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Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee competes at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Feb. 17, 2022.
OLYMPICS / Figure skating
Jan 30, 2024

Russian skater Valieva suspended for four years over doping

The Kremlin has slammed what it called a "politicized" decision.
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi in action during a friendly against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday in Tokyo
SOCCER
Feb 7, 2024

Messi wows Tokyo fans days after Hong Kong no-show

Messi's appearance came days after his absence on the pitch in a recent Hong Kong friendly had angered fans there.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi fires toward the Vissel Kobe goal during a friendly at National Stadium in Tokyo on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Feb 11, 2024

Amid row over Messi's no-show, China nixes Argentina matches

The upcoming friendly with the Argentine squad has been canceled due to "well-known reasons,” the sports authority in the eastern city of Hangzhou said.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Feb 15, 2024

Giants' new Godzilla Yuto Akihiro taps into Hideki Matsui's teachings to level up

Akihiro is the latest player to try and walk in Matsui's footsteps.
In Hokkaido’s Niseko ski resort area, a bowl of ramen or soba from a food truck easily goes for more than three times what it costs at a sit-down joint in Tokyo.
COMMENTARY
Feb 18, 2024

¥3,800 ski-slope ramen is a glimpse of Japan’s future

Foreign tourist spending has potential to stimulate growth but needs careful management to ensure equitable distribution of benefits for locals.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 1, 2024

Shohei Ohtani reveals few details after surprise marriage announcement

The superstar, who fiercely guards details about his personal life, said the announcement's timing was to avoid any potential distractions going forward.
Alex “Rami-chan” Ramirez
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Mar 1, 2024

Baseball star Alex Ramirez’s NPO helps special kids

Founder of Vamos Together, Venezuelan Alex Ramirez played for Yakult Swallows and Yomiuri Giants, then became manager of the Yokohama DeNa BayStars
Persepolis soccer team fans at Azadi stadium in Tehran in August 2022
SOCCER
Mar 12, 2024

Tehran soccer derby ignites passions in Iran

The Azadi stadium, home to both teams, is one of the largest in the world, and will see its seats packed for the game.
Czech Republic's Ondrej Satoria pitches against Japan during the World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome on March 11.
BASEBALL
Mar 14, 2024

Ondrej Satoria reflects on electric WBC showdown against Shohei Ohtani

Satoria, an electrician by day, struck out the Japanese superstar during the World Baseball Classic.
Fans cheer during a friendly match between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Kiwoon Heroes ahead of the Major League Baseball Seoul Series in Seoul on Sunday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 18, 2024

MLB brings Shohei Ohtani, season openers and big dreams to Seoul

With a set of stars from the region, 2024 is turning out to be baseball’s moment in Asia.
Mamiko Tanaka (right), wife of Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani, arrives at Incheon International Airport on Friday ahead of the 2024 MLB Seoul Series baseball games.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 18, 2024

A mystery no more: What we know about Ohtani’s wife

No one in the sports world is receiving as much attention right now as baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani — that is, besides his wife, Mamiko Tanaka.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani arrives at Incheon International Airport in South Korea ahead of the MLB's Seoul Series, on Friday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 19, 2024

All eyes on Ohtani on eve of MLB's Seoul Series

The Dodgers star touched down in South Korea to a welcome worthy of a K-pop act
Known in Hokkaido business circles as an internationalist due to his close ties with the United States and the International Olympics Committee, Yoshiro Ito headed dozens of Hokkaido and national organizations during his decadeslong career.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Mar 25, 2024

Hokkaido mourns Yoshiro Ito, promoter of Japan-U.S. ties

Ito was known in Hokkaido business circles as an internationalist due to his close ties with the United States.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 25, 2024

Ohtani to speak Monday on allegations surrounding ex-interpreter

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he hoped two-way superstar's plans to speak on the press would bring "clarity."
Two people try to take a selfie under the illuminated cherry blossoms in Kyoto’s Gion district last year.
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 25, 2024

Sakura stories revisited: Getting in the mood for hanami

We are revisiting some past content on the science, economics and culture of cherry blossom season.
Fans wave Chinese national flags during an international friendly match between China and Syria, in Chengdu, China, in 2023.
SOCCER
Mar 26, 2024

Former China soccer chief given life sentence for 'huge' bribery

Chen Xuyuan took advantage of his positions to accept sums totaling 81.03 million yuan, reports said.
The 2024 grand prix winner was Zerogravity, a marine activity provider with a focus on accessible tours and accommodation.
LIFE / Travel
Mar 29, 2024

Japan Travel Awards promote inclusive tourism

While currently far from a global player, the Japan Travel Awards is filling a void for recommendations on forward-looking travel-centric organizations.
French swimmer Caroline Jouisse (left) has had her training sessions analyzed daily, with the data then examined in relation to her menstrual cycles.
OLYMPICS
Apr 1, 2024

How period tracking could boost performance of female Olympians

France's National Institute of Sport launched a program in 2020 to track and learn from the menstrual cycles of athletes.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani singles during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 7, 2024

MLB commissioner says Ohtani and interpreter gambling probe to wrap up in 'short' time

The top MLB official also praised the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar for his move to stem questions over his involvement in the scandal.
Ippei Mizuhara (left) allegedly stole millions of dollars from Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani in order to cover gambling debts.
BASEBALL
Apr 11, 2024

Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, said to be negotiating guilty plea

By quickly pleading guilty, Mizuhara would increase his chances of receiving a more lenient sentence.
Ippei Mizuhara and Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani attend a news conference ahead of MLB's season-opening series in Seoul on March 16.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 12, 2024

Texts between Ippei Mizuhara and bookie show the walls closing in

Federal prosecutors say Ippei Mizuhara stole $16 million from Shohei Ohtani from November 2021 to January 2024.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani during a spring training game on March 12.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 15, 2024

Ohtani’s dizzying three weeks end in exoneration by authorities

At times, baseball’s biggest star seemed in danger of being tainted by a gambling scandal, before his longtime interpreter was charged with fraud.
Sebastian Coe delivers a speech during the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Aug. 27, 2023.
OLYMPICS
Apr 19, 2024

Sebastian Coe divides Olympic movement with move to offer prize money

Coe's compatriots have been critical of World Athletics' decision to offer prize money at the Olympics.
Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei poses with her gold medal after winning the women's 200-meter butterfly during the Tokyo Games.
OLYMPICS
Apr 22, 2024

Chinese doping case sends swimming world into uproar and exposes bitter rifts

The disclosure of an incident that had been a secret for more than three years has drawn strong reactions from athletes, coaches and others.
Wrestlers prepare for the start of a bout at the 2023 Sumo World Championships in Tokyo. Starting this month, placing one hand on the clay first is no longer allowed.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 24, 2024

For amateur sumo, a fresh start offers hope against time-wasting and gamesmanship

Among the measures is an emphasis on wrestlers putting both hands down at the same time, with punishments including disqualification for noncompliance.
The Lions' Yuji Kaneko hit .219 in the team's first 25 games of the season.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Apr 29, 2024

Lions muzzled by poor performance at plate

The record will show the Seibu Lions lost to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on Sunday after a 2-2 slider from Jefry Yan got away from catcher Takeru Furuichi as Riku Ogata raced home to score the walk-off run in the 12th inning of a 3-2 Hawks win.
Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, leaves federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 15, 2024

Ohtani interpreter appears in court over $17 million fraud

A lawyer for Ippei Mizuhara said the 39-year-old has reached a deal with prosecutors over his charges.
"The era of the monopoly is now definitively over," said A22 CEO Bernd Reichart, seen on Dec. 21, after a ruling in Madrid on Monday regarding opposition to a proposed soccer European Super League.
SOCCER
May 28, 2024

Spanish court orders FIFA and UEFA to halt opposition to Super League

A judge ruled that the governing bodies had violated European Union law.
The documentary short “Now and Then" traces how the Beatles honored John Lennon after his death by crafting a tune he wrote into the “last Beatles song.”
CULTURE / Film
May 30, 2024

Eight standout films to catch at this year's Short Shorts Film Festival

The event will screen roughly 270 films that range from dramas about current social issues to animations that push the limits of the imagination.
Tucupita Marcano, then with the Pirates, throws to first base during a game against the Giants in Pittsburgh in July last year.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jun 5, 2024

San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano banned for life for gambling

Michael Kelly, a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, and three minor league players were also suspended for a year for gambling on baseball games, MLB said.

Longform

Dangami House is a 180-year-old former samurai residence of the Kato clan, who ruled over Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, until the Meiji Restoration.
A house, a legacy and the quiet work of restoration in rural Japan