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Japan Times
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Jul 28, 2015

Kajikawa using power of sport to improve society

In the increasingly cynical world we live in it seems like true believers are becoming a dying breed. The cold, hard reality of everyday life having taken a toll on optimism and enthusiasm.
OLYMPICS
Feb 5, 2018

Sport climbing gaining hold ahead of 2020 Tokyo Olympics

The Olympics have the power to turn obscure sports into much bigger attractions once they've been included on the program for the global sports extravaganza.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2014

Tag pushed as an Olympic demo sport

If there is one thing Yasuo and Takao Hazaki feel confident about outdoing any other father-son duo in, it is their intense commitment to the ancient playground game of "onigokko," or team tag.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Mar 6, 2020

Organizers manage to hold sport climbing test event without athletes

The Ready Steady Tokyo sport climbing event had a wall, music, PA announcers and even a famous spectator.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Dec 10, 2021

Skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing included in initial program for Los Angeles Olympics

The inclusion of the three sports was a major success among young viewers during the Tokyo Olympics.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jun 24, 2018

Akiyo Noguchi and Tomoa Narasaki win titles at inaugural sport climbing Combined Japan Cup

Climbing stars Akiyo Noguchi and Tomoa Narasaki captured the women's and men's titles at the inaugural Combined Japan Cup at Iwate Prefectural Sports Park on Sunday.
Japan Times
SPORTS
Mar 29, 2018

With new name and mission, Japan Sport Association seeks greater public participation in sports

The Japan Sports Association is modifying its organizational name beginning with the start of the new fiscal year on Sunday.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 6, 2021

Women's Sport Trust CEO: Yoshiro Mori's 'jaw-dropping' comments prove sports world in need of shakeup

'The fact that it's actually getting called out now is really positive in my view and it provides an opportunity to talk about this,' Tammy Parlour said.
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring in his debut for Inter Miami during a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 25, 2023

Will Messi’s MLS gambit be good for Latin American soccer?

The superstar’s arrival in Miami will spur investment in the sport throughout the Americas and may finally help slow the exodus of young players to Europe.
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.
Japan's Koki Kano (right) battles Yannick Borel of France in the gold-medal bout of the men's individual epee at the Paris Olympics on July 28.
OLYMPICS / Fencing
Aug 5, 2024

How a grassroots push helped Japan's fencers become world-beaters

Japan bagged five fencing medals in Paris to put it atop the medal table in the sport, the first time a non-European nation has done so.
Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, on Jan. 26, the final day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 5, 2025

Can sumo avoid becoming another soulless corporate sport?

Whether sumo also falls into the trap of creating greater separation between supporters and athletes remains to be seen.
Yuzuki Komiya (left) competes in the first national high school sumo tournament for girls in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on Saturday.
SUMO
Aug 14, 2024

Women's sumo takes big step forward with first high school championships

Athletes from all over the country took part in the historic meet, with many expressing hope that the tournament would lead to greater exposure for women’s sumo.
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.
Indian cricket is struggling against climate change-induced heat and rain and the last thing it needs is oil-rich Saudi Arabia buying into the league.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 16, 2023

The last thing cricket needs is Saudi money

Indian cricket is struggling against climate change-induced heat and rain. A partnership with oil-rich Saudi Arabia would lead to a certain defeat.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 20, 2023

Stablemaster Shikoroyama's lasting sumo legacy

The stablemaster √ leaves behind a legacy as a popular star who fostered respect for the sport and its participants among the general public.
Onosato (right) defeats Terunofuji at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on May 12. While nothing in sumo is guaranteed, it seems almost inevitable that Onosato is destined for the top of the sport's pyramid.
SUMO
May 15, 2024

Was Onosato's defeat of Terunofuji an era-defining bout?

It would be premature to dismiss Onosato’s win as the product of circumstance, or downplay its significance.
An event that was part of a regional sumo tour in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, in April 2019.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 1, 2024

Summer sumo tour may be tough for wrestlers, but it's a boon for fans

Grueling tours can be quite taxing for top pros, but they offer fans in small cities a rare chance of seeing their heroes up close.
B-girl Ami performs during the semifinal round of the breaking competition at the Paris Olympics on Friday.
OLYMPICS / Breaking
Aug 10, 2024

Japanese B-girl Ami wins first breaking gold medal as sport makes Olympic debut

Breaking made its debut at the Paris Olympics on Friday.
Chugo Saito at Isenoumi stable on Friday. Saito has joined his older brother, Seigo, at the stable.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Dec 31, 2024

Sumo’s brotherhood gets latest inductee

Wakaikari’s younger sibling Chugo Saito is the first-ever high schooler to get a special dispensation.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri (right) and Lando Norris drive during the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone, England, on July 6.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Jul 25, 2025

Formula 1's renewable energy shift drives 26% drop in carbon footprint

F1 said in a statement on Wednesday that it’s halfway toward achieving its minimum 50% reduction target, as set out in its "net zero by 2030” commitment. 
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 6, 2023

Wild 2023 the storm before the calm for Japan’s national sport

The sport finished on a high this year, setting up enticing possibilities for 2024 as several potential stars emerge.
On the amateur circuit, domestic tournaments such as the Dream Girls Cup, which took place in Tokyo last month, have generated significant publicity for youth sumo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 6, 2024

Sumo's popularity is booming. The recruitment of new pros is not.

Sumo is not immune to the labor shortages plaguing the rest of aging Japan.
Sunrockers fans at a game in Tokyo in March.
BASKETBALL / B. League
Apr 20, 2024

'Mr. Incredible' and Japan’s improbable bid to compete with the NBA

Japan is a latecomer to basketball’s global expansion, but it has stratospheric expectations for its future.

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