Japanese Female Athletes Strategic Support Project

The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has established a Multi-Support Project with the aim of enhancing Japanese athletes’ performance in international competition such as the Olympic Games. MEXT has requested Professor Etsuko Ogasawara, who was the Co-Chair of the IWG 2002-2006 and organiser of the IWG Conference in Kumamoto in 2006, to focus specifically on top level female athletes. In addition, MEXT has commissioned Juntendo University, where Etsuko Ogaswara is now a Professor of Sports Management, to conduct a Female Athletes Strategic Support Project. This project is made up of six components:

1) Database
2) Career Transition
3) Leadership Development 
4) Gender-based Medical and Environmental Factors 
5) Relationship between Body Composition and Athletic Performance of Female Athletes in Vivo Metabolite 
6) Female Athletes Diary

A strategic plan for enhancing the support provided to female athletes is being developed through consultation with past and present female athletes, coaches, and other stakeholders, while the main purpose of the database is to increase awareness of women and sport issues in Japan.

Dr. Ogasawara and her team are consulting widely with IWG members, and others in the Women and Sport network, to identify best practice and areas for collaboration in this project.

Anyone in the IWG network with information or ideas to share please contact Terumi Kaibara at

terumi.kaibara(a)gmail.com 

Multi-support Project for Female Athletes  

2-11-5 Hongo Bunkyo-ku 

Tokyo JAPAN 

Tel:+81 3 5844 6537 

Fax:+81 3 5844 6538