Market Overview

The domestic sporting goods market, based on domestic manufacturer shipment values, is projected to generate 1,673,460 million yen in 2024, 101.3% of the size of the previous year.

The outdoor category has shown robust sales for the past few years and is projected to continue growing, as its large-scale apparel market incorporates demand for lifestyle clothing, which drives the entire market. In 2024, unit prices increased as manufacturers raised their product prices due to skyrocketing material prices and a weaker yen, a trend that continued from 2023. In addition, the number of inbound tourists reached an all-time high (*), which once again increased demand for sporting goods from foreign travelers.
*Source: “Foreign Visitor Arrivals” by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).

On the other hand, the market is experiencing slow growth in sports participation, the basis of sporting goods demand, due to the declining number of children. Additionally, an extended period of high temperatures, even in the fall, has reduced demand for fall and winter items, which tend to have higher unit prices. These factors will likely cause the market to grow only slightly from the previous year.

Noteworthy Topics

Expansion of Inbound Tourist Demand

While not a few athletic markets are supported by demand from young players, Japan's declining child population has reduced the number of players and led to sluggish demand for these sports. This has increased the demand share of inbound tourists for various sporting goods.

In this context, sales of lifestyle products, such as multipurpose shoes and clothing, experienced a resurgence in 2024. These products were popular even before the pandemic. Also popular were "Made in Japan" products, including J-League replica uniforms and football shoes, which are popular among people in Southeast Asia. These factors boosted the sporting goods market that year.

Future Outlook

The sporting goods market in Japan is expected to reach 1,744.240 billion yen in 2025, based on shipment values, a 4.2% increase from the previous year.

This growth is due to the anticipated growth of the outdoor gear market, which is a large market and is expected to boost the growth of the entire sporting goods market, just as it did in 2024. Although demand for camping gear is moderate, strong outdoor clothing sales are projected to continue driving overall demand for outdoor gear.

Research Outline