<p>I did not find information that could confirm an exact direct link, but I did find some statistics being mentioned in a website (link below) but I didn't find the references for that site.</p>
<p>Tsubasa manga started serialisation in 1981 and the anime came to be at around 1983. In 1981 the number of registered footballers in Japan was 68,900. 7 years later the number rose to 240,000.</p>
<p>The J.League was formed in 1992/1993, which was 10 years later.</p>
<p>It can be correlated that after the manga/anime interest in football increased in young people in Japan, but I couldn't find a study that directly stated that.</p>
<p>I've found a book (but I don't have access) that could help with your curiosity called &quot;The development of football in Japan&quot; By John Horne, Derek Bleakley.</p>
<p>Maybe someone else can shed some more light regarding this issue, but from what I've read it seems the Manga helped spark the initial increase of interest and then the investment/bet made to profissionalize the association/league etc might have helped to keep growing that popularity.</p>
<p>For more information, see:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203603376-8/development-football-japan-john-horne-derek-bleakley" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The development of football in Japan</a> (listing on Taylor &amp; Francis)</p>
</li>
<li><p><a href="https://realkm.com/2024/01/30/how-japan-revolutionized-football-with-knowledge/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">How Japan revolutionized football with knowledge</a></p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-04T08:49:06.460Z
2024-10-04T23:18:05.993Z
2024-10-04T23:18:05.993Z
nunofmendes
<p>I want to write one more answer by providing some more reference. But yes, it is indeed true - &quot;<strong>Captain Tsubasa made football popular in Japan</strong>&quot;.</p>
<p>Starting from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_in_Japan" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The first worldwide popular association football-oriented Japanese animation (manga) series, Captain Tsubasa, was started in 1981. Captain Tsubasa was extremely popular among children of both genders in Japan. Its success led to much more association football manga being written, and it played a great role in association football history in Japan. Playing football became more popular than playing baseball in many schools throughout Japan from the 1980s due to the series.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Although no citation was given, this can be easily referenced from <a href="https://realkm.com/2024/01/30/how-japan-revolutionized-football-with-knowledge/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this article</a> which the other answerer already referenced along with some statistics. It was popular and easy to follow because it not only delivered the basics of football techniques and strategies but also showcased the players’ mindset, teamwork, and competitive spirit. Serving as an information medium, it effectively conveyed the culture and knowledge of football to a vast young audience.</p>
<p>And from then onwards, <a href="https://www.japannakama.co.uk/the-power-of-football-in-anime/?srsltid=AfmBOopK0o-SH6l6x8X1tk2Gg9TZRTZRnoCu4myXHci6ZA7KtMWWh_um" rel="nofollow noreferrer">more shows</a> related to football emerged and the nation called it <a href="https://armchairjapanophile.wordpress.com/2014/09/23/sakka-pop-cultcha/" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Sakka Cultcha</em> (Soccer Culture)</a>.</p>
<p>I want to focus on Blue Lock as it is the most recent anime and trending now (Season 2 trailer just aired). Blue lock became so popular that the 2022 World Cup Football team jersey was based on the the anime and they were referred as &quot;Blue Samurai/Samurai Blue&quot;. From <a href="https://www.spin.ph/life/guide/why-should-football-fans-watch-blue-lock-a4981-20230210" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>BLUE LOCK'S SURGE in popularity can largely be attributed to the Japan National Football Team or the Samurai Blue’s Cinderella run at the 2022 World Cup. The performance leapfrogged them to Rank 20 in the world. After all, the dashing blue kit worn by the Japanese football heroes were designed in collaboration with Blue Lock’s illustrator, Yusuke Nomura.</p>
<p>Fans of anime and football all over the world were raving about the fictional Blue Lock program as the reason for the Samurai Blue’s success. But it really was the adaptable genius of head coach Hajime Moriyasu and the heroics of players such as Ritsu Doan and Maya Yoshida who helped forge the memorable campaign for Japan.</p>
<p>It’s been a minute since the World Cup 2022 ended but the Blue Lock anime continues to push the ball forward and still remains on track to become one of the best sports football animes of all time.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The National Team performance was so unreal that everybody referred to the phrase <a href="https://threepennypress.org/ae/2022/12/14/the-blue-lock-is-real/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">&quot;Blue Lock is Real&quot;</a>.</p>
<p>Some video references:</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meO6vnleLQk" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Captain Tsubasa: How an anime series changed football in Japan and beyond.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA0jxp1oZmw" rel="nofollow noreferrer">How Did Japan Become So Good at Football?</a></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-05T06:52:21.727Z
2024-10-05T06:52:21.727Z
Fumikage Tokoyami
<p>So I've heard that Captain Tsubasa made football popular in Japan. Until the late 90's, Japan wasnt good at football, but later it was youth world sub champion, many japanese players are playing in Europe specially in Germany, you see actually skilled japanese players like there wasnt in the past, and in the last World Cup they won  against 2 football superpowers (Spain and Germany)</p>
<p>Is it true that Captain Tsubasa made football popular in Japan, or the rise of popularity of football in Japan and the rise of popularity of Captain Tsubasa in a similar period of time is just a coincidence?</p>

<culture><captain-tsubasa>
Is it true that Captain Tsubasa made football popular in Japan?
# Is it true that Captain Tsubasa made football popular in Japan?
Posted by: username_0 on 2024-06-23
So I've heard that Captain Tsubasa made football popular in Japan. Until the late 90's, Japan wasnt good at football, but later it was youth world sub champion, many japanese players are playing in Europe specially in Germany, you see actually skilled japanese players like there wasnt in the past, and in the last World Cup they won against 2 football superpowers (Spain and Germany)

Is it true that Captain Tsubasa made football popular in Japan, or the rise of popularity of football in Japan and the rise of popularity of Captain Tsubasa in a similar period of time is just a coincidence?
**Tags:** culture captain-tsubasa
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2024-07-04. Score: 3
I did not find information that could confirm an exact direct link, but I did find some statistics being mentioned in a website (link below) but I didn't find the references for that site.

Tsubasa manga started serialisation in 1981 and the anime came to be at around 1983. In 1981 the number of registered footballers in Japan was 68,900. 7 years later the number rose to 240,000.

The J.League was formed in 1992/1993, which was 10 years later.

It can be correlated that after the manga/anime interest in football increased in young people in Japan, but I couldn't find a study that directly stated that.

I've found a book (but I don't have access) that could help with your curiosity called "The development of football in Japan" By John Horne, Derek Bleakley.

Maybe someone else can shed some more light regarding this issue, but from what I've read it seems the Manga helped spark the initial increase of interest and then the investment/bet made to profissionalize the association/league etc might have helped to keep growing that popularity.

For more information, see:

* [The development of football in Japan](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203603376-8/development-football-japan-john-horne-derek-bleakley) (listing on Taylor & Francis)
* [How Japan revolutionized football with knowledge](https://realkm.com/2024/01/30/how-japan-revolutionized-football-with-knowledge/)
---
### Answer by username_2 on 2024-10-05. Score: 2
I want to write one more answer by providing some more reference. But yes, it is indeed true - "**Captain Tsubasa made football popular in Japan**".

Starting from [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_in_Japan):

> The first worldwide popular association football-oriented Japanese animation (manga) series, Captain Tsubasa, was started in 1981. Captain Tsubasa was extremely popular among children of both genders in Japan. Its success led to much more association football manga being written, and it played a great role in association football history in Japan. Playing football became more popular than playing baseball in many schools throughout Japan from the 1980s due to the series.

Although no citation was given, this can be easily referenced from [this article](https://realkm.com/2024/01/30/how-japan-revolutionized-football-with-knowledge/) which the other answerer already referenced along with some statistics. It was popular and easy to follow because it not only delivered the basics of football techniques and strategies but also showcased the players’ mindset, teamwork, and competitive spirit. Serving as an information medium, it effectively conveyed the culture and knowledge of football to a vast young audience.

And from then onwards, [more shows](https://www.japannakama.co.uk/the-power-of-football-in-anime/?srsltid=AfmBOopK0o-SH6l6x8X1tk2Gg9TZRTZRnoCu4myXHci6ZA7KtMWWh_um) related to football emerged and the nation called it [*Sakka Cultcha* (Soccer Culture)](https://armchairjapanophile.wordpress.com/2014/09/23/sakka-pop-cultcha/).

I want to focus on Blue Lock as it is the most recent anime and trending now (Season 2 trailer just aired). Blue lock became so popular that the 2022 World Cup Football team jersey was based on the the anime and they were referred as "Blue Samurai/Samurai Blue". From [here](https://www.spin.ph/life/guide/why-should-football-fans-watch-blue-lock-a4981-20230210):

> BLUE LOCK'S SURGE in popularity can largely be attributed to the Japan National Football Team or the Samurai Blue’s Cinderella run at the 2022 World Cup. The performance leapfrogged them to Rank 20 in the world. After all, the dashing blue kit worn by the Japanese football heroes were designed in collaboration with Blue Lock’s illustrator, Yusuke Nomura.
>
> Fans of anime and football all over the world were raving about the fictional Blue Lock program as the reason for the Samurai Blue’s success. But it really was the adaptable genius of head coach Hajime Moriyasu and the heroics of players such as Ritsu Doan and Maya Yoshida who helped forge the memorable campaign for Japan.
>
> It’s been a minute since the World Cup 2022 ended but the Blue Lock anime continues to push the ball forward and still remains on track to become one of the best sports football animes of all time.

The National Team performance was so unreal that everybody referred to the phrase ["Blue Lock is Real"](https://threepennypress.org/ae/2022/12/14/the-blue-lock-is-real/).

Some video references:

1. [Captain Tsubasa: How an anime series changed football in Japan and beyond.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meO6vnleLQk)
2. [How Did Japan Become So Good at Football?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA0jxp1oZmw)
---
