In 1863, the citizens of the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan, played their first cricket match in Yokohama. Decades later, in 2026, cricket is seeing an exponential rise in popularity in the archipelago, with Japan set to come face-to-face with the cricketing titan of the subcontinent: India.
Until the 1980s, cricket in Japan was played solely by expatriates; however, due to the advent of baseball around the same time, as in America, baseball overtook cricket as the sport of the masses by the turn of the 20th century, with first-class cricket’s longer playing duration and requirement for a specially prepared playing surface working against it, and American interactions with Japan supporting the rise of baseball as a trans-Pacific pastime.
In 1984, the Japanese Cricket Association (JCA) was formed and became an affiliate member of the ICC and IWCC in 1989 and 1995 respectively. The first major international tournament for the national men’s team was the 1996 ACC Trophy in Malaysia, while the national women’s team made its debut at the 2003 IWCC Trophy in the Netherlands.
Why Japan’s Uptake Matters to Cricket’s Global Growth
Japan, though no great shakes in cricket, is a strategically important nation with regard to hosting sporting events. Over the years, it has hosted the Olympics (2021), the World Aquatics Championships (2021), the World Athletics Championships, and now it is all set to stage the Asian Games. The ICC, no wonder, is showing great interest in the growth of the game in the country, so that it can make the most of Japan’s excellent hosting capabilities.
William Glenwright, ICC’s General Manager – Development, told Cricbuzz, “So part of our longer-term strategic planning with Japan is how do we work with them to build up their capabilities to host larger ICC events, and potentially one day, you know, years down the track, there might be an opportunity to host or co-host a Youth World Cup or something as part of a bigger plan.”
The Suzuki Cup: The Bilateral Beneficiary
As the Indian Men’s Team gears up for their Tour of Japan, called the Suzuki Cup, the story goes beyond just cricket. The one-off T20I match, taking place on the 22nd of September 2026, Tuesday, will be held at Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture and is the first step of the ‘Sport 75’, an initiative that stems from an agreement reached between Indian Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a summit.
This particular game of cricket goes beyond the boundary, beyond the traditional bat-and-ball saga on the field. The Suzuki Cup aims to promote human exchanges and cooperation between the two participating nations in the field of sports, taking note of India’s ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2036.
JCA CEO Naoki Miyaji commented on this historic occasion, saying, “To be able to invite the reigning World Champions to the home of cricket in Japan is a landmark moment for our association. We thank the BCCI for working with us towards this goal and greatly look forward to welcoming the passion of Indian cricket fans, and we actively encourage any local Japanese people curious about cricket to come and cheer on our team in what will be a truly memorable occasion.”
Japan can be the next big thing in world cricket
As cricket gains higher global popularity, it extends its moods of joy, celebration, and sometimes loss across the world. For the diaspora of various countries, it is a chance to see their cricketing idols in the countries they are living in and a piece of home to experience far from it. Such matches can provide the much-needed push the sport needs to gain traction in sports-watching communities across the planet, to be able to bring a piece of home to everyone.
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