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Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 17, 2023

Vietnam president quits as Communist Party intensifies graft crackdown

Vietnam has been rife with speculation he would be removed following January's dismissal of two deputy prime ministers who served under him.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 17, 2023

Japanese football given chance to measure progress at Dream Bowl

When the Japanese team takes the field for the Japan-U.S. Dream Bowl at Tokyo's National Stadium on Sunday, it will offer a brief look at the nation’s collective football might in international competition.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jan 17, 2023

Cristiano Ronaldo to make Saudi debut in friendly against PSG

The highly anticipated showdown, which reportedly had more than 2 million online ticket requests, will take place in Riyadh on Thursday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jan 17, 2023

Theerathon strike seals AFF Cup triumph for Thailand

Thailand coach Mano Polking admitted it was not a 'beautiful' performance, but praised the professionalism shown by his team.
Singapore's former Transport Minister Subramaniam Iswaran (center) and his defense counsel Davinder Singh (left) leave the Singapore State Courts on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 19, 2024

Singapore minister quits after biggest graft case since 1986

The scandal has cast a pall on the city-state known for its clean governance. If convicted, the minister faces fines and a possible jail term.
A colorized scanning electron micrograph of group A streptococcus bacteria
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 24, 2024

Tokyo issues warning as rare but deadly STSS bacterial infections rise

Concerns are growing over the spread of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), often dubbed the “flesh-eating disease.”
From left: Promoter Frank Warren, fighter Anthony Joshua and Saudi official Turki al-Sheikh attend a fight between Dmitry Bivol and Malik Zinad in Riyadh on June 1.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
Jun 12, 2024

Saudi Arabia wealth fund holding talks to create boxing league, sources say

PIF is looking to invest in a joint venture with some of the sport's stakeholders that would feature more boxing bouts.
Members of Onomichi High School's baseball team (back) have longer hair than members of teams that stick to traditional buzz cuts.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Jul 1, 2024

High school baseball gets a makeover as buzz cut rules are no more

What was once seen as a symbol of fighting spirit is getting a rethink as coaches try to be mindful of students' mental states and preferences.
French center Victor Wembanyama said France must avoid extremes in its upcoming parliamentary elections.
BASKETBALL
Jun 28, 2024

Victor Wembanyama urges French voters to reject 'extremes' in parliamentary election

Basketball star Victor Wembanyama joined other leading French athletes on Thursday in warning against voting for the "extremes" in this weekend's parliamentary election.
Polls suggest Labour leader Keir Starmer will emerge victorious from Thursday’s U.K. general election despite often being perceived as stiff and acting holier-than-thou.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 3, 2024

Keir Starmer's character remains as elusive as his policies

Despite his rags-to-ruling-class backstory, Labour leader Keir Starmer isn't that popular or well understood. But he'll win Thursday's election in the U.K. anyway.
Norwegian and Australian players take part in a practice session ahead of the opening of the Paris Olympics at Eiffel Tower Stadium in Paris on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS
Jul 25, 2024

After joyless silence in Tokyo, Paris is ready to get the Olympic party started

No COVID-19 testing, no bubbles and no more locking out the fans. Paris marks a return to normal for an event that, like many, was brought to its knees by the pandemic.
South Korea's Lim Si-hyeon has three gold medals from the 2024 Paris Games. Archers from the country have all been given cars by team sponsor Hyundai.
OLYMPICS
Aug 4, 2024

Diamonds, meatballs and motors: How Olympians can win more than medals

Many rewards are financial, but they can also be more eclectic.
Simone Biles alongside teammate Sunisa Lee after they finished with gold and bronze, respectively, in the women's all-around competition at the Olympics.
OLYMPICS / Gymnastics
Aug 4, 2024

Simone Biles proves to be unifying figure for sports fans in Paris

Stars from other sports and rabid fans from the U.S. and other countries have turned out in droves to watch Biles, proving her position as a unifying figure.
Fireworks during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday
OLYMPICS
Aug 12, 2024

The Olympics, a triumph of ambition, lift France from its gloom

France came into the Games shaken by a political impasse. It will exit with those problems unsolved but with a new self-confidence.
Akari Fujinami leapt into the arms of her father and coach after she became an Olympic champion in the women's 53-kg freestyle wrestling class on Aug. 8.
OLYMPICS
Aug 15, 2024

The emotional highs — and lows — of competing for Japan at the Olympics

From golden celebrations like that of wrestler Akari Fujinami to crushing defeats of stars like Uta Abe, Japanese athletes let it all out during the Paris Games.
NFL Commissioner  Roger Goodell at a news conference in January 2020
MORE SPORTS / Football
Aug 28, 2024

NFL allows private equity firms to invest in teams

The owners of the National Football League have decided to allow some private equity firms to buy up to a 10% stake in a team, the NFL said on Tuesday.
The anterior cruciate ligament can be damaged when people play sports such as soccer and basketball, and does not heal on its own, requiring reconstructive surgery.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 7, 2024

Clinical trial to use cow tendons for ligament reconstruction

The number of patients who undergo anterior cruciate ligament surgery in Japan is about 19,000 annually, including many professional soccer players and sumo wrestlers.
Rohingya refugees Shamshida (left), who had to flee one of the last refuges in Myanmar for the Rohingya Muslim minority, and her sister Manwara in their tent in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Nov. 5
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 29, 2024

For the Rohingya, tormentors change but not the torment

This violence was not at the hands of the military, though. Instead, it was from a pro-democracy rebel group that was raised to fight the army.
U.S. star Ilona Maher has the largest social media following of anyone in rugby.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Jan 2, 2025

World Rugby chief says U.S. star Ilona Maher will help fuel World Cup fever

The versatile American back — a breakout star at the 2024 Paris Olympics —  is the world's most popular rugby player on social media
Carlos Sainz sits inside his car after a practice session ahead of the Dakar Rally in Bisha, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 1.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Jan 2, 2025

'El Matador' Carlos Sainz ready to defend Dakar Rally crown

Sainz's fourth title came when he was 61 — making him the oldest winner of the race — and was the first Dakar victory for German outfit Audi.
People pray for the victims of a deadly stabbing attack outside Nagano Station, on Sunday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 27, 2025

Nagano stabbing suspect sent to prosecutors after deadly attack

The apparently random stabbing follows two other similar attacks, including the high-profile killing of a teenage girl at a Kitakyushu McDonald's last month.
Bento boxes and other food items attract visitors at the Sera roadside station in Hiroshima Prefecture.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 21, 2025

10 years on, Hiroshima-Shimane highway boosts logistics and tourism

The Chugoku Yamanami Highway has played a crucial role in regional development since its full opening in 2015.
Bereaved family members of crime victims on the sidelines of National Stadium during the J. League's Levain Cup final on Nov. 2 in Tokyo. A Tokyo police initiative in which children who have lost family to crimes or accidents are invited to sports and entertainment events marks its 10th anniversary this year.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 10, 2025

Tokyo police program for bereaved children marks 10 years

Sponsorship from private companies and nonprofits have helped grow the initiative, and today, other prefectures have also adopted similar support programs.
Kirishima (behind) battles Atamifuji during a regional tour event in Hyogo Prefecture in 2023.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 16, 2025

Sumo's throwback regional tours offer glimpse into sport's heart and history

With tickets for grand tournaments tough to come by, regional tours are the best chances for fans to watch live sumo — and even interact with the sport's biggest names.
Sport climber Miho Nonaka competes during the Tokyo Games in Aomi Urban Sports Park in August 2021.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 25, 2025

Beauty expert encourages female athletes to embrace game day glam

Beauty expert Miha Fukuoka believes sportswomen do not need to downplay their femininity to be taken seriously.
A humanoid robot walks as an employee conducts tests, on the production line at the AgiBot factory in Shanghai on March 20.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 13, 2025

China's AI-powered humanoid robots aim to transform manufacturing

Beijing is aiming for a new industrial revolution where many factory tasks would be performed by humanoid robots.
Hideo Nakata, deputy mayor of Nagoya, waves the Olympic Council of Asia flag as Aichi Gov. Hideaki Omura watches during the closing ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Oct. 8, 2023.
MORE SPORTS
Jun 5, 2025

Organizers to house athletes on 'floating village' during 2026 Asian Games

Organizers will lease a luxury cruise liner that will be docked at Nagoya's port.
Rio Takeda banked roughly ¥265.7 million during the 2024 season in prize money on the back of a tour-high eight wins.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Jun 15, 2025

What gender pay gap? In Japanese golf, women are on par with men

Fan and sponsorship growth has players in the JLPGA making just as much as their male counterparts, a rarity in the male-dominated world of sports.
Olympic judoka Uta Abe (second from left) and Hifumi Abe (second from right) with their brother Yuichiro (center) and their parents. “I’m always consciously trying to be a good older brother,” Yuichiro said.
MORE SPORTS
Jul 8, 2025

From the Abes to the Ohtanis: How siblings shape athletic development

Sibling dynamics — whether it’s rivalry, support, or a mix of both — can have a profound impact on an athlete’s development and success.
Tokyo's National Stadium will host the World Athletics Championships from Sept. 13 to 21.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Sep 11, 2025

National Stadium to finally fulfill destiny years after hosting Olympics without fans

Originally built in 2019 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, National Stadium was robbed of its original purpose when the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’