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 women aren't just eyeing a podium finish in traditional 5-on-5 basketball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, they're also aiming for a medal in the newly introduced 3x3 competition. While focusing on the latter objective, Japan is currently preparing for the 3x3 World Cup in ...
The players and staff seemed relaxed. That is a good indication of their state of mind as they get into the final window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers. The provisional Japanese men's national team began its final training camp on Tuesday before its ...
The Japan Coaches Association rewarded amateur coaches who accomplished remarkable feats in 2018 during the sixth annual Japan Coaches' Awards ceremony on Sunday in Tokyo. But the event wasn't just about handing the recipients their trophies. It was also an opportunity for coaches who are ...
With a significant pair of wins during the previous window of the Asian qualifiers in Toyama late last year, the Akatsuki Five got much closer to clinching a berth for this summer's FIBA World Cup finals in China. But Julio Lamas, the Japan men's national ...
Star guards Kei Igarashi and Shinsuke Kashiwagi were reunited this season and are cherishing the opportunity to once again don the same jersey, this time for the Central Division-leading Niigata Albirex BB. They were brought back together when Kashiwagi signed with the Hokuriku team before ...
The organizing committee for next summer's Tokyo Olympics revealed the process for domestic ticket sales and detailed ticket prices for each sport on Wednesday. The lottery process is set to begin via an official ticketing website during the spring, per the committee. Winners of ...
They do not have ample time to develop before the Tokyo Olympics. But Japanese fencers and their coaches are in no rush. At the FIE Fencing World Cup Tokyo meet, the Japanese participants did not meet their goals. None of them got past the round ...
The Japan Swimming Federation hosted the annual Aquatics Awards on Monday evening in Tokyo, celebrating achievements by its elite athletes in 2018. Asian Games MVP Rikako Ikee, who had already been named the swimmer of the year after the conclusion of the 2018 season, did ...
With increased popularity and a rise in the competition level of fencing in Japan in recent years, the battle to secure spots for next year's Olympics in Tokyo will not be easy. So the participating local fencers will definitely be fired up to perform better ...
The Kawasaki Brave Thunders desperately needed this man to make a championship run — Naoto Tsuji. Tsuji returned to the court for the first time in an official B. League game on Wednesday since suffering a dislocated left shoulder in a Nov. 23 contest against ...
