Market Overview

Based on shipment values, the domestic sporting goods market is expected to reach 1.73131 trillion yen in 2025, a 3.1% increase from the previous year.

However, amid the declining population, it has become difficult to increase demand for sporting goods. Nevertheless, the weaker yen and rising material prices have prompted many manufacturers to raise their list prices, which increased the average unit price. Consequently, the market size by value increased as many categories exceeded the previous year’s values, though they failed to reach the previous year’s volumes.

The two largest categories, outdoor gear and sports shoes, performed relatively well by incorporating demand for lifestyle goods. As these categories significantly increased their shipment values, they boosted the entire sporting goods market.

Noteworthy Topics

Increased Demand from Inbound Tourists

Now that the number of foreign tourists has exceeded 40 million for the first time, the demand for sporting goods among these tourists is rising (source: Japan National Tourism Organization). Purchases are driven by the Japanese original product lineups in large-scale stores near tourist attractions, outlet malls, and urban, manufacturer-owned shops and specialty stores. Multi-purpose shoes and lifestyle items, including clothing, and J League replica uniforms are selling particularly well. Replica J League soccer uniforms are popular among visitors from Southeast Asian countries.

Future Outlook

Domestic shipments of sporting goods are expected to reach 1.77618 trillion yen in 2026, which is a 2.6% year-over-year increase. Sixteen of the seventeen categories are expected to grow from 2025 onward, with the exception of rugby equipment. However, only the outdoor category is likely to attain a growth rate of at least 5%. This category has led the sporting goods market ever since the pandemic ended. This trend is expected to continue in 2026.

Research Outline