Japan to Launch National Esports Competition

Tokyo, Sept. 4 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Sport Association has said that it will establish a national esports competition, spinning off a tournament held so far as a cultural program of the Japan Games national sports event.

The new competition will be held annually, with the first edition scheduled for around January to March 2028. Participants will represent the country's 47 prefectures, as is the case for the current tournament under the Japan Games, according to an announcement Thursday.

The association will cooperate with the Japan eSports Union for the competition and provide support in developing coaches.

"We want to clearly position it as a sports competition and widely communicate its value and its potential as a new sport to society," association leader Toshiaki Endo told a press conference in Tokyo.

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