Do you know how to write the names of “foreign sports” in kanji (Japanese names)?

＜prologue＞

I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.

So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.

It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.

It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.

If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.

I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.

my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています

my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X

(Reference) Original article in Japanese

・「外来のスポーツ」の名前を漢字でどう書くか（和名）を知っていますか？

Traditional Japanese sports include Kemari （「蹴鞠（けまり）」）(traditional Japanese football), Yabusame（「流鏑馬（やぶさめ）」） (mounted archery), Takagari（「鷹狩（たかがり）」） (falconry), Kenjutsu（「剣術（剣道）」） (swordsmanship/kendo), Jujutsu (judo)（「柔術（柔道）」）, Kyudo（「弓術（弓道）」） (archery), Sumo（「相撲（すもう）」） (sumo wrestling), Suiren（「水術（水練）」） (water training), and Dakyu（「打毬（だきゅう）」） (ball game). However, after the Meiji Restoration, many Western sports, including baseball, were introduced, and each was given a Japanese name.

However, some sports, such as marathon, cricket, and artistic swimming (formerly known as synchronized swimming), retained their Japanese names without being given a Japanese equivalent.

1. Names of Foreign Sports

(1) A-gyo (Japanese alphabetical order)

① Ice Hockey

② Athletics

③ Archery

④ American Football

⑤ Weightlifting

⑥ Water Polo

(2) Ka-gyo (Japanese alphabetical order)

① Curling

② Gateball

③ Golf

(3) Sa-gyo (Japanese alphabetical order)

① Surfing

② Cycling

③ Soccer

④ Gymnastics

⑤ Javelin Throw

⑥ Shot Put

⑦ Swimming

⑧ Skiing

⑨ Sailing

⑩ Softball

(4) Ta-gyo (Japanese alphabetical order)

① Diving

② Discus

③ Tennis

④ Table Tennis

⑤ Triathlon

⑥ Triple Jump

⑦ Dodgeball

(5) Ha-gyo (Japanese alphabetical order)

① High Jump

② Basketball

③ Badminton

④ Volleyball

⑤ Handball

⑥ Hammer Throw

⑦ Billiards

⑧ Bowling

⑨ Boxing

⑩ Hockey

⑪ Pole Bowling

⑫ Polo

(6) Ra-row

① Lacrosse

② Rugby

③ Race Walk

④ Rowing

⑤ Long Jump

2. Japanese Names (Kanji Names) of Foreign Sports (Answers)

(1) Starting with “A”

① Ice hockey: 氷球 (hyōkyū)

② Athletics: 陸上競技 (rikujōkyōgi)

③ Archery: 洋弓 (yōkyū)

④ American football: Also known as “Gaikyu（「鎧球（がいきゅう）」）” or “Beishiki Shukyu（「米式蹴球（べいしきしゅうきゅう）」）”

“Beishiki Shukyu” is a term used to distinguish it from “soccer” (A-style football（「サッカー（ア式蹴球）」) and “rugby” (R-style football（「ラグビー（ラ式蹴球）」), which were introduced around the same time.

⑤ Weightlifting: 重量挙げ（じゅうりょうあげ）

⑥ Water polo: 水球（すいきゅう）

(2) Ka-gyo (Japanese consonant group)

① Curling: Chess on ice（「氷上のチェス（hyojyo-no-chesu）」）

② Gateball: 門球 (monkyu)

However, this “gateball” is not a sport introduced from the West, but actually originated in Japan.

③ Golf: 孔球 (kokyu), 打球 (dakyu)

(3) Sa-gyo (Japanese consonant group)

① Surfing: 波乗り (naminori)

② Cycling: 自転車競技 (jitensha kyogi)

③ Soccer: 蹴球 (shukyu), ア式蹴球 (ashiki shukyu)

“ア式蹴球” is an abbreviation for “Association Football,” in contrast to rugby, which is sometimes called “R-式蹴球” (ra-shiki shukyu). This is to distinguish it from soccer, which is sometimes also called “football.”

④ Gymnastics: 体操競技 (taiso kyogi)

⑤ Javelin throw: 槍投げ (yarinage)

⑥ Shot put: 砲丸投げ（ほうがんなげ）（hogan-nage）

⑦ Swimming: 水泳競技（すいえいきょうぎ）(suiei-kyohgi)

⑧ Skiing: 滑雪（かっせつ）(kassetsu)

⑨ Sailing: 帆走（はんそう）(hanso)

⑩ Softball: 塁球（るいきゅう）(ruikyu)

(4) Ta-gyo (Japanese consonant group)

① Diving: 飛込競技（とびこみきょうぎ）(tobikomi-kyohgi)

② Discus: 円盤投げ（えんばんなげ）(enban-nage)

③ Tennis: 庭球 (teikyu)

④ Table tennis: 卓球 (takkyu)

⑤ Triathlon: 鉄人三種競技 (tetsujin sanshukyogi)

⑥ Triple jump: 三段跳び (sandan tobi)

⑦ Dodgeball: 避球 (hikyu)

(5) Ha-gyo (Japanese consonant group)

① High jump: 走高跳び (hashiritaka tobi)

② Basketball: 籠球 (rokyu)

③ Badminton: 羽球 (ukyu)

④ Volleyball: 排球 (haikyu)

⑤ Handball: 送球 (soukyu)

⑥ Hammer throw: ハンマー投げ (hammer nage)

⑦ Billiards: 撞球（dokyu）、玉突き（tama tsuki）

⑧ Bowling: 十柱戯（jicchugi）、十柱球（jicchukyu）、投球（tokyu）

⑨ Boxing: 拳闘（kento）

⑩ Hockey: 杖球（jyokyu）

⑪ Pole vault: 棒高跳び（botakatobi）

⑫ Polo: 馬球（bakyu）

(6) Ra-gyo (Japanese consonant group)

① Lacrosse: 棒網球（bomokyu）、袋球（taikyu）

② Rugby: 闘球（tokyu）(also known as “Rashiki Shūkyū(ラ式蹴球),” meaning “rugby football”)

“Rashiki Shūkyū” is an abbreviation for “rugby football,” in contrast to “Ashiki Shūkyū,” which means “football.” This distinction is made because soccer is sometimes simply called “football.”

③ Race walk: (also known as “Kyōho(競歩),” meaning “race walking”)

④ Rowing: 漕艇（sotei）、端艇（tantei）、競漕（kyoso）(also known as “Bōto Kyōgi(ボート競技),” meaning “boat racing”)