The 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan held in June filled Japan with soccer fever. The number of soccer fans - men and women, young and old - shot up, and even matches between foreign teams recorded high TV viewing figures. Such passion can often be short lived in Japan, but many Japanese people became hooked on the global language of soccer and decided that they, too, wanted to kick a soccer ball. Futsal, or five-a-side soccer, has capitalized on these feelings among fans. The number of people playing this sport in Japan is rising sharply.

Futsal Ideally Suited to Japan
Futsal originally spread in South America and Europe under the names futebol de salao or indoor soccer. Unlike soccer, which is played in teams of 11, it takes just 5 people to form a futsal team. At 20 by 40 meters, a futsal pitch, or court, is also just one-third the size of a full soccer pitch. Sliding tackles, shoulder charges, and other rough aspects of soccer are not allowed in futsal, and the ability to play in safety without worrying about injuries is one of the reasons the sport is loved by so many people. In Japan, where space is at a premium, the fact that futsal courts are small makes it especially attractive.

Aiming to take advantage of the World Cup, both indoor and outdoor futsal courts are appearing, mainly in central urban areas. At one department store in Tokyo's Ginza district, the tennis court on the roof is rented out for futsal in the evening on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Users are attracted by the convenient location of the court, which makes it easier for people to get together. This court is fully booked a month in advance, and courts everywhere report that they are fully booked on weekends. The large number of women players is another feature of futsal's popularity. There are currently reckoned to be about 300,000 futsal fans in Japan, with a wide variety of tournaments taking place at the local level.

International Exchange Through Futsal
Futsal events were held around Japan to coincide with the World Cup and benefited from the excitement surrounding the tournament. In May in Yokohama, amateur teams made up of foreign residents of Japan from 32 countries competed in a futsal tournament mirroring the 32-nation World Cup. Each team battled hard and hoped their efforts would be emulated by their nations in the World Cup itself. In Osaka, meanwhile, fans of England, Japan, Nigeria, and other teams gathered to play futsal and deepen friendship between their countries.

Futsal on the Global Stage
The Japan Futsal Federation (site is Japanese only) was established in 1977 with the help of the Japan Football Association, an event that added momentum to the rise in futsal's popularity. The sport is also becoming more competitive. The seventh annual All-Japan Futsal Championship was held in February, and Japanese teams regularly enter international competitions like the Asian Futsal Championship. Brazil, which just won its record-breaking fifth World Cup in soccer, is also the strongest country in the world at futsal. Japan is going from strength to strength and is aiming to compete in the FIFA Futsal World Championship - effectively the futsal World Cup.