J-Arena - Season 6 / Year 2023

As the only Paralympic sport that allows full body contact, Para Ice Hockey is often referred to in Japan as "martial arts on ice." Japan has a proud history in the sport, having beaten gold-medal favorites Canada to claim silver at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics. After that triumph, Japan struggled to develop a new generation of players, and failed to make an impression in the following three Paralympics. However, efforts to revive the team continue, with players of all ages working together to recapture Paralympic glory.

Parkour competitors harness the natural abilities of running, jumping and climbing to create a sport of artistic, fluid movements. Parkour is a possible candidate for inclusion in the 2028 Olympics and has its roots in military obstacle course training developed in early 20th century France. The sport is growing in popularity and the first-ever Parkour World Championships was held in Japan in October 2022. We introduce Izumi Hikari and Suzuki Tomoya, two world-class Japanese athletes, to outline the philosophy behind this unique discipline.

Japan is home to the Trans Japan Alps Race, a physically and mentally grueling mountain race. Runners must traverse a distance of 415 kilometers through some of Japan's most rugged and unforgiving mountain territory. Passing over peaks that rise to over 3,000 meters in height, the biannual race is considered to be one of Japan's most challenging running events. As we focus on this unique and demanding race, we speak to a four-time winner and a new rival seeking to break his existing course record.

Padel, a sport combining elements of tennis and squash, features dynamic, powerful play in tandem with delicate technique and clever strategies. The Japan women's team, spearheaded by duo Yamada Rio and Kutsuna Maiko, have dominated at a regional level, but awaiting them at the 2022 World Championships was world powerhouse Argentina. Under the careful eye of their Spanish coach Asier Gago Martinez, the two athletes incorporate lessons from their experiences abroad to refine their tactics and continue to test themselves on the world stage.

Kyudo, one of Japan's oldest martial arts, is currently growing in popularity around the world. Its practice incorporates traditional techniques and encourages personal development. One kyudo club in Tokyo attracts many non-Japanese participants. New Zealander Jessica Gerrity, one of the group founders, has achieved much in her five years of practice and promotes the sport on social media. We take a deep dive into this ancient discipline and its aesthetics, and also learn how its unique bamboo bows are created.

In Sport Climbing, competitors scale artificial walls embedded with holds. The sport is growing in popularity around the world and Japan is no exception. As the number of gyms in Japan increases, the quality of climbers is also rising, turning Japan into one of the sport's leading nations. In the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, we speak to top male climber Ogata Yoshiyuki and discuss how Japanese climbers are aiming to improve their competition performance and how changes in the Olympic rules for Sport Climbing have affected their training.

Tricking combines the kicks of martial arts and the flips of gymnastics with the expressive skills of break dancing to produce dynamic and acrobatic performances. While the sport has its origins in the United States, trickers now come from all around the world. Their diverse backgrounds often result in radically different tricking styles which can include anything from capoeira to taekwondo. We speak to three-time World Champion Iwamoto Shosei of Japan about his own journey with tricking, his technique and style, and his views on what makes this sport so special.

Competitive Karuta is a thrilling sport based on a traditional Japanese card game using a set of 100 classical poems known as waka. In recent years, it is gaining fans outside of Japan, thanks to its exposure in manga and anime. The sport demands a wide mix of talents, including a strong memory, fast hand reflexes and stamina. The highest accolade in Competitive Karuta is the title of Meijin. We take a closer look at one Meijin's rise to dominance and explore the appeal of this unique and tensely-fought sport.

Esports has seen extraordinary growth in recent years. Fighting games, one of the most popular genres, require a combined skillset of razor-sharp reflexes, strategical skills, decisiveness and endurance. Japan boasts some of the world's most talented fighting game players and this week we meet Tokido, a player who has stayed at the top for more than 15 years. He looks back on a legendary and dramatic final at EVO2017, a tournament that proved to be a significant turning point in his career.

In Skateboarding Park, skaters have just 45 seconds to impress the judges with tricks in their run around the course. 17-year-old Nagahara Yuro is an up-and-coming Japanese skater known for his technical prowess. At the X Games in 2022, he achieved the best-ever performance by a Japanese Men's Park competitor, placing fourth. The Japan Open, the first Japanese competition of the 2023 season, was held in April. We see how Nagahara fared at the event in the run-up to the selection of the Japanese team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Karate team kata is a form of karate popular around the world and particularly in Japan, where the first All Japan Championship was held in 2022. A team of three performs techniques with precision, synchronization, speed and intensity. One element that sets it apart from the individual discipline is the performance of bunkai, which demonstrates how kata are used in the presence of an opponent. The coordinated displays of bunkai turn karate into an art. We examine this exciting form of karate to better understand its athletic and artistic elements.

Kendama is a traditional Japanese toy made of wood and string. Players must balance the attached ball on one of the kendama's three cups or catch it on the spike. Recently, kendama has evolved into an international urban sport, and more than 3 million people worldwide are said to have taken it up. Today, skilled kendama exponents join us to demonstrate their astounding techniques. We also feature a performance combining kendama with dance and music and see how this Japanese pastime has become a global phenomenon.

In BMX Freestyle Park, riders use a variety of ramps to show off thrilling aerial tricks. Japan is home to world champion Nakamura Rim, and many younger riders are hoping to follow in his footsteps. One up-and-coming rider is 13-year-old Matsuura Aou, who managed to land Backflips at the age of seven. With a potential that goes beyond his years, and after training in Australia, Aou hoped to unveil a new high-level trick at the Japan Cup in June. We follow Aou on his journey to become a future star of BMX Freestyle Park.

Tricklining is a style of Slacklining that is acrobatic and artistic in form. Using a narrow flat line of webbing like a trampoline, Trickliners perform a mesmerizing display of twists, spins and flips. Japanese Trickliners are some of the best in the world and the winner of the 2022 World Cup, teenage wonderkid Nakamura Rikuto, is known for his beauty of movement, dynamic combos and big original tricks. We follow Rikuto in his preparations and efforts for defending his World Cup title.