Kaz Nagatsuka is a staff writer covering Japanese sports, including Japanese professional baseball, basketball, American football and individual sports. He has covered big sporting events such as the World Baseball Classic, the NFL Super Bowl and soccer's World Cup.
For Kaz Nagatsuka's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan’s men’s national team was left with a bitter pill to swallow after a 104-87 loss against New Zealand on Wednesday in a warm-up game at Culttz Kawasaki for the upcoming FIBA World Cup in China. The Akatsuki Five had defeated the same opponent 99-89 ...
NBA first-round draftee Rui Hachimura navigated Japan to a 99-89 victory over New Zealand on Monday, delivering a stellar performance in Japan's first warmup exhibition ahead of the upcoming FIBA World Cup. The 21-year-old forward scored 35 points to help the Akatsuki Five post a ...
Japanese climbers are fired up to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics during the IFSC Climbing World Championships, which kicks off on home soil on Sunday. The event will be held at Esforta Arena Hachioji, which is located on the outskirts of the Japanese capital, ...
Hinako Shibuno made a heroic return home Tuesday evening after becoming a household name by winning the Women's British Open on Sunday. What was awaiting the country's newest golf star upon her arrival at Haneda airport was a large flock of fans, reporters and TV ...
Japan's summer heat may be starting to ramp up, but most of the country's elite swimmers are entering a cool-down period. The majority of Japan's swimmers wrapped up their 2019 season on Sunday with the conclusion of the FINA World Cup Tokyo meet. But there will ...
With star phenoms Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe on board, the Japan men's national team has gotten its teeth into its training ahead of the FIBA World Cup, which will begin later this month. The Akatsuki Five assembled a dozen players to start their first ...
Japan's "Big Three" — Rui Hachimura, Yuta Watanabe and Nick Fazekas — headline the provisional roster of the Japan men's national team for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup, the Japan Basketball Association officially announced on Tuesday. The 16-man squad was introduced at Fuji Television ...
The "idea" of establishing a pro rugby league in Japan isn't new one. There just hasn't been anyone to take the lead and run with it. That is, until Katsuyuki Kiyomiya put his hand up. The high-profile former college and Top League head coach insisted on ...
Memphis Grizzlies two-way signing Yuta Watanabe is one of the star players that Japanese children gaze at dreamily. While growing up in Kagawa Prefecture, Watanabe admired Yuta Tabuse, who became the first Japanese player in the NBA during the 2004-05 season. Speaking in front of about ...
Just days after kicking off its preparation for the FIBA World Cup, the Japanese men's national team was jolted by some startlingly bad news out of the blue. Japan learned Tuesday that Yuki Togashi, the team's starting point guard, was diagnosed with a broken ...
