Introduction

The subject of this chapter is the consumption of soccer (football) in Japan, the nature of which has changed completely as a result of the establishment of the Japanese Professional Football League, known as the J. League, in May 1993. How and why this came about are considered by putting soccer in a historical perspective, comparing it with other Japanese sports and examining the marketing techniques used in its promotion. In particular the shinhatsubai strategy (the launch of a new product) is considered in detail. On a broader level, the J. League is used to consider Miller's (1987) theories about the way in which cultural development and consumption are interrelated.

I chose this subject because during the three years I first lived in Japan (1990–93), the biggest and certainly the most noticeable development that took place was the establishment of the Japanese Professional Football League. More than the ousting of the Liberal Democrat Party (LDP), more even than the imperial wedding, the most talked-about subject among my acquaintances was the start of the new soccer league. Now I accept that this may have been a reflection of the sort of company I keep, but there was also a historical perspective: it had taken over a century for soccer to be transformed in this way. The wait for the LDP to be ousted was a mere forty-six years, and the crown prince's search for a bride had lasted just under a decade.