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Overview of the Gender Ratio Survey by JSPO

The Japan Sports Association (JSPO) has recently completed its annual gender ratio survey among member organizations, in compliance with a request from the Cabinet Office. This survey, conducted for fiscal year 2025, reveals noteworthy trends regarding female representation in leadership roles across the sports sector.

Key Findings

The survey indicates that the proportion of female directors within the 129 member organizations has risen to 29.4%, an increase of 2.2 percentage points from the previous year. Notably, 30 out of the 69 central sports organizations have met the governance code's target of having over 40% female directors, marking a significant rise from the previous year.

Moreover, the inclusion of external directors, newly added to the survey, shows that 61% of central sports organizations have met the standard of having at least 25% external directors. Female external directors account for 41.0% of all female directors and 47.6% of all external directors.

On the flipside, the percentage of female executive directors within these central organizations remains low, at only 18.5%, indicating a disparity between overall female director representation and their involvement in high-level decision-making roles.

Importance of Enhancing Diversity

As noted by Yuka Murofushi, Chair of the JSPO Women in Sports Committee, increasing the number of female directors is a progressive step, but it is essential to also ensure that women have access to decision-making positions within these organizations. The governance code promotes not just numerical targets but also the need for a deeper, systemic change to create an inclusive environment where diverse voices are heard and considered.

To this end, JSPO plans to share the results of this survey with member organizations and support initiatives aimed at achieving numerical goals as well as fostering essential improvements. These improvements include establishing an environment where everyone, regardless of gender, can thrive and creating mechanisms that enable diverse perspectives to influence decision-making.

Detailed Statistics

Female Directors Across Member Organizations

• - Total directors: 2,896 (up from 2,861 last year)
• - Female directors: 807 (up from 723 last year)
• - Average number of female directors per organization: 6.3 (up from 5.7)

Female Representation Ratios

• - Average proportion across all 129 organizations: 29.4% (up from 27.2% last year)
• - Central sports organizations average: 34.7% (up from 32.7%)
• - Prefectural sports associations average: 21.2% (up from 18.3%)
• - Number of organizations meeting the 40% goal: 40 (up from 30)

Executive Directors

• - Average executive directors: 5.6, comprising 29.1% of all directors
• - Female executive directors: Average of 1.3, accounting for 16.9% of all female directors and 18.5% of all executive directors

The survey was conducted from January 13 to February 27, 2026, targeting 129 JSPO member organizations, and achieved a full response rate.

Conclusion

The JSPO will utilize the findings from this survey to enhance support for member organizations' efforts to not only meet the quantitative goals but also to make meaningful changes towards establishing an environment characterized by diversity and inclusion. The participation of women in decision-making processes within sports organizations is vital for the sustainable development of sports in Japan. For more information, visit the JSPO website which outlines their ongoing commitment to promoting gender equity in sports leadership.