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Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 16, 2022

Roger Federer to call time on glittering career after next week's Laver Cup

The 41-year-old, who won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and re-defined a sport with his artistry and grace, broke the news tennis fans across the world have long dreaded.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 6, 2022

How the West marshaled a stunning show of unity against Russia

In a few frantic days, the West threw out the playbook it used for decades against the Kremlin and isolated Russia with unparalleled sanctions and penalties.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 20, 2022

Beijing's big air venue to be converted into giant water slide

Plans for Beijing 2022's new venues highlight a problem that has long dogged Olympic host cities: What to do with the bespoke venues once the games end.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 19, 2022

Bots and fake accounts push China’s vision of winter Olympic wonderland

Inside the Potemkin village of China’s propaganda, the Winter Olympics have unfolded as an unalloyed success, a celebration of sports and political harmony that has obscured — critics say whitewashed — the country’s flaws and rights abuses.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 16, 2022

Competing in the Winter Games, without a snowball’s chance

Some competitors have been able to make it to the Olympics in part because of a change in qualifying criteria aimed at producing a more diverse field — a change that has garnered scrutiny.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 15, 2022

Hosting the Olympics is costly. For China, it’s worth every billion.

For many cities, the Games make no economic sense. National pride and an enthusiasm for building transportation infrastructure change the equation for Beijing.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 9, 2022

How Olympians embraced mental health after Simone Biles showed the way

The American gymnast's public struggles gave other Olympians tacit permission to share their vulnerabilities. Some of them have.
Japan Times
EDITORIALS
Feb 4, 2022

With celebrations and controversy, the 2022 Winter Olympics begin

There are fears that China will use COVID-19 protocols to affect competitions, disqualifying some athletes to ensure the “proper” outcomes.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 2, 2022

Sumo's off-months aren't so quiet, if you know where to look

Retirement ceremonies, ozeki and yokozuna promotions, JSA elections, TV variety show appearances and more all take place between honbasho.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Feb 1, 2022

A photographer to the stars takes up in Tokyo

There are billions of unique individuals in the world. Matthew Jordan Smith says if you want to stand out as a photographer, you need to fine-tune your vision.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 12, 2022

Sumo catches new audience with Pokemon collaboration

The Japan Sumo Association's tie-up with the world's biggest video game franchise could be a big step in attracting younger fans to the sport.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Dec 14, 2021

Paris 2024 floats openness after two closed-door Olympics

The organizing committee said it planned to send more than 10,000 Olympians down the Seine in a parade of some 160 boats instead of having a traditional march into the Olympic Stadium.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 6, 2021

Former tennis star can relate to what Naomi Osaka is going through

Mardy Fish now acts as a mentor, sharing his experience as a prominent athlete who had to deal with mental health problems when the subject was close to taboo in pro sports.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS
Aug 24, 2021

'Most important' Paralympics arrive at starting line in Tokyo

Athletes from across the globe gathered to celebrate the long awaited start of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics during the Games' opening ceremony on Tuesday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 14, 2021

As American schools shut down due to COVID-19, 911 drug calls for youth skyrocketed

Last year, the rate of drug-related emergency calls for young people age 20 and under increased by 43%, an analysis of emergency response data found.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 4, 2021

How social media magnified the controversy over Daiki Hashimoto's all-around gold

The furor surrounding Hashimoto's first-place finish in the men's all-around competition last week stood out for the response it provoked from gymnastics officials.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 31, 2021

Will Japan’s gold rush end with judo? Not likely.

Japan has won nine golds in judo so far, the most by a single nation at an Olympics. Japan set the previous mark of eight in 2004.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / FOCUS
Jul 25, 2021

Japan skateboarders hope Olympics debut can soften social stigma

The success of homegrown athletes like gold medal winner Yuto Horigome and medal contender Aori Nishimura could help shift attitudes in Japan.
OLYMPICS
Jul 19, 2021

Naomi Osaka faces biggest challenge of her career at Olympics — on and off the court

The 2020 Tokyo Games represent a true test of character for a player who has openly struggled to handle the media spotlight in recent times.
JAPAN
Jun 8, 2021

Despite danger and cost, Japan gambles on successful Olympics

The Tokyo Olympic Games are reaching the point of no return.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 3, 2021

The beautiful game has turned ugly in China

Pressure on embattled retailer Suning Appliance Group Co. forced the conglomerate to reconsider its investment in the team. China's soccer bubble is rapidly deflating.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jan 30, 2021

Afghanistan's first female breakdancer sets sights on Paris Olympics

Many conservative Afghans frown on dancing of any description, and even more vehemently object to a woman's public participation — some of them violently.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 21, 2020

Venerable Ryogoku Kokugikan has allowed sumo to successfully cope with pandemic

Possessing its own full-size arena has allowed the Japan Sumo Association to easily switch tournaments scheduled for other cities to its home base in Tokyo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 30, 2020

JSA pulls off another successful tournament in COVID-19 era

After managing a second basho with fans at Ryogoku Kokugikan, the Japan Sumo Association still faces a number of challenges going forward.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 22, 2020

Channeling that 1964 spirit amid the pandemic

Sacrifice, dedication and training — these were the pillars that supported athletes in the 1964 Olympics. They might help during the pandemic, too.
SPORTS
Sep 11, 2020

Could COVID-19 have long-term effect on athletes' health?

Most elite athletes have avoided serious symptoms after testing positive, but evidence of long-term heart and lung issues has some officials concerned.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 21, 2020

Airing games in U.S. only first step in Pacific League's plan to take Japanese baseball abroad

For a nation so famous for its baseball exports — from Hideo Nomo to Shohei Ohtani — Japan hasn’t done a very good job at promoting Nippon Professional Baseball outside its own borders.
SOCCER
Jul 28, 2020

WE League chair plots ambitious, progressive path for women's game

After spearheading the growth of Japanese women's soccer in the 80s, Kikuko Okajima hopes to make the new league a force for social change.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 1, 2020

Heart by far most important factor toward achieving success in grueling world of sumo

In a sport where bouts are over in a matter of seconds, any kind of doubt or hesitation inevitably leads to a loss.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years