Goal #1Expand the scope of women's football
and make Nadeshiko Japan the world's number one team in both name and reality
If Nadeshiko Japan, the pinnacle of women's football in Japan, is to remain the world leader in both name and reality, the game must be made more accessible to women and enjoyed by people of all ages, from children to senior citizens.
Goal #2Gender equality and women's empowerment
As the advancement of women in Japanese society lags behind that of other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, JFA has been an early proponent of gender equality in employment and human resource development. Players are given the opportunity to learn about second careers to give them more options after retirement, while active efforts are being made to train female coaches and referees. In addition, the “JFA/WE League Women's Leadership Programme” was established in 2020 to develop individuals who can become leaders of regional football associations, as well as managers of sports organisations, clubs and other organisations. Through these initiatives, JFA hopes to lead the way in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in sport.
Through the "JFA Declaration on Grassroots Football", JFA is committed to creating an environment where everyone can enjoy the excitement, beauty and social value of the game. In the spring of 2024, JFA announced "Access for All", an initiative to create more opportunities and environments for people to enjoy football regardless of age, gender, disability, race or nationality.
As stated in the JFA Safeguarding Policy, JFA aims to build a football community that embraces diversity and works to create an environment where people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community and foreigners living in Japan can enjoy football without discrimination.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people live around the world. The experience of living through these unprecedented times has reminded us that sport is essential for people's physical and mental health and for a thriving social life. We believe that the importance of sport will continue to grow in the future.
JFA's philosophy is to "contribute to the healthy mental and physical development of people by creating a rich sports culture through football". Japan's Way also states that Japan should promote both competitive and recreational football and "make Japan the happiest country in the world through football". The J.League has also adopted "making Japan happier through sport" as the keyword for its "J.League 100 Year Vision", with each club working with its hometown and stakeholders to foster a rich sports culture by organising various sports events for men and women of all ages.
To medically support the activities of players, coaches, and referees, the JFA provides various guidelines and reference books on heat stroke, concussion, critical care, Anti-doping, Nutrition,
In 2009, JFA became the first sports governing body in the world to be included in the UN Global Compact and intends to be actively involved in addressing the challenges facing the international community, such as achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” adopted at the UN Summit.
Through football, we realise the full benefits that sports can bring to our lives
the soundness of our bodies, the expansion of our minds,
and the enrichment of our societies.