Search - sports

 
 
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 12, 2022

Failed test casts shadow over figure skating, the Olympics’ showcase event

'It's either an intentional delay to allow her to compete or gross incompetence and has resulted in mayhem,' the head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has said.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 4, 2022

Why mountain communities need the Winter Games

“When kids see members from their community qualify for the Olympics, they aim high, bolstered because they see what's possible.”
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 2, 2022

China expected to reap record medal haul at Beijing Games, analysts say

The country is expected to beat its previous best of 11 medals, including five golds, from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Nov 11, 2021

China’s Winter Olympic medal forecast clouded by pandemic

China can expect a host nation bump in the medal standings at next year's Winter Olympics, but predicting exactly how well the country will do in Beijing is proving to be an unprecedented challenge for Simon Gleave and his team.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Sep 17, 2021

New Los Angeles Games CEO promises 2028 Olympics will be 'on time and on budget'

CEO Kathy Carter said the 'no build' Games will utilize the city's wide array of existing sports facilities and will cost about $6.9 billion.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS
Sep 6, 2021

Why Ukraine’s small Paralympic team packed such a big punch

Ukraine has been one of the top six countries in the medal count at nine consecutive Paralympic Games, summer and winter.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS
Aug 31, 2021

'A huge step forward': NHK brings human touch to computer-generated sign-language commentary

The move is the national broadcaster's most ambitious initiative yet to bring a variety of content to Japan's deaf population.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS
Aug 23, 2021

Understanding Paralympic impairment classifications

Classes for each sport at the Paralympics are determined by the impairment and the degree to which it affects an athlete.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 6, 2021

Second best in the world at the Tokyo Games, but still saying sorry

Many Japanese athletes who fell short of gold have wept through interviews and apologized profusely — sometimes, even after winning silver.
OLYMPICS
Aug 4, 2021

Japan wins two more medals in skateboarding as Sakura Yosozumi takes gold

The park event made its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics following last week's street competition and turned out to be another sport dominated by Japanese teenagers.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 24, 2021

Brands wake up to LGBTQ sponsorship deals as acceptance grows in sport

As a record number of openly LGBTQ athletes participate in the Tokyo Olympics, marketing analysts say brands are increasingly looking to sign deals.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / FOCUS
Jul 18, 2021

Has the world had enough of the Olympics?

The Olympics are an easy target for criticism, never more than now. Do they still matter? Or have they lost their way and strayed from whatever ideals they purport to embody?
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional voices: Chubu
Apr 26, 2021

The inspiring journey of one Lexus car, from dream to realization

From its start as an unrealistic concept, encouragement from Toyota bosses got the LC sports coupe off the ground and into showrooms.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Feb 5, 2021

Iwakuni 'dream town' project becomes nightmare for Mount Atago community

After leveling a 120-meter-high mountain, officials gave up on a new town program and instead transformed the site into facilities for U.S. military personnel stationed nearby.
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 3, 2021

The pandemic season: How Japanese soccer survived the coronavirus

In an extensive interview with The Japan Times, J. League chairman Mitsuru looked back on how the league has navigated the turbulent 2020 campaign.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Dec 31, 2020

Tokyo Olympics face threat that no vaccine can tame: the weather

Even though the weather conditions during the original games schedule were not as bad as they could have been, experts caution that it's a dangerous time of year for outdoor sports.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Dec 29, 2020

Athletes head into 2021 uncertain over Olympic qualification outlook

Many Olympic sports are still working to schedule events that will give athletes a fair opportunity to earn a place in the postponed Tokyo Games.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 13, 2020

Outstanding Osaka: Japanese star captures second U.S. Open title

Naomi Osaka completed a nearly flawless two weeks of tennis with a tight three-set win over Victoria Azarenka to capture her third major title.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 25, 2020

J. League and DAZN extend domestic broadcast deal through 2028 season

The agreement will see the value of the current contract, which began in 2017, rise to $2.1 billion.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 10, 2020

Sumo's rigid lifestyle offers bubble of protection against coronavirus disruption

With just one case of infection and wrestlers already living in a state of near-isolation, professional sumo may survive the COVID-19 pandemic without a significant decrease in the level of competition.
Japan Times
SPORTS
Mar 2, 2020

NPB and J. League join forces to combat COVID-19

Nippon Professional Baseball and the J. League, two of Japan's biggest professional sports circuits, will form a tag team amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the two entities announced in a Tokyo news conference on Monday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 27, 2019

More content needed to satisfy sumo's overseas fans

Sumo's popularity abroad has increased massively over the past few years.
SOCCER / From the Spot
Nov 20, 2019

JFA takes leap with new women's pro league

Eight years ago, Japan won the FIFA Women's World Cup and earned its place among women's soccer's elite nations.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Aug 24, 2019

Atsuko Kuwana: Jumping in at the deep end

Disability, Kuwana says, is no barrier to achieving goals in life
Japan Times
SOCCER / From the Spot
Aug 7, 2019

Soccer commentator turned dream into reality

Foreigners living in Japan have few opportunities to introduce their favorite sports teams. For English teachers, it's usually in front of a class of attentive elementary or junior high school students. For others, it's an easy way to start a conversation at their local bar, especially while a Premier...
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 31, 2019

Rikishi pulling their weight in buildup to RWC in Japan, but rugby's gain could be sumo's loss

The 2019 Rugby World Cup is less than two months away.
Vinesh Phogat of India (in red) wrestles Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba in the women's 50-kg semifinals on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics. Phogat was later disqualified for being 100 grams over the weight limit.
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2024

Disqualification costs India a medal, but its Olympic future still looks bright

Vinesh Phogat had a chance to win a first Olympic gold for Indian women. But even after he disqualification, the country's female athletes have a promising future.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami