Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Oct 25, 2012
Relegation fears cast long shadow over struggling sides
by Andrew Mckirdy
Another weekend of mixed results has left this year’s J. League championship race as opaque as ever, but after further movement at the bottom of the table, the relegation battle is looking even harder to call. Consadole Sapporo’s official status as dead men walking ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Oct 4, 2012
Title-chasing pack slims down after weekend purge
by Andrew Mckirdy
There is still much to sort out before the identity of the 2012 J. League champion becomes known, but for perhaps the first time in a season that has consistently refused to produce a clear front-runner, a definitive shape is beginning to crystallize at ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Sep 20, 2012
Urawa eyeing immediate reward for improved season
by Andrew Mckirdy
Urawa Reds would have settled for a step in the right direction after escaping relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, but with a first J. League title since 2006 in sight with only nine games left to play, hopes of an ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Aug 23, 2012
Slow and steady rise gives Sanfrecce upper hand in title race
by Andrew Mckirdy
There will be many more twists and turns before this season’s J. League title is won, but after opening up a four-point gap at the top of the table, the balance of power is steadily shifting Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s way. A 2-0 win over Albirex ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Apr 26, 2012
Early pace-setters Vegalta determined to last distance
by Andrew Mckirdy
Skeptics may dismiss Vegalta Sendai’s position at the top of the J. League as a fad waiting to blow over, but each passing weekend brings fresh evidence that the Tohoku side intends to stick around for good. Vegalta gave their most emphatic display of ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Mar 29, 2012
Serrao debacle leaves Gamba searching for stability
by Andrew Mckirdy
There was always a danger that Gamba Osaka would need time to adapt to life without former manager Akira Nishino, but no one expected things to turn out quite so badly. After cutting ties with Nishino over the offseason following a decade at the ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Mar 15, 2012
Opening day gives hint of things to come in 20th season
by Andrew Mckirdy
The future is hardly set in stone after one round of matches, but as the J. League kicked off its 20th season on Saturday, there were some tantalizing glimpses of what lies ahead. The day began with a poignant meeting between two teams who ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Feb 2, 2012
Reysol not content to bask in memory of glorious 2011
by Andrew Mckirdy
It would take a Herculean effort for Kashiwa Reysol to match their 2011 achievements over the coming season, but the reigning J. League champions see no reason why they cannot raise the bar and go even higher. Reysol won their first league title last ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Nov 24, 2011
Weekend fightback gives Reysol one hand on league title
by Andrew Mckirdy
Nagoya Grampus will fight to the last breath to defend their J. League title, but there can be little doubt now that the 2011 championship is Kashiwa Reysol’s to lose. Reysol took a huge step toward their first-ever title on Sunday, coming from behind ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Nov 3, 2011
Everything to play for as three-way title race gets serious
by Andrew Mckirdy
Nagoya Grampus won the J. League title a full 10 points ahead of second-place Gamba Osaka last season, but as the 2011 campaign enters the final stretch, the situation is anything but cut and dried. Grampus and Gamba again form part of a select ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Sep 15, 2011
Front four jostle for position heading into final stretch
by Andrew Mckirdy
It is all but certain that the 2011 J. League champion will come from the four-team breakaway group that has formed at the top of the table, but with a quarter of the season still to play, that is about as clear as the ...
J. League | J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Aug 11, 2011
Full-blooded competition a fitting tribute to Matsuda
by Andrew Mckirdy
Last weekend’s J. League fixtures were always going to be difficult so soon after the shock death of former Yokohama F. Marinos and national team defender Naoki Matsuda, but in the event the passion and determination on show were a fitting tribute. Yokohama’s players ...