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until the end of the 70's. The history of American Football in Japan goes back to 1934 when Paul Rusch, a teacher
that were destroyed in a 1923 earthquake, George Marshall, an athletic teacher at Tokyo based Rikkyo University,
played between an all-star team of the three Tokyo universities and a team of the Yokohama Country and Athletic
Club consisting of Americans and Britains living in Japan. The japanese college team won the game.
American Football quickly gained popularity in Japan. In 1937 a game between college all-star teams from
eastern and western Japan drew a crowd of about 25,000 spectators. Why did it gain so much popularity? Some
say that American Football offers a combination of power, technical precision, discipline and team spirit that is
hard to find in other sports and most parts of this combination match well with traditional Japanese values.
During World War II (1939 - 1945) American Football in Japan came to a halt. Rusch, the Father of American
Football in Japan, had to leave Japan during this time period but soon returned after the war was over. During the
following years Junior & Senior High School teams were formed. Today more than 17,000 players participate in
competition on roughly 400 teams. There are two college football leagues, the Kanto League with teams from
eastern Japan and the Kansai League with teams from western Japan. Each league has different divisions like
we have here in the states. In Division I of the Kanto League there are two Conferences (A and B). The champions
of the two leagues battle for the college championship in the Koshien Bowl in December.
The highest level of American Football in Japan is the X League which was founded in 1981as a league that
consists of corporate teams and club teams sponsored by companies. The league officially adopted its name as
the X League in 1996. Like the college leagues the X League has different divisions. The Division I level has three
regional divisions (East, Central, West). The two top teams of each division advance to the playoffs, called the
Final 6. The championship game is called the Japan X Bowl and is held in December. The X League champion
then plays against the college champion in what is known as the Rice Bowl. This game is played in January for
the Japanese National Championship. The Rice Bowl used to be a game played between college all-star teams
from eastern and western Japan. Since 1983, it has now become the national championship game.
that were destroyed in a 1923 earthquake, George Marshall, an athletic teacher at Tokyo based Rikkyo University,
played between an all-star team of the three Tokyo universities and a team of the Yokohama Country and Athletic
Club consisting of Americans and Britains living in Japan. The japanese college team won the game.
American Football quickly gained popularity in Japan. In 1937 a game between college all-star teams from
eastern and western Japan drew a crowd of about 25,000 spectators. Why did it gain so much popularity? Some
say that American Football offers a combination of power, technical precision, discipline and team spirit that is
hard to find in other sports and most parts of this combination match well with traditional Japanese values.
During World War II (1939 - 1945) American Football in Japan came to a halt. Rusch, the Father of American
Football in Japan, had to leave Japan during this time period but soon returned after the war was over. During the
following years Junior & Senior High School teams were formed. Today more than 17,000 players participate in
competition on roughly 400 teams. There are two college football leagues, the Kanto League with teams from
eastern Japan and the Kansai League with teams from western Japan. Each league has different divisions like
we have here in the states. In Division I of the Kanto League there are two Conferences (A and B). The champions
of the two leagues battle for the college championship in the Koshien Bowl in December.
The highest level of American Football in Japan is the X League which was founded in 1981as a league that
consists of corporate teams and club teams sponsored by companies. The league officially adopted its name as
the X League in 1996. Like the college leagues the X League has different divisions. The Division I level has three
regional divisions (East, Central, West). The two top teams of each division advance to the playoffs, called the
Final 6. The championship game is called the Japan X Bowl and is held in December. The X League champion
then plays against the college champion in what is known as the Rice Bowl. This game is played in January for
the Japanese National Championship. The Rice Bowl used to be a game played between college all-star teams
from eastern and western Japan. Since 1983, it has now become the national championship game.
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