Leisure Programmes & Entertainment

In Japan, there are many types of leisure programmes and entertainment.

Sports
Sumo is Japan’s national sport which is a special type of wrestling of ancient origin that dates back to almost 300 years ago. It is a performance to entertain the Shinto gods in the past and today, it is practised in high schools and colleges. A wrestler wins when the opponent is being forced out of the centre of the circle or when any part of the opponent’s body other than the feet soles touch the surface of the ring (Dohyo). There are six tournaments of grand Sumo held annually. Yokozuna is known to be the grand champion of the tournament.


Karaoke
Karaoke, which literally means “empty orchestra”, is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in Japan since the 1970s. It has now spread into many other countries in the world.

In the past, Karaoke machines in the hostess bars were equipped with recording tapes and microphones, which is a form of entertainment for the Japanese. Customers had to take turns to use the microphone during that period of time.

In the 1980s, the introduction of compact and laser disc and private rooms that are sound-proofed allow more people to sing at the same time, without having to wait for their turn to sing. Karaoke then gained a huge popularity and became a popular form of entertainment. Besides the Japanese World War II military songs, the selection of songs increases to include many different songs from other countries.

Today, karaoke became so popular that it can be found in many schools in Japan where the kids will be able to sing in their music rooms.

Pachinko
Pachinko is a popular Japanese vertical pinball game. Pachinko parlors can be found almost everywhere in Japan. It is an inexpensive form of entertainment where the winners will get tickets in exchange for prizes such as a pack of cigarettes or a candy box etc. Nowadays, a large amount of money is involved when playing this game, as people can gain or lose more than a hundred thousand yen.


Hot Springs
Natural hot springs (Onsen) is very popular in Japan. There are many different types of hot springs in every region of Japan. The type of minerals in the water differs for each type of hot spring and they are beneficial to health. Soaking in the hot spring will help people to relax their body and mind. Hot spring baths are usually found in ryokan or public bath houses.

Manga
Manga which refers to Japanese Comics books and magazines are extremely popular in Japan since the 1970s. In the mid-1990s, almost one-third of the books and magazines published are for cartoons and comic strips. It is so popular that more than fifty comic magazines are published weekly, biweekly or monthly. There are many types of comic magazines, catering to youths, adults, girls and boys. In Japan, cartoons and comic strips are not only popular in the form of magazines; they are also popular on television and movie theatres.