Recreational & Traditional Sports

Nihon Soccer OB Club members, a team whose members’ average age is 77.4-year-old, do physical training before a practice match in Tokyo, Japan, April 4, 2023. Competitive athletics such as soccer were once considered off-limits for the elderly in the country, but people aged 65 or older now represent nearly a third of the population, and relatively healthy seniors are pushing the boundaries of aging, which has led to societal changes: about a fifth of seniors over age 70 are employed now, as the government entices the elderly to put off collecting their pensions by promising bigger payments later. "I think the formation of the O-80 division is a reflection of what we're seeing in Japanese society, where the elderly demographic can be active like this," said Yutaka Ito, the SFL league's secretary general.