is still working for Paralympics GB and an integral part of the Paralympics movement. Join us as she talks about her time at Tokyo, a missing bronze medal, and how far the Paralympics has come between the Tokyos.  ..read more

We thought Japanese football (soccer) would be just like football in the UK. But we were so wrong. Chris Hough, who created the wonderful Lost in Football gave us a whirlwind tour of the world of Japanese football. There, we found a real push to develop the women's game, a sense of local ownership of teams that other sports in Japan are missing and the glory that is Japanese team names.  Check out Chris' Lost in Football website for more from Chris https://lostinfootballjapan.com/  ..read more

Head of Venues and Cities, Ross Aitken guides us through preparing the host cities and his time living in Japan adapting to the new way of life. We hear all about the amazing story of Kamaishi, a city that went from a devastation in the 2011 tsunami to hosting one of the most exciting rugby games in 2019. We also learn about how to deal with tattooed players, the fear of running out of beer, and the best way to join Tokyo's gay pride parades.   ..read more

Kaito Streets is one of Japan's best sabre fencers, but he used to be one of America's best sabre fencers. In 2016 Kaito made the decision to change from team USA to team Japan and is now agonizingly close to qualifying for Tokyo 2020.  In this episode he speaks to us about changing national banners, why fencing isn't a very popular sport, and his own journey to qualifying for the Olympic games in the time of Covid-19.  ..read more

Despite almost retiring after London 2012 - Japan's wheelchair tennis legend, Yui Kamiji, has gone from strength to strength. She's since claimed 10 single's grand slam titles, 16 doubles grand slam titles and an Olympic bronze medal. Whilst her first gold is in her sights, we chatted to Yui about the importance of strong role models, why the covid crisis gave her some unexpected opportunities and how to be a great doubles partner with someone from another culture.  ..read more

Now Tokyo 2020 is all behind us, was it all worth it? What were the highlights and why were we so quiet during the games? In a special episode, we reminisce about the games, how our guests performed, and talk about what the future hold for sport in Japan and our podcast. Get in touch with us:  JSStoriespod@gmail.com Twitter: @JSStories  Website JapanSportStories.com    ..read more

What captivates millions of Japanese TV viewers to watch 21 university teams run a  210KM course from Tokyo to Hakone every year? Why do people breakdown in tears when they can't hand over their sweaty sash to their team mates? And why doesn't our guest want to ever run the 6th stage of this event?  This episode we find out all about the world of Ekiden, a type of long distance road relay event that isn't unique to Japan, but that has certainly captured the national spirit. We talk to Japan Running News' Brett Larner, one of the leading authorities on Japanese running, about the his ..read more

Mits Nagase made history for Paralympics Japan in Vancouver 2010. He takes us through his incredible journey from his diagnosis, through 4 Winter Paralympic Games, to his life as a Paralympic advisor and talks to us about how life as a Paralympian in Japan has changed.  ..read more