Sports in Tokyo

Tokyo is a major center for sports in Japan. Its professional sports teams compete in baseball, football (soccer), sumo and basketball. It hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Overview

Two professional baseball clubs make their home in Tokyo. They are the Yakult Swallows (at Meiji-Jingu Stadium) and Yomiuri Giants (at Tokyo Dome).

The Japan Sumo Association is also headquartered in Tokyo at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo arena where three official sumo tournaments are held annually (in January, May, and September).

Football clubs in Tokyo include FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy, both of which play at Ajinomoto Stadium in Chōfu.

Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics. National Stadium, also known as Olympic Stadium, Tokyo is host to a number of international sporting events. With a number of world-class sports venues, Tokyo often hosts national and international sporting events such as tennis tournaments, swim meets, marathons, American futbol exhibition games, judo, and karate. In 2013, Tokyo was announced as the host of the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, in Sendagaya, Shibuya, is a large sports complex that includes pools, training rooms, and a large indoor arena.

Tokyo Dome, home ground of Yomiuri Giants

Nippon Budokan arena

Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo wrestling arena

Sports teams in Tokyo

Football (soccer)

• F.C. Tokyo (J1 League)
• Tokyo Verdy (J2 League)
• Machida Zelvia (J2 League)
• Tokyo Musashino City FC
• Tokyo 23 FC
• Tokyo Soccer Club
• F.C. Korea

Baseball

• Yomiuri Giants
• Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Basketball

• Hitachi SunRockers
• Toyota Alvark Tokyo (Fuchū)
• Tokyo Excellence (Itabashi)
• Tokyo Apache (Yoyogi National Gymnasium II)

Volleyball

• NEC Blue Rockets (Fuchū)

Rugby

• Ricoh Black Rams (Setagaya)
• Suntory Sungoliath (Fuchū)
• Toshiba Brave Lupus (Fuchū)

Tennis

Tokyo hosts one of the ten prestigious Tier I tournaments on the women's tennis tour (WTA) and it takes place in September after the US Open. Tokyo also hosts a tennis event on the men's ATP tour.

Olympics

Tokyo Olympic Stadium

Tokyo was scheduled to host the 1940 Summer Olympics, until they were canceled due to the outbreak of World War II. The city subsequently hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics, which was the first time the Olympic Games were held in Asia. On September 7, 2013, Tokyo was elected as the host city of the 2020 Summer Olympics. Tokyo will be the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice.

See also

• Tokyo portal