The Japan eSports Association, which promotes the competitive playing of video games, is nudging the sector toward professional status.
A nationwide tournament this month and the first-ever issuing of athlete visas to two gamers on Wednesday point to its growing recognition.
JeSPA uses the term e-sport to refer to video games ranging from shootout arcade games to team-based tournaments set on a virtual pitch. It is hard to put a figure on the number of enthusiasts worldwide, but around 100 million are thought to play regularly and seriously.