Is Skateboarding Big In Japan

Representative john hildeburn explains how skateboarding s popularity in japan has mirrored the ups and downs of skateboarding in the u s.

Is skateboarding big in japan. Many wonder if japan will begin providing public skate parks as skateboarding becomes more and more popular there. The popularity of skateboarding is growing fast in japan but it still has a ways to go. I sometimes skate down to the combini but don t live in a super busy area. There are tons of japanese skaters around but as a guest in the country we can t always get away with the same things.

Skateboards aren t allowed in most big parks like yoyogi. Limited space is the obstacle holding back skateboarding in japan. It s possible to skate on back roads but the major roads will be too busy with pedestrian bicycle and car traffic. Thanks to the popularization of penny boards in japan though skateboarding s popularity has gone on quite the uprise in the past 2 years with parks and skateboard classes.

Skateboarding s history and culture in japan is an echo of the united states imported a generation ago through rebellious teens skating in the dim corners of polite japanese society. Owner masafumi yoshida says. During your travels you will see dozens if not hundreds of ledges and banks to drool over but unless you re a local you won t be able to discern the skatable from the un skatable. Elsewhere there just aren t many areas where skateboarders are allowed though there is plenty of concrete to attract them.

We talked with takashi kaneko owner of a skate shop in fukushima and he told us that while in america a survey of teens ranked skateboarding as the 3rd most popular sport in japan it s not even on the list. Always see skaters around harajuku omotesando. I thought about getting a skateboard while living in japan but could not find any official info on the rules laws regarding it. The history of the skateboard in japan goes back only about twenty years having been established little by little according to that.

These large warehouse skate parks can only be found in the largest cities. Land is very expensive in japan and many of these skate parks have been set up in warehouses. Skate culture is cool in tokyo everyone and their grandma is wearing thrasher or palace hoodies complete with pre ollied vans but actually putting your board down and skating is a no no. They had a big boom then they had a dead time and then they had a bigger boom huckle berry is a skate shop and park that s located in shiga just west of tokyo.

Skateboarding isn t as popular in japan as it is in north america but there is a good scene here it s just a little bit hidden away from the general public eye and only done in major cities such as tokyo osaka etc.