Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize
With the Grand Prize of the Japan Professional Sports (Japanese日本 プロ スポーツ 大賞Nihon puro supōtsu Taishō for Nihon Pro Sports Taishō ) Japan's Sportsman of the Year is awarded since 1968. The election is conducted by the Association of Japanese professional sport (Nippon Pro Sports Kyōkai ). Can be chosen all Japanese professional athletes as well as foreigners working in Japan; a separation between individual athletes and teams as well as between men and women does not exist.
With the US- American baseball player Randy Bass and born in Mongolia, Asashoryu Akinori sumo wrestlers and Hakuho shō been three foreigners were elected; the golfer Ayako Okamoto and the world champion in women's football team in 2011, the only previous female winners.