Japan e-Sports Union Approved by Japan Olympic Committee

JeSU approved by the Japan Olympic Committee

Japanese esports federation the Japan e-Sports Union (JeSU) announced this week that it has received official approval as an associate member of the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC). This new membership will be in effect until March 31, 2027, according to an announcement.

This approval is part of the organization’s goal to facilitate the participation of esports athletes in the 20th Asian Games set to take place in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, in 2026. Hideki Hayakawa, president at Konami Digital Entertainment, currently serves as the chair of JeSU.

In a roughly translated release, the organization highlighted its ongoing commitment to getting esports included and recognized in the Asian Games:

“JeSU was established to unify various organizations and support the dispatch of Japanese e-sports athletes to the 18th Asian Games in 2018. Since then, JeSU has made significant strides in the e-sports arena. In 2023, JeSU recommended candidates for the e-sports events at the 19th Asian Games (2022) and the 2nd East Asian Youth Games (2023), where Japanese athletes won gold and bronze medals. These achievements earned them the TEAM JAPAN Commander’s Award from the JOC.”

The organization went on to say in its announcement that it will use its associate membership in the JOC to strengthen collaboration with sports organizations in each sports discipline, with the goal of further developing and popularizing esports in Japan.