Esport is taking the world by storm. Many countries are taking part in this trend and professional players at the top of the ranks come from all over the world. It is far from only the Western part of the world that partakes in this. Countries like Japan are also onboard with the many new opportunities available thanks to the internet and technological developments.
Though it has grown rapidly in popularity, eSports can still be seen as a lesser-known type of sport. If asking a random person about eSport, the answer you will get can vary a lot depending on what generation they are from and what their interests are. Many people may have heard of eSports but not that many know exactly what it is. Japan, however, may be one of the countries, where knowledge of this sport is higher.
One of the biggest gaming industries
The reason why eSport might be as more well-known activity in Japan, is due to the fact, that the country has one of the largest gaming industries in the world. Gaming is popular in the country and many well-known games are developed by Japanese developers.
So, the people of Japan are likely to have some knowledge of gaming and many may also be gamers themselves. Japan is largely known as very forward-thinking when it comes to technology and this may play a part in them having such a large gaming industry.
Japan in eSport
Even though gaming is a big part of the country, Japan actually does not score that high on the eSport rankings. In fact, eSport only makes up for a very small percentage of the country’s total gaming revenue. Why could this be?
A reason for eSport not generating as large a revenue as you would think in Japan, may be because of the country’s strict rules when it comes to gambling. A lot of the eSport industry Iis fuelled by betting, and this will naturally be less possible in a country with strict rules on that area. In general, sport betting is almost not a thing in Japan, with only four types of sports being allowed to bet on. And eSport is not among these four.
Looking at the 10 highest earning countries in eSport, Japan is not on the list. However, the popularity and growth of eSport is still to be seen in Japan. The revenue from the industry has grown exponentially in the past few years, so Japan is not completely out of the game.
Keeping up with eSport in Japan
The big interest in gaming in Japan means that you can easily keep up with eSport in the country. Have a look at sites like esportnews.jp to stay updated on the subject.
Even though the revenue percentage coming from eSport is low in Japan, it is worth noting that this is also affected by the fact that the rest of the gaming industry is so large. There is most definitely an interest there, and it should not be hard to find Japanese eSport fans. Japan might be a country worth keeping an eye on for future eSport developments.
Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk/.