No time to rest for busy Rui Hachimura
Rui Hachimura has had to go through a hectic schedule since he was drafted by the Washington Wizards last month. Last week, the 21-year-old finally returned to his native Japan for the first time since the draft on June 20. But he won't have much ...
Japan coach Julio Lamas outlines team's goals for FIBA Basketball World Cup
Japan men's national team head coach Julio Lamas insisted that there will be uphill battles for the Akatsuki Five at the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup in China, but said that he certainly hopes the team comes up with its best-ever results. One day after ...
Ramu Tokashiki striving for national team return
Ramu Tokashiki is thrilled to be back on the court. But the star player knows a spot on the national team is no guarantee. Tokashiki has not competed for Japan's women's national team since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics due to nagging injuries, mostly ...
Japan hunts Olympic gold from beyond arc
With a small-ball approach, Japan's women's basketball team will try to achieve big things. The Akatsuki Five wrapped up its first games of the year with a two-game sweep of Belgium in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Sunday, with wins of 91-75 and 84-71. It is certainly ...
Japan sweeps Belgium; Saki Hayashi named series MVP
Japan's women's basketball team concluded a two-game exhibition series sweep of Belgium with a 84-71 win at Adastria Mito Arena on Sunday. Newcomer Saki Hayashi was the heroine for the second consecutive game as she knocked down five 3-pointers for the Akatsuki Five. "I had a ...
Strong outside shooting carries Japan past Belgium
Japan kept hitting shots from beyond the 3-point line and tamed Belgium 91-75 in the first game of their two-game exhibition series at Adastria Mito Arena on Friday night. Newcomer Saki Hayashi knocked down five 3-pointers in a 19-point performance to lead the Akatsuki Five. ...
After injury setbacks, Manami Fujioka, Sanae Motokawa enjoying chance to compete for national team
Competition can be a blessing. Just ask Manami Fujioka and Sanae Motokawa. While they are getting into tough battles to compete for roster spots on Japan's 2020 Olympic roster, Fujioka and Motokawa are delighted to be running up and down the court at training camp for ...
Yuta Watanabe not distracted by rising profile in Japan
Yuta Watanabe has certainly become a basketball celebrity in Japan, having become the second-ever player from the country to play in the NBA this season. But the youngster's celebrity seems to keep growing. Since Watanabe, who signed a two-way deal with the Memphis Grizzlies in July, ...
Performance staff plays big role for Japan hoopsters
Right after the final buzzer, the TV camera momentarily caught head coach Julio Lamas giving a strong hug to athletic trainer Takeo Ichiyanagi after they helped accomplish a big feat in the Middle East in late February. Koichi Sato, the sports performance director for the ...
Japanese basketball granted host nation spots for Tokyo Olympics
Both Japan's women's and men's basketball teams will compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games after the sport's governing body decided Saturday to allocate them host nation qualification places. The decision, taken at a meeting in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, ends a long saga for Japanese ...
Sunflowers captain Asami Yoshida bids farewell to the game
Asami Yoshida, one of the greatest players in Japanese women's basketball history, announced her retirement on Monday, saying that she can no longer motivate herself even with the Tokyo Olympics drawing near. The JX-Eneos Sunflowers, Yoshida’s home throughout her Women’s Japan Basketball League career, had ...
Akatsuki Five players make quick return to club grind
Many Japanese basketball fans may have been nursing hangovers after Japan successfully qualified for the FIBA World Cup. But the players themselves haven't had much time to cherish their accomplishment. After a celebratory toast at Narita Airport following the Asian qualifiers, the member's of Japan's Akatsuki ...
