Is Japan Actually Good at American Football?

Had a lot of fun watching this game, if you want to check it out the full broadcast is here:
The Original link got taken down by the Original Copyright holder... Sorry guys
Thanks for watching!

[@IsaacPunts]

If you like these random leagues, consider subscribing for more videos like this!

[@FABRHighlights]

Hit me up if you need support on any league around the globe

[@Hinokami73]

you need to do video about the Brazilian League

[@Hinokami73]

@@FABRHighlights oshe kkkkkkk acabei de notar q era uma conta BR 😂😂

[@illuminahde]

Nice video. Funny. Well written. 👍

[@tsmith101591]

Gotta recruit the Sumo wrestlers lol

[@bdbailey]

If/when American Football takes off in Japan, their o-lines will be INSANE

[@fadercreek]

🎯 a lot of sumo wrestlers going to the nfl

[@thebabylonian109]

Right? That was my first thought.

[@capresenooj4359]

Eye Shield 21 came out in 2002 so someone wanted this to happen for a while

[@CamberRockerCamber]

Run blocking will be bananas

[@carmelopearman5721]

A lot of Lineman won’t be tall enough. Sumo and football are different sports with different skill sets.

[@xaninuax]

I honestly love the idea of American Football growing in other countries.

[@denniswilkerson5536]

Take a look at the European League of Football, they’re growing, getting sponsors, they have anywhere from 12-16 teams I think.

[@wiredtardis]

@@denniswilkerson5536 The European League of Football will start their 3rd season in a few months or so.

[@nysportsfan2576]

Would mean more international prospects for the NFL, XFL and USFL

[@zackb99]

I wish there were a whole bunch of countries that get good enough to the point that the Olympics would sponsor American football. I would love to see Team U.S. against Team Australia for example.

[@knightmarechimp]

It is! I play running back here in Australia, we have men's, women's and junior state teams and national teams, sometimes they go and compete with other countries

[@user-pn8tx7cm9u]

I study here in Japan for college and play for university football team as a tight end. American Football is actually pretty big here. They take it seriously like other sports. Obviously being a foreigner its hard as they have their own terms that are different from the US terms. But otherwise american football is pretty good. They do promotion/demotion system for university leagues in american football league.

[@chaoticape7051]

@@MudkipSupreme Bro, asians are not all short lol

[@txtokeboy424]

@@MudkipSupreme probably depends on the position bruh

[@bmfsnc8466]

@@txtokeboy424 yeah for real, 5 11 cuts it as a WR, CB or RB in the NFL even

[@wolfpak220]

Was in the US military in Japan. Our base played other bases and also 1 or 2 Japanese universities.

[@user-pn8tx7cm9u]

Most players here are like 5'10 ish. I'm 6ft flat. Sometimes you would occassionally see players over 6 ft. But I would say 5'10ish or even slightly below that will be alright. Our team's OL are quite a bit short so don't worry.

[@flpndrox]

College Football has been in Japan for decades. There's a Semi-Pro corporate league with former D1 players. At least one Japanese national made an NFL practice squad.

[@BOG0690]

Somewhat unrelated but former Steeler Heinz Ward was from Seoul Korea

[@steeloharris7054]

@@BOG0690 😲 whaaaat?

[@Student0Toucher]

Not surprising as Japan is a U.S military base

[@stevenpaynter4215]

cool but some people dont know and thats what this video is for, not everyone is like you

[@rakijr9176]

@@BOG0690 He was also half black, like many players.

[@mackenzieblair8135]

Ivy League isn’t exactly the best college football has to offer.

[@johnlee7377]

Forming a team from the best players of an entire conference is still going to be a decent team

[@dannydevito5729]

Have you ever heard of sarcasm?

[@dannydevito5729]

Also, to be fair to the ivy league they don't even do sports scholarships or value an individual's athletic abilities when it comes to acceptance to the school. And only around 5-10% (varies on school) of applications are accepted so the ivy league isn't the best college football but they have never tried to be.

[@nathanhansen7044]

Had it been sec or big 10 players japan would have been steamrolled

[@goob3826]

Ryan Fitzpatrick? Take it back bro… not cool

[@jordanwhite8567]

Imagine what a soldier/marine during world war 2 would’ve thought of you if you told him Japan would have a football team playing against the ivy league and it would be a friendly and competitive game. They would’ve thought you were out of your absolute mind. Cool times we live in though!

[@SayAhh]

Imagine what a Southerner would have thought of you if you told him the United States would have a football team where black players would play with and against white players. Times change, and change is good.

[@BeelzebubBeelzebub]

Haha yea I’m glad we can grow past that

[@charlesbrown4483]

@@SayAhh Imagine you told a Sudanese, Egyptian, Libyan, Ethiopian, or Somalian native that black people haven’t been enslaved in most of the world for well over a century. Times change, except in the north east of Africa and the Middle East.

[@angelozikantas484]

@@SayAhh I imagine he would've thought "this shouldnt be happening" literally as it was happening in the 1920s. The comparison with the original comment is kind of weird tbh

[@SayAhh]

@@angelozikantas484 do you really not see any parallel between slavery, segregation and internment camps, however small?

[@KillerSharkNHwk]

the thing people dont seem to realize is that over in japan, 11 man football is about as popular as lacrosse here in the U.S thus they actually have a high school, collegiate and semi pro level. additionally according to JAFA, the governing body there, there are 421 teams throughout the nation registered with the Japan American Football Association. with 52 being in their x-league semi Pro division, 210 teams being collegiate, 115 high schools programs and 44 pee-wee level clubs 23 middle high school teams and 21 in elementary schools. they also do women's flag leagues and apparently theirs two womens tackle teams that ig do nothing but scrimmage each other also their leagues i believe base their rules from the NCAA and not the NFL

[@nitroflux_o1040]

Oh wow you learn something new every day thats cool

[@Fourmath]

They should base the rules from the XFL but at least it's not the nfl

[@SeaTK610]

Didn't know that, thanks for the info. I wonder if they got anyone that could play in the NFL.

[@frankym69]

Lacrosse has a fully professional travel based league man. Lacrosse is still more of a growing sport.

[@boobpillowceo9339]

@@frankym69 nobodys trying to hurt your feelings lol its a comparison not a competition.

[@Hlatr]

I played at an Ivy League School this past year and can clarify a few things: 1) Japan's team was actually their All-Pro team from Japan's X-League. This team includes American players that wanted to continue their football careers - some from notable colleges like Auburn or Michigan. 2) The Ivy League team only consisted of graduating seniors, often not starters. 3) This game used to be played every year, I am so happy they are bringing it back!!

[@ericciaramella1984]

So to answer the question of is Japan actually good at American football. With all the context you provided the answer is a big fat no. Japan is not "good" at football but they try.

[@jeffthompson3956]

I was noticing some diversity among their players and it looked like it might have Americans on it. If you are a fan of football at any level you should have picked out the American influence on the Japan team. Glad to have that validated, lol.

[@deadboltzz5199]

@@jeffthompson3956 I noticed that to lol plus ivy league isn't exactly a top 10 team.

[@EB-bl6cc]

To be fair this goes both ways. It's not like there's that many japanese guys trying to be good at american football. It's an extremely niche sport over there. So yeah it's only ivy league guys but also Japan isn't exactly trying that hard to field an amazing american football team. It's so far down the list on sports they care about.

[@puppethound]

sounds terrible and something to watch if I was really bored or dead

[@Rayzajw]

Japan is really good at Rugby Union. There was a school that toured us here in NZ and they smoked my small school 😭😭😭 they ended up losing to the bigger and better schools but any rugby fan knows how Japan plays, cause it's very unique to them

[@Johnny-rj9on]

The run at 00:20 is straight from a rugby field

[@Bull599]

This just reminded me of their amazing performance in the 2019 world cup and it gave me goosebumps all over again. As a South African I was really proud of them and how far they got. I was one of the very few people on superbru who got all their games right in the world cup. I had faith in them and they did not disappoint xD they had me worried about the quarter finals and I nearly picked them for a win over the Springboks

[@hshahahah2819]

Surprisingly Japan is pretty athletic similar to US or Germany. They have a national team in all sports and are usually the regional or world champs of it

[@fumie4996]

that japan's flair

[@thepitstop1761]

@@hshahahah2819why surprisingly?

[@kingjro2]

Japan has their own pro league. Former Michigan QB Devin Garder played over there for 2 years.

[@yaboy5293]

I think he played in China

[@puppethound]

Oh yeah, HIM 🙄🤣

[@matthewtaylor1927]

Wow this is the first out of conference win for the Ivy League since 1984! Great work Ivy League. I hope they build on this momentum.

[@scottbilger9294]

Brutal

[@epicdizzle.]

sucks that the refs seemed to be biased, hopefully it doesnt hurt the japanese players' reputations

[@carsonwilliams]

I don't think anyone except people with previous hate will hold the players for the reffing. It's just like and bad officiated game in USA. I think it's cool as fuck that other countries are taking to a sport that I think is so amazing.

[@franciscoorozco7247]

Everyone is biased in their own way

[@Lizard72]

Nah it wasn't biased as he seems to think. I was at that game. The field goal was wonky angle as well.

[@smashyboi6887]

@@carsonwilliams 👆

[@caseyskruch5628]

Biased refs? Seems accurate to NFL ??

[@diegostime9634]

American football is actually growing in popularity in some places. For example, I live in Mexico and I've seen that american football is quite popular among young people (mainly those who are in university), actually we have a league (both, private and public universities participate), the main problem here is the absence of a professional league. As well, outside universities it is quite difficult that someone tells you that he/she loves this sport mainly due to the fact that football (soccer) and, even in some places, baseball are way more followed than American football; I consider that this is the main struggle, without the interest of a big part of population neither potential owners nor TV owners will think about investing in the sport. American football may have a bright future but compared to other sports, it is way more in a difficult situation.

[@whyisblue923taken]

Eyeshield 21 made it interesting and got many people playing it about two decades ago. The anime also was sponsored by the NFL and had tips and instructions on plays.

[@ethan.hsia0]

Bro we need another American football anime. Imagine seeing the Japanese version of Patrick Mahomes

[@weaselwolf8425]

@@ethan.hsia0 Or Aaron Rodgers😏

[@weaselwolf8425]

Facts. I'm amazed they haven't tried another one. I've seen plenty of soccer anime (ofc)😅

[@derpyredop9313]

@@weaselwolf8425 blue lock is fire

[@methos4866]

There's a rugby manga that started recently called Rugby Rumble which has been ok so far. But man i miss Eyeshield 21 so much. I still read the manga from time to time and the first opening from the anime is still on my mind to this day.

[@Wiiry]

Anyone here after we just lost to japan in the tournament?

[@davidhowell1415]

How how do you think would it look if they played an all SEC team ?

[@hovtchil873]

dead.

[@anderson74]

It would end 75-0 SEC but still Ivy League schools are D1 so it is something.

[@camschells]

@@anderson74 Ivy League is D2

[@TheQuickzy]

@@camschells theyre d1 fcs

[@chachopaul695]

It wouldn't be an entertaining game. That's why they had the Ivys play. No disrespect to any D1 college football players, but it's a pretty stark difference between FCS and FBS.

[@okrajoe]

Refs getting involved - some things are the same in Japan as in America!

[@IsaacPunts]

Fr 😂😂

[@Johnny-rj9on]

Or they just suck. Same as they do in America.

[@DrewsTheBest08]

@@Johnny-rj9on did you see those calls? they are not the same😭

[@vibratingwithmotion2177]

@@Johnny-rj9on Felt like there was some clear bias towards the Japanese team, but I say why not? Give 'em their time in the spotlight, they travelled all that way to show what they've got and even without those calls they played pretty darn well.

[@Just_JoshE]

I think an American Football World Cup is a great idea. Hopefully it catches on in enough countries

[@BulletRain100]

There already is one and Japan is the second-best country only behind the United States. Canada is probably the real second-best country but they've only participated in one of those tournaments where they got second behind the US. The next tournament is in 2025.

[@FABRHighlights]

It exists, last one happened in 2015 in Ohio.

[@recklessriot6456]

@@FABRHighlights I think he means like one big enough that the U.S. team is actually made of NFL players

[@FABRHighlights]

@@recklessriot6456 Oh I don’t think it will ever happen… NFL level is ridiculously high compared to any other league and if you take NBA for example, the US Team is not allowed to use NBA Players in FIBA World Cup or even the Olympics

[@DunderMifflinDaBomb]

Ya and maybe we’d finally win a World Cup 😂

[@masatoshik870]

That RB (#21) was REALLY fast. I couldn’t tell what his face looked like though because of the tinted eyeshield though. The QB was pretty devilish with his trick plays. There was 1 WR with great hands, but he was pretty short and wasn’t very fast. The Center was a beast. The kicker had quite a leg. I reckon he could make a 60 yard FG. *No, these aren’t real observations - these are all Eyeshield 21 references.

[@jmolo21]

Goated comment

[@michaelramsay6547]

I hope American football spreads to all other countries like soccer/futbol so I can watch it year round

[@riccardogaspari3265]

it already is, unfortunately the quality of the livestreams is spotty there isn't much money so teams prefer to invest what they have in coaches/players, while the leagues struggle in creating a league-wide livestream format also you have to consider the different timezones, my team usually plays at 3PM and that would be like 5AM in Los Angeles

[@afiqjaffarran]

The only downside for other countries to play is the equipment. It's just freaking expensive. But here in south east Asia, almost all countries play flag football. Maybe in 10 years time, all of us here will play full contact. We're just paving the ways for future generations

[@teo2157]

american football is expensive, football is cheap

[@jasonstarrising]

big problem with American football is the $$$ since it takes a lot of funding to maintain equipment as everyone else above me said. If somehow more poor countries could get past the cash issue I presume it'll start spreading like crazy. Look at basketball its huge in Europe as well.

[@thokim84]

That is what the XFL and CFL are for.

[@TheHuskyK9]

I love seeing other countries play typically American sports. It makes the game truly feel worldwide

[@ightimmaheadout290]

It's slowly becoming more popular in Germany as well

[@ismaelflores7856]

@@ightimmaheadout290 also in Mexico

[@holmesd5003]

Being that baseball is big in Japan, I can see some serious talented QBs coming out of this country. You add intelligence with a strong arm and you have a dangerous person at the QB position.

[@usersixnine347]

But qbs are tall. The Japanese aren’t generally tall. Positions better suited for Japanese or Asians in general would actually be more recievers or running backs. And olinemen just because of the sumo wrestlers, but even olinement are tall.

[@holmesd5003]

@@usersixnine347 QBs are tall? Some are some are not. That statement is not true at all..

[@usersixnine347]

@@holmesd5003 almost all qbs are over 6 foot. They need to see over the o line. Kyler Murray shortest qb right now is still 5’10 and he needs to very mobile which is why you see him scramble often

[@holmesd5003]

@@usersixnine347 Doug Flutie was also 5-10.. The average Japanese is 5-7, plenty of People in Japan over 6 foot.. What your saying makes no sense.. Japanese are not all short and NFL QBs are not all tall.. Stop stereotyping

[@benlowes8570]

The sport is growing fast outside the USA right now, Europe has an independent league now called the ELF and at a national level England, France, Germany, Spain, Poland and multiple Eastern European teams have a league system with multiple divisions and promotion/ relegation systems.

[@Eastsidegeorgiaboy]

I have a friend who was a foreign exchange student from Badsegberg Germany, for a year back in 1999. He played soccer, but quickly joined our high-school football 🏈 team. After his year here, he went back to Germany. When he graduated, he did his mandatory military service for 2 years, and then he went to Japan, and joined their semi-pro football league. I can't remember his team, but his name is Matthias Eck.

[@ahqzhengzhuan]

Brett Maher on his way to apply here soon

[@themarchoftime]

lul

[@mickphlazer]

Love to see that Japan takes American sports seriously. Baseball has been huge for years and now football, that's awesome. However, put the All SEC team or the Big10 against this squad and its 80-7.

[@Psyantic]

absolute bloodbath lmao

[@jacobdejesus6758]

honestly, if you were to compare clips from this game to clips from early american football games, i think japan easily blows out some of the first american football teams, considering they’re fairly new to the sport aswell

[@danielrathbun8380]

@@Psyantic much like the recent world baseball classic final or the recent USA Olympic team vs Japan soccer game.

[@user-gz9zp3df1s]

I am Japanese, but most Japanese cannot explain the difference between American football and rugby. Baseball and soccer are the major sports here and other sports are not so well known.

[@WaldoHaraldoFaldo]

Who's here after Japan beat USA by 21 in the Under 20 competition

[@taisa_video]

Come on, you Americans don't know the second best American football playing country in the world? We, Japan, have won two of the last five World Cups and finished runner-up twice. The other time we won the bronze medal. I was in elementary school in the 1970s. At that time, it was fashionable for kids to use stationery with NFL team logos. Kids learned the name of the Jets before the New York Yankees. The Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers.... Kids back then could easily name American cities. New York Giants, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills ..... But I only know the older teams because I learned those names as a kid. When I was a kid, even the Super Bowl had only been held around 10 times. In the 1970s, the American college all-star game was held in Japan. It was called the Japan Bowl. Every famous Japanese university has an American football team. Japanese companies also participate in the X-League (Japan's top league), such as Panasonic, Tokyo Gas, IBM-Japan, Mitsubishi, Fuji Film, Fujitsu, etc. The Metropolitan Police Department also has a team and participates in the X-League. Japan is probably the most popular country for American football after the U.S. Most people in the EU would never watch the Super Bowl, but Japan broadcasts it on TV every year. However, NBA and MLB are more popular than the NFL.

[@rbermea]

We know Japan is popular in both baseball and is starting to get popular in basketball, I would love to see them play American Football, too.

[@hshahahah2819]

Well they already do. College football in Japan is pretty popular especially in the Kansai region. They’re domestic football level is comparable to Mexico or Germany

[@jonmaisey6412]

You should also have a look at German, Austrian and Scandinavian leagues, all semi-profrssional (some more than others) In UK it is amateur but there is also a big university and youth setup

[@pastel1905]

Same in Poland

[@jonmaisey6412]

@@pastel1905 totally true! There's also semi pro teams in Italy Spain!

[@thebabylonian109]

European League of Football is gearing up for Season Two. 😎

[@jonmaisey6412]

@@thebabylonian109 for sure some friends have just signed for Berlin and Milano so should be fun to see!

[@sykebitch4022]

@@thebabylonian109 3*

[@AlexDYM331]

Oh my goodness some of these catches are insane🔥

[@hunterschwartz7738]

I would like to see a scenario where the NFL all pros play against a team that consists of every other country in the world

[@sirwadsontoast5928]

You wouldn't need the best NFL players for that..college players will do just fine.

[@Imgutc2]

Highschool teams in Texas would win easily

[@yaahlabanyamyan144]

NFL players suck lmao. There's definitely people on the earth who could make some of those plays that those paid millionaires miss every Sunday. Don't overhype the " NFL "

[@richardwest9052]

That wouldn't be remotely competitive. Even a Senior Bowl team would wipe the floor with any group of international players.

[@lilcourtny08]

A high school team would win

[@vooder]

Look into the IFAF world championship, which is the American football version of the FIFA world cup. Japan is by far the most successful team outside of the US. They won the two tournaments in 1999 and 2003 before the US competed. They were runners-up to the US in 2007 and 2015, and were 3rd place in 2011.

[@randomusernameCallin]

In 2011 Canada played so it is understandable.

[@TriNguyen-ci8sn]

Japan only wins when Canada did not participate. Don't think Japan has ever beaten Canada. There are currently 41 Canadians playing in the NFL so they can almost field an entire team formed from NFL players alone.

[@travishinman1840]

There's a yearly game of American football played either in Ashland, Oregon or in Japan. It's Ashland High School vs Japanese All-Stars. It's called the Pacific Rim Bowl.

[@alexkizer639]

I hope the whole world starts playing (American) football. It's such a fun sport to watch and I only got into it recently (never played). A European division would be a great start. People worry about competitiveness, but I'm sure an entire country for example could source enough talent to be competitive with a single NFL team. Also I'm sure they'd pull from neighboring European countries, and eventually American talent too if the paycheck is right.

[@brianharward1089]

The worst team in the NFL would destroy any European country in american football

[@ninetailedfox579121]

A European division of the NFL would be terrible, the travel would be crazy. Plus there already is a professional European league as well as many European nations having their own professional leagues.

[@TheAutumnNetwork]

@@ninetailedfox579121 NFL is already trying to figure that out. It's why NFL has been doing regular season games in London and Munich, both of which were huge successes and next year will add Barcelona to the list. Plus the NFL has done NFL Europe in the past and a lot of those teams are now apart of the ELF, which has connections to the NFL already. The seeds are already planted, just gotta water them and figure out the logistics.

[@arlieferguson7442]

I’ve never really been very enthusiastic about football in Europe, but I definitely think Japanese football would be interesting.

[@nick_ager]

I didnt know that the japanese played football, but they do have a solid rugby team! Not surprised to see guys with solid tackling and ball carrying abilities

[@ivanwilliams7413]

"Roll them like sushi" lol, BRILLIANT.

[@derekconstantino7759]

Alright its time for an nfl game in japan! That would be rad

[@Jbum26]

Japanese football, both at the college level and the X-League is pretty talented! Another league if you are interested is the European League of Football (ELF), they have put a few players in the NFL! KaVontae Turpin played there in 2021!

[@Prideofthepacific808]

I played against a few japanese college students when they were visiting hawaii, while I feel they arent as physically strong as US players their speed and play calling was pretty hard to keep up with. Also QB had an absolute rocket for an arm

[@speedmetalmassiah567]

Get those boys on the Sumo diet and lock them in the weight room

[@thepitstop1761]

That’s because they haven’t recruited the sumo guys yet

[@D71219ONE]

The crazy part was how they had full conversations in the time between drop back and the pass, and you could audibly hear the QBs thoughts while the play was going on. I also loved all the special moves. The time that LB did an Ultra Rhino Tackle was great, or when the WR did a Lightning Speed Comeback. Greatest of all is still when the FS made it appear there was 15 of himself to confuse the QB of the coverage. I never thought to use Ancient Smoke Storm in combination with Instinct Side Steps to make that illusion.

[@Brian-my7hn]

That eyeshield guy is fast

[@theoc007]

just gonna say if I would compare Japans X-League to the Euro League I would place X-league as being more competitive, its growing sport and you can find people throwing a ball at the park here n there.

[@imda77]

There's no way the X League is more competitive than the EuroLeague - a fully professional league with professional athletes and professional teams. I'd say you probably underestimate the prominence of basketball in Europe nowadays, it's not just a niche sport.

[@theoc007]

@@imda77 basketball???

[@methos4866]

​@@theoc007The biggest basketball competition in Europe is also called the Euroleague and he got X League confused with the B League which is the biggest basketball league in Japan.

[@knightu1642]

I love the effort on both sides. It's awesome to see Japan even field a football team and to keep up with the Ivy League all stars is amazing! Yes Ivy League is not the elite level of college football, but they are still really good so kudos to the Japanese team! I'd love to see more. We just have to cut down on head and spinal injuries to make this work. But for now, Flag Football is the next best international sport! The US is hoping to have it debut in the 2028 Summer Olympics in the US!!!

[@A.tess08]

Cool to see football making its way around the world

[@JP-zp3lq]

Japanese national sport is Grand Sumo, so I would expect their line play to be decent if they are coached Outside of that I wouldn't expect much. One positive is I doubt the stare down the other teams bench or signal first down every time they make a routine play...

[@NorthFloridaBoi]

When I was stationed in Yokosuka,Japan aboard the USS Kitty-Hawk (CV63) from 200-2005, We had a full-contact football league in which I played. We were called the Yokosuka Seahawk, representing our location and naval base. We had a real good run playing 7 different bases including a team from Guam. But at the end of the year we played a Japanese team. The Japanese teams are usually run by companies such as Toyota. They are all about fundamentals and they can really ball. We beat them pretty good each year but they still put up a good fight. I wish I could upload some of the pictures and post them here. But don't be surprised at all, and also Germany has teams as well.

[@puppethound]

from 200-2005, damn that's a terrible sea/shore rotation. I would have been burnt out by the year 213 😆😉🙃

[@jubeat4451]

in case you didn't know, Mexico has a collegiate football league too. Don't know what's been televised for you to get clips from.

[@rodman9121]

it would not be surprising, considering Japan was one of the few countries in the world that embraced and played baseball (a truly American sport) and look how big it has become there

[@Yodasoda4416]

My great grandpa TAUGHT Japan how to play football

[@imathreat209]

I personally think that's awesome

[@addicted2fishing119]

That’s dope… what a complement to America from the rest of the world to love and adopt our American culture and show us they can play… Baseball is a perfect example and football is not far behind 🍻

[@derpincorperated8644]

All I think watching this is how happy I am knowing Japanese athletes are giving the chance to travel internationally when American football is probably a much more niche sport in Japan

[@roykeane9872]

Its japan football now

[@shakes.dontknowwhatyergettin]

Well, the Japanese national character is uniquely suited to this sport. Their passion for meticulously executing complex instructions with precision is legendary and unrivaled. In fact their recent surge of Rugby success came when coaches realised for that sport they had to force them to be *less* obedient and conscientious.

[@remsee1608]

Unrivaled? Ever heard of World War II?

[@jabroniking71]

@@remsee1608 you mean that war where the heavily overmatched Japanese military was SO formidable that the united states decided to atomic bomb them because after a couple years of fighting them on land they realized nothing else on earth could get them to surrender? that World War II?

[@Webbula1]

@@remsee1608 Japan’s tactical approach to WWII was unrivaled, they punched considerably higher than the size of their country due to excellent strategy and cooperation from the soldiers. Japans biggest weakness was its fragile supply line, which was dwarfed by americas best in the world system. America won the long game through a war of attrition.

[@jacobleblanc7894]

@@remsee1608 bro r u good lmao

[@AshED65]

From what I've heard American Football is pretty popular in Japan. Next season the NFL should play a game in Tokyo.

[@r5t6y7u8]

This is incredible. I had no idea US football was played anywhere other than Canada and maybe a few places in Europe, never mind JAPAN. Thanks for posting.

[@KeoniPhoenix]

I've known that Japan is good because I've watched them play in Canton for the World Championship. The other Asian country that's good is South Korea. The only problem that these two teams have that North American teams don't is a size problem on the O line.

[@jimbodice2672]

Figure they'd get some ex sumo players that show interest or something.

[@TyCash7]

I remember when I was being recruited to play at a D3 school (not a very good one mind you) they talked about a year prior they took a trip to China for a year and played a lot of Chinese American football teams and destroyed them lol most other countries are decades behind but seeing it grow is amazing

[@apapz3245]

D3 recruits ?

[@TyCash7]

@@apapz3245 can’t give athletic scholarships but they definitely still recruit + can pull strings to give athletes more financial aid

[@jacobdejesus6758]

@@TyCash7 would you agree that the japanese team from this video would most likely win against an american football team within a few years of the creation of the NFL? for a culture that is fairly new to the game i feel like they play a decently fundamental game of football

[@TyCash7]

@@jacobdejesus6758 it’s hard to tell because the sport of American football was so different at its inception, I’m sure it would be close though

[@ronselporter4739]

Honestly with the financial situation in Japan, they may convert sumo stables to NFL farms

[@kenmasonj4812]

Hopefully, OTHER countries like JAPAN, will eventually become GOOD at American Football, and one day we TRULY have a INTERNATIONAL WORLD SUPER BOWL !

[@realone2321]

You can't call it American football without the useless Reffs !!

[@47ejecting2]

American refball*

[@djjoshski]

Japan rugby teams are really good, so not surprised it transitions to American

[@Brad88ford]

This is the beauty of Football! Giving many an opportunity who most would count out!

[@andrew_3214]

Who won??

[@thegodguy2868]

usa

[@PBW891]

The final score is not important, glad you didn't waste time telling us what it was.

[@BrandonJ33]

Just looked it up. 24-20

[@riverrebel1]

Who does Japan normally play? Do they have a league in Japan? How long were both teams players together? Did they just grab people kinda like an all star game? How did this even come about? So many questions.

[@bkak2245]

Japan has a league and they pick players from tht league, a bunch of former NCAA athletes llays there

[@riverrebel1]

@@bkak2245 Yeah that's what I figured. I wouldn't say Japan is good at Football then. Bunch of people who didn't make it to the other leagues from America are good at football.

[@speedforcex]

I'm glad to see bad officiating is universal across other countries

[@LtDansLegsGone]

They have really good athletes over there. Phenomenal baseball players.

[@mrhelmick9994]

I love this. Gives me hope in seeing more international players involved in American football.

[@rickydomingo2611]

I remember Hawaii sent a team of former college players and current (at the time) semi-pro players for an exhibition game against one of Japan's all-pro teams. The Hawaiian team outweighed the Japanese team by a LOT, you could tell the size difference was obvious. The big mistake the Americans made was using a run-and shoot offense. This was most likely influenced by the University of Hawaii using the same offense during the June Jones era. The Japanese team ended up winning. If the Americans had used a more balanced or even run-heavy offense I think they would have won. The problem is that Americans think they are the best in the world at every sport they invent. I have seen this when Japanese high school teams come to Hawaii to play in pre-season basketball tournaments. They try to show up the Japanese teams and end up losing and acting sour about it. What people don't realize is that what the Japanese lack in size they more than make up for in conditioning. I've seen a Japanese high school basketball team practice and it was BRUTAL. 4-6 hours in the middle of the summer with no break for lunch. Would absolutely not be allowed in the states.

[@jonathaningram4069]

Okay but imagine bryce young, Marvin Harrison junior, willie Anderson going against these guys. That score would look a lot different for sure but it’s still so cool to see this and they did keep up with D1 players so massive props

[@montymont4192]

this is freaking awesome i love how japan plays baseball and now football i’ll consider this life complete when i can go to a japanese football game

[@speakthatruth5024]

I’m ashamed our sport isn’t as big as soccer or basketball or even baseball. We need to step it up. I wanna see American football in the olympics before I die

[@leonardodavinci3589]

I always love seeing football expand. I hope the international competitions can get some more attention going forward

[@ronscott7]

A lot of the Japanese players actually played high school ball in Hawaii

[@treywar25]

If you want it enough, the best players in the world will eventually get a shot in the NFL. Eagles developed an Australian rugby player who never played American football, into a pro bowl left tackle in just a couple years. As the sport continues to grow and evolve we will begin to see many more international football players.

[@HelptheBear_ImtheBear]

Like the Great Derrick Henry said. The nfl is a whole different beast my guy.they wouldn’t stand a chance.

[@freebird6360]

Kinda what I was thinking too...athletic freaks in the NFL. I'm sure Japan has some too just depends on what scale.

[@UltraSteelix]

One day the super bowl will name a WORLD champion. One day the NBA finals will be the equivalent of a premier league title. The world is catching up and I'd love seeing the competition grow. It'll only make the sports better in the long run

[@RoyalMela]

Super Bowl champion is still Super Bowl champion. There already is World Championships in football. That winner is World Champions.

[@SagaFraga]

I'd honestly love to see a regular season game played in Japan, like the UK or Germany. I think the Lions VS the 49rs would be spectacular.

[@ThomasBahamas]

I honestly could see more teams using late round draft picks on international players like the Eagles did with Jordan Mailata. That was a rare instance that might be almost impossible to replicate because Mailata really wanted to play American Football & Jeff Stoutland is probably the best o-line coach ever, but I do see a potential for more of that happening in the future.

[@omarg2079]

I'm surprised you didn't cover the rematch this year where Japan won 10-5.

[@IsaacPunts]

I've been trying to find the footage for it, I really wanted to cover it

[@eekay3646]

I wouldn't be surprised if a few Japanese players get into the NFL some time in the future, but not the near future. Post WWII, the U.S. introduced American baseball to them, and they have a few stars in MLB.

[@ulrimi30]

Looking forward to next year's "Sushi Bowl'

[@congresssux9766]

The team chemistry would be totally different. An all star team would need time to develop together and gel. Not to mention learn all new playbooks

[@arvelle4]

I’m 35 years old and I remember as a kid saying if I were an nfl coach I would take my Oline to Japan so they can train with the sumo wrestlers.

[@AlphaGametauri]

Another reason why American Football should be a summer olympic sport, atleast when we host it

[@reybinso6000]

Aye, who #2 at the beginning? Man’s did not stop. 💯

[@dellowery]

If i were to guess, Japan's athletes probably play multiple sport probably more per capita than the U.S. All im saying is skills are transferable compared to those who play less sports.

[@BrandonJ33]

I never would have known about this if not for this video. Thanks

[@Maxharddrive64]

You know what? It's like all sports you can teach anyone game, no matter where they come from. If they're good at it , it's because they have natural ability and a love of the sport

[@yaahlabanyamyan144]

The short gap from WW2 to current 2023 the globe has made remarkable strides

[@notorioustori]

When the Seahawks are done with our Aussie punter, we should grab that Japanese kicker!

[@COACHgtv8192]

They looked good against the USA. Minimal mistakes impressed me.

[@1m3agle]

A few of these clips really looked like a high school jv game, but its cool to see

[@SincerelyJnC]

Its great for the sport that other countries are wanting to play American football now. Maybe one day the NFL can draft players from other countries on a regular basis too like the NBA, MLB, and NHL already does. It will only make the talent level higher once that happens.

[@D71219ONE]

If the Colts ever play in Japan, I would ABSOLUTELY make the trip.

[@I_Love_Llamas]

I've always been a huge fan of American football in countries other than the U.S., so this is great