Upcoming Winter Olympics and cheering for Japan

One of the small but surprisingly fun perks of living in Japan is that I have a strong country to cheer for at the Winter Olympics. Back home in Australia, winter sports have always felt like a pretty niche interest, since we're much better known for sunshine, swimming, and surf than ice rinks and ski jumps. Sure, there have been a few standout moments over the years (some of you might remember the Steven Bradbury miracle!) but winter sport has never really been our national identity.

Living in Japan flips that completely, since winter sports here are pretty mainstream. Skiing and snowboarding are part of everyday life in many regions, especially in my neck of the woods. When the Winter Olympics roll around, it's not a fringe event on the sporting calendar, but a major national moment. 

With the next Games (Milano Cortina 2026) on the horizon, it feels different watching as an expat. Japan consistently fields strong athletes in disciplines like figure skating, speed skating, ski jumping, and snowboarding, and there's genuine medal potential across multiple events, which adds a whole different layer of excitement. I'll be watching the games with a sense of shared national momentum, even if I'm only borrowing that feeling as a foreign resident.

Once the games start I'll still quietly hope for the occasional Australian miracle, but I've also got Japan to cheer for, and that's one of those little joys of expat life.

Is your country of origin one better known for summer sports, or winter sports? Maybe you're lucky and hail from a nation that excels at both!