Richard Freeman - The Japan Times

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Richard Freeman

For Richard Freeman's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP

Jun 5, 2005

Seiji Hirao: Mr. Rugby

At the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong in March, a group of eminent rugby journalists were talking about Japan's bid to host Rugby World Cup 2011.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Apr 11, 2004

'Experimental novelist' kicks the regular rulebook into touch

During a recent tour to Guam, members of the Tsunami Teetotallers (a Japan-based ad hoc rugby team) were left speechless when, during prematch introductions, their scrumhalf Richard Beard declared himself to be an English "experimental novelist."

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Nov 9, 2003

Down Under at its fun-filled best

Australia has never really needed any ploys to lure travelers to this vast country. The natural beauty of the rain forests in the north, deserts in the dry interior and mountains in the south, all surrounded by some of the greatest beaches in the world, are more than enough reasons to take a trip Down Under.

COMMUNITY

Sep 21, 2003

Howzat? This is what's what

Listening to a group of cricketers talking could, for the uninitiated, be like listening to a group of aliens discussing life on their planet. Therefore The Japan Times is proud to present an unofficial cricketing dictionary.

COMMUNITY

Sep 21, 2003

Did you say gentleman's sport?

"Sledging," or "mental disintegration" as it is referred to by the Australians, is the use of abusive or offensive words against an opponent. Sledge is taken from the Australian saying "as subtle as a sledgehammer" and the Aussies have gained a reputation as masters of the art. Here are a few classic quips:

COMMUNITY

Sep 21, 2003

Build a wicket and they will come

In 1996, a young bowler playing against the Bangladesh national cricket side dismissed two batsmen with consecutive balls -- the first delivered with his right arm, the second with his left.

COMMUNITY

Sep 21, 2003

I don't like cricket, oh no . . . I love it

It is often said that the future of a nation lies with its youth. If that is also true of sport, then Gunma could soon end up being the Barbados of Asia, producing cricketers on a par with the great Caribbean production line.

COMMUNITY

Feb 9, 2003

Academy aims to bring out the best

Golfer Shigeki Murayama is just one of many Japanese sportsmen and sportswomen to have flown the coop and set up base overseas in recent years. Like his counterparts in baseball, soccer and rugby, the "Smiling Assassin" realized he could only do so much on the professional golf circuit in Japan, and that he needed fresh challenges and a change of environment to truly fulfill his potential.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Feb 9, 2003

Caddie rises to big game

Caddies are part of playing golf in Japan. So it is often with relief that Japanese golfers find they are allowed to negotiate a course without strangers in their midst when they play abroad.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Feb 9, 2003

Golf: a sport that mirrors the nation

Forget indicators such as unemployment levels and interest rates; there's no simpler way to chart Japan's economic well-being than by tracing the ebb and flow of the popularity of golf.

MORE SPORTS

Feb 4, 2002

Suntory downs Steelers 28-17 to clinch Japan rugby crown

Suntory was crowned national rugby champion of Japan after winning the Japan Championship at Chichibunomiya on Sunday. In a pulsating game that had the sold-out of 25,000 on their feet, the Suntory Sungoliath defeated Kobe Steel 28-17 in a game that was truly worthy of a final.

COMMUNITY

Dec 2, 2001

Your click-and-go guide to the snow

Although 75 percent of Japan is mountainous, and there are 600 ski resorts nationwide, the process of arranging a ski holiday can often be full of trials and tribulations.

MORE SPORTS

Jul 10, 2001

Fiji captures Pacific Rim rugby title

Fiji's rugby team showed that any internal problems were behind it, when it beat Samoa 28-17, in the final of the Pacific Rim Championship on Sunday at Tokyo's Chichibunomiya Stadium.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.

The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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