Sometimes a sports organization¡¯s greatest strength is the capability to laugh at itself.

Developing this skill has been one of the J. League¡¯s biggest challenges in the modern age of social media-based marketing.

It¡¯s a challenge that transcends sports in Japan, where a company¡¯s brief foray into irreverence can result in significant blowback from customers who aren¡¯t in on the joke.