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. He also works as a freelance sports writer/translator for Japanese magazines and websites. He has college degrees in commerce and journalism.
For Kaz Nagatsuka's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Tadahito Iguchi had insisted that one of the reasons why he was hanging up his cleats was that he could no longer hit home runs as often as he used to. But in the final game of his prolonged professional career, Tadahito Iguchi hit one ...
Returning to her home nation with an innocent smile, Ramu Tokashiki reflected on what was the biggest challenge of her three-year stint in America. The 2017 WNBA season was not a joyride. But she maintained a positive demeanor on Tuesday. Tokashiki appeared in 33 games for the ...
We have witnessed Japanese athletes develop into global stars over the past 10, 20 years. But the country still has a long way to go in order to stand on an equal footing with the world's most advanced sports facilities. A recent global sports conference ...
Sports competitions are often considered like chess matches, and when you face the same opponent twice, the second time is different because you and your opponent are going to come at each other with different preparation, tactics and strategy. With a little over a month ...
With an ambitious goal to eventually become the best table tennis league in the world, the T-League Premier League will kick off in Japan in the fall of 2018. On Friday, the league held a meeting in Tokyo for companies and groups that are interested ...
The B. League tipped off its inaugural season in lavish fashion last year with a game between the Alvark Tokyo and Ryukyu Golden Kings on an LED court at Yoyogi National Gymnasium. At the All-Star Game at the same arena, fans were entertained with concert-style ...
IBM BigBlue players and staff were ecstatic after the game and head coach Shinzo Yamada delightfully tapped their shoulders, thanking them for their effort. It was perhaps a little unusual for a football team after it earned just one win, but there was a reason. After ...
Kimiko Date still wanted to stay on the court and play the game she has always loved. But her body will not allow her to do that anymore. Speaking publicly for the first time since she announced her impending retirement from tennis on her blog late ...
Sometimes, the sport you are playing might not be the right fit for you, and you might have the potential to excel in something else. So why not switch sports? The Japan Sports Agency and Japan Sports Association have launched a new initiative called the Japan ...
A pair of runner-up finishes isn't a bad accomplishment for most teams. But the Kawasaki Brave Thunders don’t see it that way. The team notched a league-best 49-11 record during the B. League’s inaugural campaign last year. But it failed to capture any titles as it ...
