Search - sport s

 
 
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Oct 3, 2015

Size of B. League will present challenges from the outset

There is no one-size-fits-all formula — no magic pill exists — for the Japan Basketball Association to create a new men's pro hoop circuit that will become an instant success.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Aug 30, 2015

Coe defends 'ostensibly clean' athletics

Part of Sebastian Coe's new job as head of world athletics will be to shift the conversation about his "ostensibly clean" sport from doping to spectacular performances, he said on Sunday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK
Jun 20, 2015

Clarke’s legendary records still resonate 50 years later

Nearly three weeks after American sprinter Henry Carr's passing, another iconic runner from the 1964 Tokyo Games has passed away.
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Dec 5, 2010

Kawachi has backers, detractors

Knowing that the Japan Basketball Association (JBA) had no interest in establishing a legitimate professional league several years ago and that he would face fierce resistance from the sport's old boy network, Toshimitsu Kawachi took a courageous step and formed a rival circuit, which included a pair...
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Apr 20, 2008

Soccer that's played the wheely way

I like soccer. I like to watch it. I even tried to play it a few times when I was a kid, though I was not good at sports that didn't require me to use my hands, so I switched to tennis and basketball. But I can imagine how skillful you have to be to play football well, and how much fun and how exciting...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 20, 2008

Sojourner promoting game on and off court

There are professional athletes in all sports who fit this bill: They are outgoing, passionate about their chosen profession and more than willing to speak their mind about what they think the powers that be can do to improve the sport on levels.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Sep 4, 2007

The scapegoating of Asa

The Japan Sumo Association has recently tag-teamed with the Japanese media to lay into Asashoryu, the Mongolian sumo champ who has all but dominated the sport for the past few years.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Jan 21, 2007

A most convenient way to play table tennis

Despite the popularity of the player Ai Fukuhara, and a series of world champions in both men's and women's singles in the 1950s and '60s, table tennis has long been considered a minor sport in Japan. Often, it is simply associated with hot-spring goers playing in the lounge while clad in yukata and...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 17, 2006

It's horses for courses if there's a few bucks to be made

Whenever the media covers some story about an animal that has been rescued or neglected there are always dozens of people willing to adopt it.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 21, 2003

Sky's the limit for broadcaster in search of sporting excellence

A recent survey of 1,000 Japanese sports viewers who subscribe to JSky Sports showed that 25-30 percent enjoyed watching or wanted to watch baseball, sumo and soccer, 19 percent favored domestic rugby, 13 percent enjoyed cycling and 12 percent preferred international rugby, NBA and NHL.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Oct 21, 2001

Women with fists of fury

"We're in uncharted territory," was how ABC sports commentator Dan Dierdorf began his announcement of the first women's professional boxing match on U.S. network television. That was in 1997.
OLYMPICS
Oct 3, 2000

Time for Japan to look forward

SYDNEY -- Nippon, Nippon, Nippon! Banzai!
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 21, 2023

Sumo needs to control its narrative as its popularity rises abroad

As awareness of the sport increases internationally and its global fanbase continues to expand, it’s important that sumo works hard to counter false information.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
May 23, 2023

UFC eager to bring Japan back inside the octagon

The mixed martial arts promotion sees potential in the country, which was once considered among the sport's biggest global hubs.
Japan Times
SUMO
Mar 19, 2023

Female sumo wrestlers slap down prejudices in Brazil

The president of the Brazilian Sumo Confederation says women are behind the sport's growth in the country.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 23, 2022

In the land of baseball, sumo and soccer share a close relationship

Japan's national sport and the 'beautiful game' have formed many ties over the years, with even top-ranked wrestlers attending matches and taking part in promotional events.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 4, 2022

Yuto Horigome eager to maintain skateboarding's post-Tokyo momentum

The street superstar made a special appearance ahead of FC Tokyo's J. League first-division game against Yokohama F. Marinos on Saturday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 22, 2022

Wrestlers ramp up public appearances as pandemic subsides

The loosening of media restrictions has given wrestlers more exposure to both current and potential fans, whether it's through interviews at stables or guest spots on prime-time TV.
Japan Times
Figure Skating
May 3, 2022

Figure skating federation proposes raising minimum age to compete

The proposal seems to have broad support around the sport, which has increasingly become dominated by teenage girls capable of performing dazzling, acrobatic jumps.
Japan Times
SUMO
Apr 20, 2022

Sumo's doors open for college stars but closing for foreign hopefuls

University sumo clubs regularly churn out talent capable of reaching the paid ranks, but fewer foreigners are entering the sport outside of powerhouse Mongolia.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 19, 2022

In praise of sporting perfection in baseball — and then some

Roki Sasaki's April 10 showing earned him a place in the history books. But even more astounding is this: In his very next start, he threw another eight perfect innings
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 2, 2022

Meet sumo's globe-trotting ambassador

Watts has been a prominent figure in sumo for over 30 years and since the 1990s has been a mainstay at World Championships, where she undertakes numerous roles.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Nov 29, 2021

Formula One team founder Frank Williams dies at age 79

Under his leadership, the team won nine constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, most recently with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve in 1997.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Nov 20, 2021

Concern and anger build over missing Chinese athlete Peng Shuai’s sexual assault allegations

The case has prompted the women's tennis tour to rethink its focus in China, where it has threatened to pull events if it cannot verify her safety and that her allegations are investigated.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 15, 2021

Lack of international streaming options hampers sumo's growth

While the Japan Sumo Association has made some progress on its online offerings, fans' inability to watch the sport overseas is a wasted opportunity for the sport to expand its audience.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 5, 2021

Why does playing tennis make so many pros miserable?

Tennis players and coaches speak of the singular form of intensity and loneliness that accompanies the game, even compared to other individual sports such as golf.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 19, 2021

Busting myths: Sumo grapples with persistent urban legends

From exaggerated depictions in popular media to unverified internet rumors, many aspects of the sport and its traditions remain far from understood by the public at large.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight