How is Japan not better?

[WarriorofTime]

Number of registered players is nice but in and of itself tells you very little. If the game isn't played seriously beyond a youth level, it doesn't make much of a difference. You need to have the systems and development channels in place. A bunch of 7 year olds skating around in and of itself isn't going to lead to the next Lemieux.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Spitballing, but there's no local infrastructure to turn talented youths into talented adults, and the culture shock precludes most potential kids from moving overseas to continue their career.



To use him as an example, he needed to head over to Canada or a European country at some point, preferably 12-13 when he was first discovered, but at least when he was 15-16.

Even at 12, you'd be behind the ball a bit (but may still be able to catch up). Hockey gets serious in Canada around age 10. By 14, forget it, you're way too far gone if you haven't been playing at an elite level previously.

 

[BMann]

All their rugby players for the “big” positions are imports from Polynesia or New Zealand

Not all. Himeno, Hasegawa and Akiyama in the lock and back row are not exactly small kids. Diet plays a part but yes the genetic traits show a higher torso to leg ratio than other populations. Still you can have effective skilled players if the development and nutrition are monitored.

A lot of the smaller hockey nations need better development paths, better organized and stable professional leagues along with trying to increase player numbers in the juniors and having more facilities. The bigger the base the more chance a nation can break through with the provisos mentioned.

 

[Name Nameless]

As a big fan of the Tokyo Katanas, this does surprise me.

Joking aside. Japan is not nearly the power it should have been in football (and with that, I mean soccer), either. (On the mens side, they are good on the womens side. ) But with 125 million people you expect them to sample a contender in soccer. They don't.

 

[Albatros]

On the contrary one could argue that in soccer Japan is one of the most successful countries of those where it's not the number one sport. Quite possibly the best more or less tied with the United States which has more than twice the population.

 

[KennethCanada]

Not that it would ever happen but imagine a Japanese heritage team…Tyler Yamamoto, Ryan Suzuki, Nick Suzuki, Kieler Sherwood,Kole Sherwood, Dean Sikora, Tyler Sikora, Stuart Percy, Jon Matsumoto Tyler Imamoto, Denis Akimoto, Jonah Imoo, Devin Satoguchi, Raymond Sawada, Eric Blum, Jordan Spence..Any other eligible guys you could think off…Blueline and goaltenders are very weak…

 

[Lambo]

Japanese men are not tall

Johnny Gaudreau, AlexDeBrincat, Cam Atkinson etc. too. But they are NHL-Top-Players.