At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Japanese athletes won a total of 58 medals, including 27 gold medals, setting a new record for the country. Following that, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, they secured 45 medals across 16 major events, including judo, swimming, and shooting. These achievements solidify Japan’s position as a leading sports powerhouse in Asia.
近年来，日本在体育领域的崛起有目共睹。在2021年举办的东京奥运会上，日本运动员共夺得58枚奖牌，其中27枚金牌，创造了历史最佳战绩；紧接着在巴黎2024年奥运会上，他们又收获45枚奖牌，项目涵盖柔道、游泳和射击等16个大项，这些成绩让日本稳居亚洲体育强国前列。
The secret behind this success is Japan’s embrace of the American sports system and business model, especially in baseball and basketball, now key drivers of its rise.
其背后，对美国体育体系经验的学习，特别是在棒球和篮球领域的成功实践，为日本的崛起提供了重要推力。
How did Japan transform from a strong regional contender into a global sports powerhouse in just a few years?
日本是如何在短短几年内从一个强大的地区竞争者转变为全球体育强国的？
From Borrowed Sport to National Obsession
从借鉴运动到全民狂热
In the final moments of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout with a 100 mph fastball, sealing Japan’s 3–2 victory over the United States. How did Japan reach the point where it could produce such iconic moments?
在 2023 年世界棒球经典赛的最后一刻， Shohei Ohtani 以 100 英里时速的快速球三振了 Mike Trout，帮助日本以 3-2 战胜美国。日本是如何达到能够创造这样标志性时刻的境地的？
American sports have left a profound and lasting mark on Japan. Baseball arrived in the late 19th century, and in 1896 the First Higher School (Ichiko) defeated a foreign team. This victory ignited nationwide enthusiasm and spurred its spread in schools. The Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) – Japan’s top professional baseball league, founded in 1950, was modeled on the American system.
美国体育在日本留下了深刻而持久的影响。棒球于 19 世纪末传入日本，1896 年，第一高等学校（Ichiko）击败了一支外国球队。这一胜利点燃了全国的热情，推动了棒球在学校中的普及。日本顶级职业棒球联赛日本职业棒球大联盟（NPB），成立于 1950 年，其模式借鉴了美国体系。
During the Meiji period, as Japan introduced Western-style education, baseball and basketball were added to school curricula. Over time, they took deep root and developed a culture of their own. In baseball, the intense pitcher and batter duel was likened to the martial arts philosophy of “mind, technique, and body.” Iconic events such as the High School Koshien Tournament emerged, carrying national emotion and creating a deeply ingrained “baseball ecosystem.”
在明治时期，随着日本引入西方教育，棒球和篮球被加入学校课程。随着时间的推移，它们深深扎根并形成了自己的文化。在棒球中，激烈的投手与击球员对决被比作武术哲学中的“心、技、体”。高中棒球大赛等标志性赛事的出现，承载着国家情感，并创造了一个根深蒂固的“棒球生态系统”。
Moreover, baseball and basketball have deeply integrated into Japanese popular culture, evolving into highly influential cultural symbols. Numerous films and TV shows have taken them as themes, such as the phenomenon-level manga works Kuroko’s Basketball (黒子のバスケ) and Slam Dunk (スラムダンク) igniting a nationwide basketball craze. These cultural products have significantly expanded the influence of baseball and basketball among young people and even led to cultural exports abroad.
此外，棒球和篮球已深深融入日本流行文化，演变为极具影响力的文化符号。许多电影和电视剧以它们为主题，例如现象级的漫画作品《黑子的篮球》和《灌篮高手》引发了全国性的篮球热潮。这些文化产品极大地扩大了棒球和篮球在年轻人中的影响力，甚至促成了文化输出到国外。
How U.S. Models Transformed Japan’s Baseball and Basketball
效仿美式体系：棒球篮球的革新路径
To enhance competitive levels and league influence, Japan first implemented reforms at the institutional level, addressing issues such as the NPB’s unreasonable injury management system, the rigid seniority-based hierarchy, and the fragmented league structure and disrupted player development pathways in basketball. In 2023, Japan’s men’s basketball team defeated European powerhouses at the World Cup and secured a direct qualification spot for the Paris Olympics, a clear manifestation of the benefits of these reforms.
为了实现竞技水平与联赛影响力的提升，日本首先从制度层面进行革新，针对过去NPB不合理的伤病管理制度、森严的前后辈等级秩序，以及篮球领域中多联赛割裂、球员发展路径断裂等问题展开处理。2023年，日本男篮在世界杯中击败欧洲强队、成功获得巴黎奥运直通资格，正是改革红利的集中体现。
Much of this progress came from adopting elements of the American system. The Japan Basketball Association actively supports players competing overseas, believing the experience strengthens their game, and monitors their progress through regular assessments. Today, Japan has two players in the NBA, one in France’s top league, and several in NCAA Division I. Rui Hachimura, the first Japanese NBA Draft lottery pick, has become a key contributor to his team. The B.League has also formed a strategic partnership with the NBA, bringing in salary caps, draft systems, and foreign head coaches to balance competition and raise technical standards. Yuta Watanabe described the collaboration as a chance to “elevate Japanese basketball to a new level” and expressed hope to see more Japanese players in the NBA. The league’s target is to develop five NBA-caliber players by 2030, and it now ranks second in the world by scale and commercial strength, benchmarking itself against Europe’s top clubs.
这种崛起很大程度上借助于对美国体系的效仿。日本篮球协会积极支持球员赴海外打球，认为这能帮助他们积累更多国际经验，并定期进行检查以跟踪其进步。目前，日本有两名球员在NBA效力，一名在法国联赛，还有几名在NCAA一级联赛。其中，八村垒作为首位通过NBA选秀乐透区进入联盟的日本球员，持续进步，已成为球队重要成员。B.League也与NBA建立了战略合作。渡边雄太在社交媒体上表示：“非常自豪地宣布NBA和B.League全明星周末达成战略合作。合作将包括精英球员培养、交叉推广和商品销售。很高兴能参与将日本篮球提升到新水平，并有望在未来见证更多日本球员登上NBA球场。” B.League的目标是到2030年培养出五名能进入NBA的球员。为此，联盟学习并采用了类似NBA的工资帽和选秀制度，使联赛运作更标准化、竞争更均衡。同时，它又引入了NBA教练体系，聘请外籍主教练带来先进理念。如今，就联赛规模而言，B.League已跃居世界第二，其商业规模与竞争力显著增强，目标直指欧洲顶尖俱乐部。
Baseball has followed a similar path. Since 1998, the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league has operated a posting system modeled on Major League Baseball (MLB), enabling stars like Ichiro Suzuki to join U.S. teams—his 2001 move to the Seattle Mariners came with a three-year, $14 million contract. The system opened doors for more Japanese players abroad while accelerating the domestic league’s marketization, prompting clubs to build professional scouting and negotiation teams. On the training side, players have imported U.S. programs such as Driveline, boosting pitching velocity, control, and injury prevention. These innovations have strengthened team performance and advanced the league’s systematic use of modern sports technology.
同样，日本棒球的进步也借鉴了美国模式。自1998年起，日本职业棒球（NPB）引入了类似美国的Posting System），允许球队通过拍卖将球员送往美国大联盟。凭借此制度，鈴木一朗在2001年得以加盟西雅图水手队，签下三年1400万美元合同。这一机制不仅让更多日本球员进入MLB，也推动了本土联赛的市场化进程，促使NPB成立专业的球探与商务谈判团队。在训练领域，多位NPB球员主动将美国Driveline训练体系等科技手段引入日本，帮助多名投手提升了球速和控球水平。这些新方法使选手在比赛中表现更稳定，提升了球队整体实力，也促进了联赛对现代运动科技的系统化应用。
The Star Effect and Its Echoes
明星效应与回响
The draft system has given young talents a direct path from youth leagues to the world stage. Shohei Ohtani is the standout example. He first gained attention at Hanamaki East High School for his remarkable two-way performance in the Koshien Tournament. After joining the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the NPB, he became a league sensation and later moved to Major League Baseball (MLB), where he won the American League MVP award twice as a historic two-way player for the Los Angeles Angels.
选秀制的引入使得青训时期便崭露头角的青年才俊得以在国际职业联赛中大放光彩，优化其职业路径，使其成为明星球员。如大谷翔平早在花卷东高中就因在甲子园大赛中的惊人投打表现引发关注，加入NPB的北海道日本火腿斗士队后，持续展现其“二刀流”天赋，迅速跻身联赛焦点。此后，他前往美国MLB发展，在洛杉矶天使队实现投打双栖的历史性突破，并两度获得美联MVP。
Japan’s top athletes have also embraced U.S. training innovations, further enhancing their performance. Ohtani, for instance, trained at the Driveline Center in the United States, focusing on pitching velocity, spin rate, and injury prevention. His fastball exceeded 100 mph (161 km/h) after the program, helping him excel in both pitching and batting. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) final, he struck out Mike Trout to secure Japan’s 3–2 victory.
这些顶尖选手还积极引入美国先进的训练体系，反过来推动制度进一步优化。以大谷翔平为例，他主动选择在美国Driveline中心接受现代化训练，专注于提升球速（使用加重球）、旋转率和伤病预防。据《洛杉矶时报》报道，训练后他的投球速度突破100英里（约161公里/小时）。这套体系不仅助他在MLB投打两端取得历史性成就，也显著提升了其竞技状态。在2023年WBC决赛中大谷投出决胜三振，带领日本队夺冠。
Basketball and Baseball Lead the Sports Industry
篮球与棒球双雄引领潮流
Institutional reforms and the star effect have worked in tandem, propelling Japanese baseball and basketball to the forefront of Asia and beyond. Japan has won the WBC three times—2006, 2009, and 2023—beating the United States in the latest final. In basketball, the national team’s sharp execution on the FIBA stage in 2023, especially in clutch moments, has drawn global attention.
制度革新与明星效应交相辉映，不仅助力日本运动员在国际大赛中屡获佳绩，也使日本棒球与篮球逐步走在亚洲甚至世界前沿。特别是在棒球和篮球项目上，日本球员于MLB、NBA赛场的出色发挥，正吸引着越来越多的目光。在棒球赛场上，日本队三度称霸世界棒球经典赛（WBC），分别于2006、2009和2023年夺冠，其中2023年决赛以3比2战胜美国队，成为首支荣膺“棒球世界冠军”称号的球队。篮球方面，日本队在2023年国际篮联篮赛场上多次打出高效表现，尤其是在关键时刻的得分能力，屡屡为球队赢得主动。
Japan’s sports industry is expanding alongside its competitive success. In 2020, sports associations generated nearly 974 billion yen, about 2% of GDP. The NPB drew a record 26 million fans in 2024, averaging 31,132 per game. The 2025 Tokyo Series with MLB averaged 12.1 million viewers per game, saw sponsorship revenue climb 114% year-on-year, and generated $40 million for MLB—an all-time high for its international events.
与此同时，日本的体育产业也在扩大。2020年，其体育协会的收入接近9740亿日元，约占日本GDP的2%。2024赛季，NPB总观众破2600万，单场平均 31,132 人次，创历史新高。在2025年与美国职棒大联盟（MLB）合作的东京系列赛中，光是场均观众便高达1210万人次，仅赞助收入就比前一年增长了114%。同时，MLB官方零售平台 Fanatics报告称本次系列赛商品为美职棒联盟带来约 4,000万美元的收入，其销售额破 MLB 国际赛事历史最高。
Japan’s sustained progress stems from studying, adapting, and innovating on the American professional system, commercial operations, and sports science. While inspired by U.S. methods, Japan’s baseball training emphasizes teamwork and discipline, diverging from America’s focus on individual prowess. This collectivist approach fits Japan’s cultural context and offsets physical disadvantages through tactics. The fusion of imported sports with local values has not only elevated Japan’s competitive level but also embedded sportsmanship deeply into society.
日本体育的持续进步，得益于对美国职业化体系、商业运作模式及科技训练方法的长期学习、吸收与本土化创新。在棒球领域，日本在借鉴美国制度的同时，发展出更强调团队协作与纪律性的训练体系，形成了区别于美国以个人能力为核心的风格。这种集体主义导向既契合日本社会的文化背景，也在技战术层面弥补了身体条件等先天短板。舶来运动与本土文化的有机融合，不仅提升了竞技成绩，也推动了体育精神在社会中的广泛传播。
