The relentless rise of esports in Japan

About 5,500 esports players compete in the east Japan "Shadowverse" tournament at Makuhari Messe on Aug. 4. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

"Are you ready? Let's begin!"

With this, the cue was given to start the east Japan qualifying tournament for the online card game "Shadowverse."

Participants peered at their smartphones and tablets, letting out the occasional sigh or grabbing their heads as they operated their handheld devices.

Members of a professional "League of Legends" team practice together on July 30 in Asao Ward, Kawasaki. They live together, practice in five-person teams and study the techniques of foreign players. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

About 5,500 people had gathered for the esports tournament at Makuhari Messe, a large convention center in Mihama Ward, Chiba, on Aug. 4. The champion's purse at the national tournament is 4 million yen, while the winner of the world grand prix gets 1 million dollar.

Esports, short for electronic sports, is a commonly used term for competitive video gaming. Some gaming communities are vast: 100 million people around the world are believed to play "League of Legends," one of the most popular online games.

The number of people who view esports as a legitimate sport is increasing: Esports have been newly added as an official demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia and are being considered as an official Olympic event.

From right to left: Tetsuro Akasaka, Tsubasa Aihara and Naoki Sugimura pose at a party ahead of the Asian Games in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on Aug. 9. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Three domestic esports organizations merged in February to form the Japan esports Union. In July, the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization announced it would host a professional baseball esports league. Esports have also been included as a cultural program for the 2019 National Sports Festival to be held in Ibaraki Prefecture.

An increasing number of vocational schools, high schools and other institutions are now offering esports courses. The Tokyo School of Anime, a vocational school that teaches animation and voice acting, among other subjects, in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, created a course in 2016 teaching video game techniques and other skills, including live broadcasting at esports events, to about 90 students.

Akira Baba, a 60-year-old instructor at the school, said, "Esports can be played regardless of gender or physical ability. There's a debate over whether it should be considered a sport, but esports players need special skills that are also common among athletes, such as concentration and decision-making. It would be great if esports could someday be a bridge between the Olympics and Paralympics."

Fans cheer at one of the largest esports tournaments in the country at Makuhari Messe on June 17. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

The Nippon Professional Baseball Organization has decided to host a professional baseball esports tournament and league. Employees unfamiliar with esports competitions watch videos and try out some of the games in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on Aug. 3. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

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