From July 27 (Sun.) to August 3 (Sun.), 2025, the Jump Rope World Championships 2025 were held at Culttz Kawasaki in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture.

A total of 2,600 athletes from 32 countries and regions gathered for the event. Participation far exceeded expectations, surpassing initial projections by more than 1,000 competitors, transforming the city of Kawasaki into a vibrant hub of jump rope culture.

The competition was streamed via the IJRU Official Website and the Olympic Channel. However, with the event spanning eight days, it would be difficult for most people to watch the entire tournament from start to finish.

Now, nearly two months have passed since those unforgettable days. As athletes gradually shift their focus toward their next challenges, this article looks back on what these eight days brought to the sport, combining photographs from the event with the author’s own reflections and observations.

Editor’s Note

According to the official website of the Japan Jump Rope Union (JJRU), international athlete delegations organized by its predecessor organization began in 1996.

Nearly thirty years later, in 2025, that journey reached a historic milestone with the first-ever Jump Rope World Championships to be held in Japan.

The athletes of the Japanese national team earned their place on this stage by advancing through the qualifying process and enduring countless hours of rigorous training thereafter.

However, the fact that the World Championships were held in Japan represents a much greater legacy—one built upon the sweat and tears of every athlete who has worn the Japanese flag and competed on the international stage before them.

In Kawasaki, the host city, athletes from 32 countries and regions brought with them the energy and spirit of the world, filling the city with a truly international atmosphere.

Meal vouchers, known as “Meal Coupons,” were distributed to athletes and event personnel, encouraging them to explore the local area. As a result, the city that supports everyday life was transformed into something extraordinary during the event. Even Kawasaki City officials remarked that the sight of so many international visitors throughout the city made them feel the unique significance of hosting a World Championship.

Meanwhile, another “singularity” of Japan becomes visible.

As highlighted in this publication, Japan is at the forefront of the performance-oriented discipline of “double dutch,” which uses two ropes.

At this competition as well, HARIBOW won the DDC event. In addition, HARIBOW appeared in a globally recognized audition television program last year, and looking further back, Japanese athletes have also performed in international circus and stage productions such as Cirque du Soleil, establishing a distinctly Japanese style of double dutch as a recognized form of entertainment on the global stage.

Furthermore, while the “vertical axis” of jump rope as a whole is important, Japan’s double dutch scene is also deeply connected to the “horizontal axis” of other street cultures.

Cultivated in such an environment, Japan’s double dutch scene has developed in a unique way, demonstrating once again to the world its distinct evolution and expansion.

However, when looking at jump rope as a whole, top-level athletes are distributed across many different countries. As a result, it is often impossible to meet these peers without crossing borders, and in some cases, athletes can only meet at the World Championships held once every two years.

Coming from a Japanese double dutch culture where world-class athletes are a natural presence within the domestic scene, the author was struck by this reality. Although, for the athletes themselves, it is likely simply a matter of course.

Beyond this, there were many other moments that literally showed us the vastness of the world.

This culture, which Japan has developed independently, must continue to seek further integration within the vertical axis of jump rope itself.

That said, it is not as if Japan is falling behind. In this competition, Japan won a total of 56 medals across both senior and junior categories, ranking first among all 32 participating countries and regions in terms of total medal count.

In particular, Japan ranked first in the world in the junior category alone, suggesting that the future of the Japanese jump rope scene is extremely bright.

Based on data published on the official IJRU Instagram account.

Finally—one of the goals we aim toward is the shared milestone of the entire jump rope scene: becoming an Olympic sport. This point deserves to be revisited here.

Shawn, the president of the IJRU (International Jump Rope Union), stated that the success of this World Championships is also an important step toward Olympic inclusion. He added that through the Olympics, he hopes to see “a world where people around the globe are captivated by the creativity and artistry of jump rope, and its rich and diverse elements.”

The Secretary General of the host organization, JJRU (Japan Jump Rope Union), Jun Haratake, described the Olympics as merely a “stepping stone.”

“As a global sports festival, it allows many people to discover the sport. From there, it can lead to the development of athletes and the growth of the industry, and eventually I hope it becomes a major movement like a World Cup beyond that.

It’s something that can be done with just a rope, yet it connects people beyond gender, nationality, and religion. It may be a grand vision, but I dream of a world where jump rope contributes to global peace and health.”

With global circumstances becoming increasingly severe, the idea of “peace through sport” may seem like a mere fantasy.

However, having witnessed so many moments that hinted at its possibility, we are once again reminded of the profound power held by sport—and by jump rope itself.

The global festival has come to a close, but it is also the beginning of the next story. For all athletes and everyone involved, something meaningful must have been left behind through this event.

Now, two months have already passed, and a cooler breeze is beginning to flow into Kawasaki. Carrying their respective thoughts, ropes continue to turn somewhere in the world today.

Event Overview

WORLD JUMP ROPE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025

Dates: July 27 (Sun.) – August 3 (Sun.), 2025
Venue: Culttz Kawasaki (Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan)
Organizer: International Jump Rope Union (IJRU)
Co-organizer: Kawasaki City
Executive Organization: Japan Jump Rope Union (JJRU)