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April 23, 2024
 

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John Gunning
For John Gunning's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
The heights Akebono reached in sumo helped pave the way for future foreign-born yokozuna Asashoryu and Hakuho.
SUMO
Apr 15, 2024
Akebono's human side eclipsed his incredible sumo achievements
Talk to anyone personally acquainted with recently deceased former yokozuna Akebono and almost immediately the words “generous” and “kind” will arise.
Despite Japan’s strict anti-scalping laws, tickets for premium seats to sumo tournaments are being offered at massive markups on resale sites.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 10, 2024
Scarcity of tickets leaves foreign sumo fans out in the cold
Almost as soon as general ticket sales began on Saturday for the upcoming May Grand Sumo Tournament, the entire meet was sold-out.
Hakuoho (right) shoves out Aoiyama during the Nagoya Basho in July last year. The promising young wrestler is now part of Terunofuji's Isegahama stable after the Miyagino stable was forced to close following a bullying scandal.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 3, 2024
With absorption of Miyagino stable, Isegahama looks to be building sumo super team
Whether it’s Real Madrid’s famous Galacticos or the 2024 Dodgers, few things in sport divides opinion among fans more than the creation of a super team.
Takerufuji receives the Emperor's Cup at Edion Arena Osaka on Sunday.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Mar 26, 2024
Takerufuji’s triumph is one for the ages
The Isegahama stable rookie arguably achieved one of most surprising sporting victories of all time.
With 56 of his first 66 career wins coming via sumo’s two most fundamental techniques (namely frontal push out and frontal force out), Takerufuji utilizes a straight-ahead traditional style that is sure to endear him to purists.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 21, 2024
Red-hot rookie Takerufuji off to historic start in Osaka tourney
In remaining unbeaten over the meet’s first 11 days, Takerufuji equaled all-time great Taiho’s record for the best-ever start for a debutant.
Kirishima (behind) gets thrown down against Ura on Tuesday. The newly promoted ozeki's 0-3 start in Osaka has been one of the big disappointments of the tournament so far.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 13, 2024
Scandal and poor starts have sumo in a rut in Osaka
While the meet has had a rocky first few days, one of the sport's most promising young wrestlers is proving to be a beacon of light on the horizon.
Yokozuna Terunofuji will be aiming for his 10th Emperor’s Cup at the Spring Basho in Osaka.
SUMO
Mar 8, 2024
Terunofuji remains in driver's seat as new title hopefuls gather strength
The ascension of three new ozeki since July appears to have brought a measure of stability to sumo.
On the amateur circuit, domestic tournaments such as the Dream Girls Cup, which took place in Tokyo last month, have generated significant publicity for youth sumo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 6, 2024
Sumo's popularity is booming. The recruitment of new pros is not.
Sumo is not immune to the labor shortages plaguing the rest of aging Japan.
Former yokozuna Hakuho apologizes for the bullying caused by his protege Hokuseiho (right), outside the Miyagino stable in Tokyo on Friday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 28, 2024
How a rethink of supervision at stables could curtail bullying in sumo
Incidents of bullying and harassment of younger wrestlers by their seniors continue to erupt with regularity, causing major issues for the world of sumo.
Corey Morrison (back center) and Siggy Sauer (front, center) at Asakayama stable. While pathways into ōzumo have become more streamlined in recent years, stables are still remarkably willing to let amateurs show up and train with the superstars of the sport.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 21, 2024
Texan newcomer helps dispel the myth that sumo is a closed world
While pathways into sumo have become more streamlined in recent years, stables are still remarkably willing to let amateurs show up and train superstars.
Elementary, junior high and high school girls represented 76 different sumo clubs from across the nation on Sunday at the Dream Girls Cup, with the tournament also given a slight international flavor by the inclusion of one athlete from the United States and one from Brazil.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 15, 2024
All-time great Hakuho hopes to help girls realize their sumo dreams
The inaugural Dream Girls Cup saw 76 sumo clubs from across the nation gather in Tokyo for an event that Hakuho hopes will spur big dreams.
Kubota Spears players watch the Chiefs perform the haka during a Cross Border Rugby game on Saturday at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Feb 13, 2024
Cross Border Rugby sets stage for exciting possibilities
Many of those involved saw the nascent venture as an important stepping stone towards greater international collaboration.
Onosato (top) battles Tamawashi during the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament last month in Tokyo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 7, 2024
In the world of sumo, a mock draft reflects the sport's generational shift
Here's a look at who might go No. 1 overall if sumo's stables conducted a North American-style draft.
Terunofuji (left) defeats Kirishima at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Saturday.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Jan 31, 2024
Ninth title puts Terunofuji on cusp of joining all-time greats
His most recent victory puts him ahead — in terms of silverware won — of all but eight wrestlers to have made their debut in the past 65 years.
Terunofuji (back) knows what it’s like to overcome setbacks, having won two of his eight titles after middling starts to a tournament.
SUMO
Jan 24, 2024
Big names set up thrilling finale for January sumo meet
Terunofuji would appear to be the favorite as sumo's first tournament of 2024 reaches the homestretch, but a host of contenders means it could come down to the final day.
Japan makes a goal-line stand against the Ivy League All-Stars during the Dream Japan Bowl on Sunday at National Stadium.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Jan 21, 2024
Dreams come true as Japan downs Ivy League squad for the first time
After 10 failed attempts — in games stretching back to 1989 — a Japanese All-Star team finally managed to overcome the Ivy League’s best on the gridiron.
Japan captain Taku Lee with Ivy league players Alex Washington (left) and Nick Howard in Tokyo on Tuesday ahead of the Dream Japan Bowl.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Jan 19, 2024
Japan football players dream big as they prepare to battle Ivy League's best
Japan will be hoping to avenge a frustrating loss in last year's game and showcase the nation's football talent for colleges and pro teams overseas.
While global sumo took its first steps toward becoming an organized sport under Hidetoshi Tanaka, it would be an exaggeration to say that everything was plain sailing internationally while the former president was in power.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 17, 2024
Scandal-hit giant of sumo Hidetoshi Tanaka leaves a complicated legacy
For Tanaka, a terse International Sumo Federation statement marked an ignominious end to the life of one of sumo’s most influential figures.
Yokozuna-hopeful Kirishima (right) during a training session in Tokyo earlier this month.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 12, 2024
Winds of change swirl at the top of sumo ahead of New Year meet
Kirishima has his sights set on promotion to yokozuna, while major questions surround injury-plagued Terunofuji.
Wakatakakage competes at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in November. In sumo, early-arriving fans get to see some of the drama unfold in the lower tiers of the sport.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Jan 10, 2024
For sumo fans, the drama doesn’t end with the top tier of wrestlers
Starting Sunday in Tokyo, myriad storylines are set to play out in sumo's lower ranks.
Japan’s cannabis market growing rapidly amid regulatory shift
The legality of products that contain cannabinoids, a group of substances derived from the cannabis plant, has been somewhat murky in Japan.
Philippines wants U.S. and Japan to take over rail deal eyed by China
Delfin Lorenzana
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.
At least one dead, seven missing after two MSDF helicopters crash off Izu Islands
Contact was lost with the two SH-60K helicopters, each carrying four crew, in an area east of Torishima in the Izu Island chain during anti-submarine warfare training Saturday night.
Tokyo Rainbow Pride lights up capital as organizers celebrate 30 years
Rainbow flags were flown through the capital's busy Shibuya and Harajuku areas for Tokyo Rainbow Pride events this weekend as organizers hailed 30 years of one of Asia's largest LGBTQ celebrations.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.
A craft beer crawl through Tokyo’s top bars, brewpubs and dives
If all you drink is Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin, you're depriving yourself of some of the best craft beer Tokyo has to offer — and there sure is a lot of it out there.
Tsukiji 2030s: A stadium, culinary center and transportation hub
A computer-generated image shows redevelopment plans for the former site of the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.
Hearing the impact of climate change in Okinawa, one bird call at a time
Toshihiro Kinjo (center), a research support technician at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, inspects an audio recording device in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, on April 3 as Masako Ogasawara, a research support specialist at OIST, looks on.
Japan’s cannabis market growing rapidly amid regulatory shift
The legality of products that contain cannabinoids, a group of substances derived from the cannabis plant, has been somewhat murky in Japan.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Leading Japan’s sustainability from Tokyo
Leading Japan’s sustainability from Tokyo

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