| AFC | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1921 |
| FIFA affiliation | 1929 |
| AFC affiliation | 1954 |
| President | Junji Ogura |
The Japan Football Association, sometimes known as the Japan Soccer Association (Japanese: Nippon Sakkā Kyōkai, 日本サッカー協会), is the governing body responsible for the administration of association football (soccer) in Japan. It is responsible for the national team as well as club competitions.
Contents |
The organisation was founded in 1921 as the Greater Japan Football Association (大日本蹴球協会 Dai-Nippon Shūkyū Kyōkai), and became affiliated with FIFA in 1929. In 1945, the name of the organisation was changed to the Japan Football Association (日本蹴球協会 Nihon Shūkyū Kyōkai); its Japanese name was changed to the current title in 1975. This reflected common use of the word sakkā (サッカー), derived from "soccer", rather than the older Japanese word shūkyū (蹴球; literally "kick-ball"). The word sakkā gained popularity during the post-World War II occupation of Japan by the Allied powers. The association generally translates its name to "Japan Football Association" in English,[1] though "Japan Soccer Association" is also used.[2]
The symbol of the JFA is the Yatagarasu, a mythical three-legged raven that guided Emperor Jimmu to Mount Kumano. Yatagarasu is also the messenger of the supreme Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu.[3]
Association football has become one of the most popular sports in Japan. After the very successful Asia cup, beating China 3-1 in the final, Japan beat Iran 2-1 and qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
To promote the most popular sport of all, football, to the masses all over Japan and to pass the ball of friendship in Asia and worldwide, the Japan Football Association(JFA) pledges to live by the following Code of Conduct, as the JFA progresses towards its 100th anniversary in 2021.
All of us involved with JFA will work hand in hand with those dedicated to sports and will play an active role in accomplishing our goal. We will endeavor to have football and all other sports become accepted as an essential part of our daily lives and to help create a society in which our children will grow up with dignity and respect as they develop into their roles as leaders of the 21st century.
Motto: Green Grass and A Ball Expands the Circle of Friendship
Japan has one of the highest sponsorship incomes for a national squad. In 2006 their sponsorship income amounted to over 16.5 million pounds.
Primary sponsors include Kirin, Adidas, Panasonic, Saison Card International, FamilyMart, Fujifilm, ANA, Bank of Yokohama, NTT DoCoMo and Nissan.[4]
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||