Basketball is included in top sports being played in Japan but it is less popular than football and baseball. Takehiko Inoue's manga series Slam Dunk (1990–1996) is frequently cited as popularizing the sport in the country and for inspiring a generation of players. The number of high school basketball players reached a record high of more than 113,000 boys in 1995, and over 77,000 girls in 1994. The Japan Basketball Association later presented Inoue with a special commendation for his contributions to the sport. However, the numbers have continued to drop since then. Okuyoshi Shinada, a director of the JBA, said in 2007, "We didn't take advantage of the golden opportunity. In the end, compared to soccer, basketball couldn't get beyond the boundaries of school physical education."