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.
Japanese Baseball Oct 1, 2013
Eagles' Tanaka improves to 23-0 in magical season
As if on cue, the Pacific League pennant winner Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles came through for right-hander Masahiro Tanaka — and big. After being held scoreless in three consecutive games since clinching the PL title on Sept. 26, the Eagles erupted with a six-run ...
Baseball | SPORTS SCOPE Sep 30, 2013
Another challenge awaits Rakuten
by Jason Coskrey
Clinching the Pacific League pennant a little early gave the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles a chance to really enjoy the moment. Ace Masahiro Tanaka, 22-0 this season, was on the mound for the last inning of the PL pennant race on Sept. 26 at ...
Japanese Baseball Sep 27, 2013
Marines rout new PL champion Eagles
by Dave Hueston
A night after breaking out the bubbly to celebrate their first ever Pacific League title, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles were understandably in need of a collective pick-me-up during a sluggish performance against the second-place Chiba Lotte Marines. Left-hander Takahiro Matsunaga (4-1) allowed four ...
Japanese Baseball Sep 26, 2013
Eagles clinch first Pacific League title
In a game of high drama, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles clinched their first Pacific League pennant on Thursday night in a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Seibu Lions.
Japanese Baseball Sep 23, 2013
Eagles move closer to Pacific League pennant
Rookie Sho Miyagawa allowed just one hit in seven innings Monday as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles beat the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 5-0 and Japan’s newest franchise moved closer to its first Pacific League pennant. The Eagles, who began playing as an expansion ...
Japanese Baseball Sep 18, 2013
Egawa helps power Hawks comeback
Tomoaki Egawa hit a two-run homer in the eighth and drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth as the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks overcame a six-run deficit on Wednesday to defeat the Pacific League-leading Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 11-10. The win pushed the Hawks into ...
Japanese Baseball Sep 6, 2013
Tanaka tosses complete-game victory, raises record to 20-0
Masahiro Tanaka equaled the mark for Japan’s longest winning streak within a single season as he improved to 20-0 on Friday in the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles’ 3-2 win over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. The 24-year-old Eagles ace has won 24 consecutive decisions ...
Japanese Baseball Sep 3, 2013
First-place Eagles rally past Lions
A trio of former big leaguers led the Pacific League-leading Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles to a come-from-behind, 4-3 victory over the Seibu Lions on Tuesday. Andruw Jones trimmed the deficit to 3-1, when he led off the fifth inning with his 20th home run. ...
Japanese Baseball Sep 1, 2013
Hawks' Oseguera downs Eagles in Japan debut
Paul Oseguera went five-plus innings to win his Japan debut and Fukuoka Softbank’s bullpen pitched out of a series of jams as the Hawks defeated the Pacific League-leading Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 4-0 on Sunday. Oseguera, a 29-year-old whom the Hawks signed out of ...
Japanese Baseball Aug 31, 2013
After early blunder, Settsu settles down, stifles Eagles
Tadashi Settsu overcame a dicey first inning to last seven frames and pick up the victory as the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks defeated the Pacific League-leading Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 9-2 on Saturday afternoon. Settsu (14-5) surrendered a home run to light-hitting Takero Okajima on ...
Japanese Baseball Aug 30, 2013
Eagles' Tanaka improves to 19-0 on season, wins 23rd straight decision
Masahiro Tanaka allowed three runs in seven innings on Friday to win his 23rd consecutive decision as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles defeated the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks 11-6. Tanaka (19-0) surrendered seven hits and issued two walks, while striking out six. He went into ...
Japanese Baseball Aug 23, 2013
Eagles ace Tanaka improves to 18-0
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles right-hander Masahiro Tanaka won his 22nd consecutive decision Friday, extending his own Japanese pro baseball record dating back to Aug. 26, 2012. Tanaka, 24, improved to 18-0 on the season after pitching seven shutout innings to open Pacific League leader ...