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Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts to a standing ovation from fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season, against the Marlins in Miami on Sept. 19.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 23, 2024

For baseball fans, 2024 brought The Summer of Shohei Ohtani

The superstar was the center of attention for almost a full calendar year during a season straight out of a Hollywood movie.
Sebastian Coe speaks during a news conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday.
OLYMPICS
Jan 31, 2025

Sebastian Coe admits mistakes in handling of prize money issue at Olympics

World Athletics announced its prize money decision unilaterally ahead of last year's Paris Games without consulting the IOC.
Takuya “Moby” Okamoto after Game 5 of the 2016 World Series, which the Cubs went on to win in seven games to snap a 108-year drought
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 14, 2025

In a sea of Dodger Blue, Japanese superfan ready to cheer on the Cubs

The Dodgers may garner the lion's share of attention in Japan among MLB clubs, but don't tell that to Takuya “Moby” Okamoto, Japan's biggest Cubs fan.
People walk past an NBA fan store in New York on July 8. The NBA has said it is "exploring" the creation of a professional basketball league in Europe.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Apr 8, 2025

Why is the NBA eyeing Europe?

For several years now, the NBA has wanted to plant its flag on European soil.
A 2024 survey by a think tank in Tokyo found that Japanese adults are exercising less, with 69.8% of respondents saying they engaged in some kind of physical activity at least once a year, the first reading below 70% since 2006.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 18, 2025

Japanese people are exercising less, survey shows

The proportion of people exercising at least once a year peaked at 76% in 2010 before a gradual downtrend started, a Tokyo-based think tank that did the survey found.
Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka announced the birth of their first child on April 19.
BASEBALL
Apr 28, 2025

Shohei Ohtani's example could change Japan's views on paternity leave

The Dodgers star went on MLB’s paternity list for the birth of his daughter. MLB is the only major North American sports league that guarantees paternity leave to its players.
New Zealand's Hannah Wilkinson celebrates after her teams victory over Norway at the Women's World Cup in Auckland on Thursday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 21, 2023

Australia and New Zealand get Women's World Cup off to rousing start with wins in front of record crowds

Australia and New Zealand earned slim victories at home to kick off the Women's World Cup.
Paris Saint-Germain players line up before the team's club friendly against Inter Milan at Tokyo's National Stadium on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Aug 2, 2023

Second straight tour shows PSG's commitment to Japanese market

The French superclub has experienced explosive growth in its global base, especially in Asia, since its 2011 takeover by Qatari ownership.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 4, 2023

Illegal stimulants found in Nihon University football player dorm

Police are planning to conduct a further investigation into the 21-year-old male football player who is suspected of possessing them.
Noah Lyles of the United States celebrates after winning the men's 200m final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Friday.
BASKETBALL
Aug 29, 2023

Sprint king Lyles draws NBA players' ire over 'world champion' claims

Lyles said he is offended when teams declare themselves "world champions" for winning an NBA crown.
Former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales' forced kiss on player Jenni Hermoso drew global protests from women's rights advocates.
SOCCER
Sep 12, 2023

Luis Rubiales quits, but women’s soccer in Spain is still troubled

Even after the federation chief's resignation over his forcible kiss of a player, pay disputes are threatening to disrupt domestic leagues.
Squash officials have attempted to make the sport more accessible to viewers in a push for Olympic recognition.
OLYMPICS
Oct 3, 2023

Squash desperate to end 'very weird' Olympic exile in 2028

Squash is one of nine sports vying for a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, along with the likes of cricket, lacrosse and motorsports.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 4, 2023

JSA on right track with new rules to increase pro sumo participation

Revisions to the tsukedashi system will see more spots reserved for top amateur performers in the third and fourth divisions.
Children jump rope in a park. Young people with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) can have difficulties in jumping rope, throwing a ball or doing other common physical activities.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional voices: Chubu
Oct 16, 2023

Better understanding of developmental coordination disorder needed

DCD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that makes it hard for children to control their bodily movements to perform daily activities.
The Russian Olympic Committee was banned with immediate effect by the IOC on Thursday.
OLYMPICS
Oct 13, 2023

IOC bans Russian Olympic Committee over annexed Ukrainian territories

The IOC added the ROC would not be eligible for any funding after it recognized Olympic Councils from Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Former President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales says he will use his right to appeal a three-year ban on all soccer-related activities.
SOCCER
Oct 31, 2023

Spain's ex-FA chief Rubiales gets three-year ban over kiss scandal

Rubiales said he will use his right to appeal, accusing FIFA of not giving him the chance to defend himself.
Disney CEO Bob Iger
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2023

Disney CEO Bob Iger says company is ready to start building

CEO Bob Iger said the company is poised to begin building its business again, after a year of restructuring.
Shohei Ohtani is joining a franchise that has long been a trailblazer in an increasingly diverse and global game.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 13, 2023

In a land of stars, Los Angeles can’t stop talking about Ohtani

Dodgers fans were still beside themselves days after Ohtani agreed to the most lucrative contract in sports history.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 15, 2023

Despite a taxing year, 2023's top kanji still draws questions

In a year of major crises around the world, Japanese voters pick the kanji for "zei," meaning "tax," based on a plan yet to be implemented.
Wrestlers with the Shikoroyama stable after a training session in Tokyo late last month.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 3, 2024

Opportunities abound for sumo's governing body as centenary nears

Much progress has been made in Japan’s national sport in recent years, but there's still work to be done to better cater to foreign fans.
The Sapporo Snow Festival offers outdoor dining, markets, sports, ice sculptures and more across three event sites.
LIFE / Travel
Jan 6, 2024

Asia's winter festivals: Snow, fire and spectacle galore

The ancient city of Nara wards off the wintertime darkness with an unusual tradition: lighting a local mountain on fire.
U.S. golfer Tiger Woods reacts on the 9th green on day 2 of the British Open Golf Championship in 2022.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 9, 2024

Tiger Woods and Nike end partnership after 27 years

Despite rumors, Nike maintains that it’s still committed to golf.
Older people take part in a rhythm game competition at Chiba City Hall on Oct. 17.
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2024

Esports gain traction at welfare facilities in Japan

Esports is being used in part with the aim of preserving cognitive functions in elderly people.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and his then-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, attend a news conference at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on March 16, ahead of the 2024 MLB Seoul Series baseball game between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 23, 2024

MLB launches investigation into scandal involving Ohtani and ex-interpreter

MLB is expected to request interviews with all parties, including Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara, the slugger's longtime interpreter and close friend.
Saudi Arabia fans cheer on the national team during a World Cup qualifying match in Riyadh on March 21.
SOCCER / World cup
Mar 27, 2024

Ten years from home World Cup, Saudi Arabia sizes up 'huge challenge'

As the only bidder, Saudi Arabia was anointed host of the 2034 World Cup last October by FIFA.
A mural showing Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani is seen on the Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. The mural, by artist Robert Vargas, is 150 feet (46 meters) tall and is titled "LA Rising."
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 30, 2024

Shohei Ohtani is home and focused on baseball. Dodgers fans are relieved.

Los Angeles finally got a close look at baseball’s megastar, as a gambling situation involving his former interpreter took a back seat to opening day.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, in December at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
BASEBALL
Apr 12, 2024

How Ippei Mizuhara allegedly wired millions from Shohei Ohtani’s account

Crucially for Ohtani, a U.S. investigation clearly paints him as a victim without any involvement in or knowledge of his interpreter's gambling woes.
The Eiffel Tower Stadium, under construction for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in Paris on April 13
OLYMPICS
Apr 16, 2024

Stadiums rise at Paris landmarks ahead of Olympics

"The city's being tidied up and the monuments are clean. It's going to be great," said one resident.
Ibuki Matsumoto competes at an event in Osaka on April 21.
OLYMPICS / Skateboarding
May 6, 2024

Japan’s tween skateboarders get head start on preparations for 2028 Olympics

Hikari Satake, 11, and Ibuki Matsumoto, 12, may not be household names just yet, but they are laying the groundwork for their Olympic ambitions.
Ippei Mizuhara, seen during Shohei Ohtani's introductory news conference with the Dodgers in December 2023, has agreed to plead guilty to charges of bank fraud and filing a false tax return.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 9, 2024

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter to plead guilty to bank fraud

Mizuhara agreed to plead guilty to one count of felony bank fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person