| Australian rules football in Japan | |
|---|---|
| Country | Japan |
| Governing body | AFL Japan |
| National team(s) | Japan |
| First played | 1910, Tokyo |
| Registered players | 575 (total) 575 (adult) |
| Clubs | 15 |
Club competitions | |
Tokyo Open League Tokyo University League Japan Osaka Australian Football League Nippon Australian Football League | |
Audience records | |
| Single match | 25,000 (1986). Carlton v. Hawthorn (Yokohama Stadium, Kanagawa) |
Australian rules football in Japan describes the development of the team sport which dates back to 1910, but found its roots in the late 1980s mainly due to the influence of Australian Football appearing on Japanese television.[citation needed]
Japan competes regularly at international level and Japan's national team, the Samurai, has defeated amateur Australian clubs on numerous occasions. Japan has competed in all AFL International Cups, its highest placing was 8th in 2008 and it is currently seeded in Division 2. Japan also fields an all-university side, the Warriors, in Division 2 of the Asian Australian Football Championships reaching 4th in 2019.[1]