Yes, it's very popular. Japanese people began to play Association football in the late 19th century; probably from about 1870, when a group of foreign residents (mainly British) started introducing their hosts to the game. Whether or not this is true, it's certain that the first offical football club was founded in 1917 and is still in business.

The sport soon began to be played in schools and grew steadily more popular, with Japan participating in the 1936 Olympics. In 1998 Japan also took part in the World Cup for the first time. The women's team won the Women's World Cup in 2011.

Football is also a popular spare time sport for many Japanese people, and is one of the most watched of all spectator sports. One of the most famous faces in the country is that of football star Keisue Honda, sometimes called the 'Japanese David Beckham'.