Ice hockey in Japan

Ice hockey in Japan
Country Japan
Governing body Japan Ice Hockey Federation
National team Men's national team;
Women's national team
Clubs Asia League Ice Hockey

Ice hockey is a minor sport that is gaining popularity in Japan.[1][2][3] Baseball and football have been the dominant Japanese sports for decades, but ice hockey in Japan started in the 1920s.[4] The Japan Ice Hockey League (JIHL) was the national league in the country from 1966-2004, when it folded in favor of the multi-national Asia League. Since 1933, a cup competition, the All Japan Ice hockey Championship has been held. A women’s counterpart has been held since 1982. Japan has men’s, women’s and junior national teams. The Japan women's national team qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.[5][6][7][8][9]

References

  1. "'Samurai' Boost Japanese Hockey". Wsj.com. 1998-02-11. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  2. "CWHL's Japanese skaters driven by passion for Olympic hockey podium". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  3. Bob Birge (2013-03-25). "Former Oiler Terai adjusting to hockey and life in Japan". The Hour. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  4. "Former NHLers find hockey adventure in Japan". NHL.com. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  5. "Women's ice hockey team "Smile Japan" chase Olympic dream - Olympic News". Olympic.org. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  6. Samer Kalaf (2013-12-18). "Japan's Women's Hockey Team Is The Lovable Underdog Of The Olympics". Deadspin.com. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  7. Meadows, Mark (2009-04-01). "Ice hockey-Japan's 'Bunnies' boiled by economic crisis". Blogs.reuters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  8. Watanabe, Tadashi. "Women's ice hockey team banking on Sochi". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  9. "Japan's ice hockey women chase Olympic dream". Al Jazeera English. 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2016-10-18.


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