FY2023 concluded with a remarkable achievement: the Japanese Center for Research on Women in Sport (JCRWS) received the 26th Chichibunomiya Memorial Sports Medicine and Science Encouragement Award. This marks the first time that a university-based organization or institution has received this honor since the award’s establishment.

JCRWS delivered significant outcomes through the five-year initiative “Establishment of Research Infrastructure for Female Athlete Condition Management,” a project supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology aimed at building strategic infrastructure for private universities, which began in 2014. In April 2019, the center launched a new phase under an enhanced research structure.

At this time, I would like to reaffirm the three key directions that JCRWS is currently pursuing:
1. Further advancement of research on the conditioning of female athletes.
2. Research on the development of female leaders and the promotion of participation in sport.
3. Research that contributes to both health promotion and performance enhancement for all women.

Last year (FY2023), thanks to the dedication of our researchers, we were able to publish numerous research findings, author many academic papers, and submit them to various journals—achievements that contributed to the advancement and recognition of our work. We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has continued to support the Japanese Center for Research on Women in Sport.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Center’s establishment. The “Women Leaders Academy,” which has been held annually since our founding, will celebrate its 10th edition. To commemorate this milestone, an international symposium is scheduled for November 2. In conjunction with this event, the annual meeting of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport will also be held at Juntendo University.

With a global outlook and a commitment to exploring new research themes, my colleagues and I will continue to share our findings and push forward in our mission.
We appreciate your continued support and cooperation.

July 1, 2024
Executive Director, Etsuko Ogasawara, Ph.D