Japan

Football

Title sponsor Credit Saison drove Japanese excitement about the 2021 ‘Saison Card Cup’ U-24 matches against Argentina via a video series tying football passion to everyday life.
Rugby Union
Events

The Japan Rugby Football Union is preparing to usher in a new, more professional era of Japanese rugby union with the launch of the NTT League One on January 7
Football
Sponsorship & Marketing

Japanese telco KDDI has agreed a regional sponsorship deal for Asian Football Confederation national team competitions during the 2021-24 period. KDDI's regional rights cover the territory of Japan
Multi-sport
Sponsorship & Marketing

Olympic Worldwide Partner Toyota will not air commercials in Japan related to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the company has said
Multi-sport
Events

A further two Japanese prefectures have banned spectators from events at the forthcoming summer Olympic Games, with Tokyo 2020 now set to have fans in place at just 3
Baseball
Events

Two-way Japanese superstar to be key focus of MLB's All-Star Game
Football
Sponsorship & Marketing

Japanese video game company Konami said it has dropped French footballer Antoine Griezmann from his role as a brand ambassador following a racism row involving him and his French teammate Ousmane Dembele
Football
Media

Sports streaming service DAZN has strengthened its commitment to women’s football after becoming the official broadcast partner of the Japanese Women Empowerment (WE) League for the next eight years.
Multi-sport
Events

Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, has said that sponsors continue to support the hosting of the Games, despite reports that some Japanese backers have privately called…
Football
Licensing & Merchandising

Spanish LaLiga football club FC Barcelona has agreed a deal with Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten to roll out an exclusive range of club merchandise on its platform
Multi-sport

Nissin Foods, the official Noodle partner of Tokyo 2020, ran an early 2020 regional television and social campaign that aimed to break down the perceived Games-related divide between host city Tokyo and the rest of the country.
Motorsport
Events

Formula 1 is set to continue racing at Suzuka Circuit until at least the 2024 season, after a three-year contract extension was struck for the Japanese Grand Prix
Football
Media

The Dentsu agency has extended its long-running commercial rights relationship in Japan with the Asian Football Confederation to cover the 2021-24 cycle
Swimming

P&G beauty brand SK-II reacted to the pandemic-enforced delay of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by pivoting to a tactical, social-first campaign targeting young Japanese women and fronted by swimmer Rikako Ikee.
Motorsport
Media

DAZN has signed up Japanese Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda as a brand ambassador to promote the OTT subscription platform in Japan
Football
Sponsorship & Marketing

Barcelona and Japanese cosmetics brand Shiseido Men have signed a new two-year sponsorship agreement covering four markets: Japan, Greater China, Italy and Spain
Multi-sport
Sponsorship & Marketing

Uncertainty over the staging of the already delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and diminishing public support for the event in in Japan has dampened the marketing activity of domestic sponsors, according…
Multi-sport
Events

The new Extreme E off-road all-electric series has pushed back its opening race in Saudi Arabia from March to April due to the Covid-19 pandemic - CNA/Reuters