Why most families in Japan aren't planning to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics

With the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics just around the corner (February 6th to 22nd), a new Japanese family survey suggests the Games may be more background noise than must-watch TV for many households. According to research by IkoYo Family Lab, nearly 80% of families with children in Japan say they either don't plan to watch the Olympics at all or are undecided. Only about one in five parents say they'll actively tune in.

To be honest, I can watch winter sports in my own local area anyway ;) 

As an expat family here, I can relate, since finding the time to sit down and watch live sports can be a challenge. Still, for families who do plan to watch, the preference is clear, and that's for real-time TV viewing, usually in the evening due to the time difference with Italy.

Figure skating and snowboarding top the list of events parents want to watch with their children. These sports are visually engaging, easy to follow, and already popular in Japan thanks to anime, past Olympic stars, and strong domestic athletes. On the flip side, ski mountaineering (a new Olympic event) barely registered with families, showing that unfamiliar sports struggle to break through.

Will you be watching any of the Winter Olympics? Does your home country do well in them typically, or are you like me and from a fairly non-winter Olympics dominating country?