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April 29, 2025
 

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NPB NOTEBOOK

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Mar 18, 2018
NPB stars look to build momentum in spring
While most baseball fans know spring numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, some players make it hard to remember at times. Because however meaningless the actual numbers are during this time of year, the process is still fun to watch.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Feb 3, 2018
Now or never for Dragons hurler Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka stepped into the bullpen for the first time during camp on Friday and threw 32 pitches in his still unfamiliar white No. 99 Chunichi Dragons uniform.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jan 21, 2018
Japan's Hall of Fame players deserve own moment in sun
For all the ideas Japanese baseball has lifted from its MLB counterpart in North America, it's surprising a proper Hall of Fame ceremony hasn't been one of them.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jan 8, 2018
Lions no strangers to posting system
While some NPB teams, such as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, may scoff at the posting system, don't count the Seibu Lions among them.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Dec 24, 2017
Hawks catch break with Yanagita
On one hand, Yuki Yanagita will be one of the most well-paid players in Japan next season. On the other, he'll be kind of a steal.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Dec 17, 2017
Japanese players stay in swing of things even during winter
While it might be the time of year when temperatures are a little cooler and the regular season for almost every major baseball league is weeks in the rearview mirror, that doesn't mean there aren't a host of players still darting around a diamond somewhere.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Nov 3, 2017
BayStars closer Yasuaki Yamasaki embraces pressure of must-win games
The BayStars fans at Yokohama Stadium know what to expect when the team enters the bottom of the ninth inning with a small lead.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Oct 31, 2017
Kajitani, BayStars remain positive as series resumes in Yokohama
Despite his team getting off to an 0-2 start in the ongoing Japan Series, Yokohama BayStars outfielder Takayuki Kajitani held his head up high as the series resumed at Yokohama Stadium for Tuesday's Game 3.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Oct 28, 2017
Hawks believe quick-strike offense a big key to Japan Series success
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks will try to strike first, scoring runs early, so they can play their own brand of ball in the 2017 Japan Series.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Sep 1, 2017
Otani gets back on the hill as questions about future persist
Shohei Otani returned to the mound after a long absence on Thursday night.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Aug 26, 2017
Otani heating up in a hurry
Shohei Otani has been on fire this month.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Aug 13, 2017
Leadoff home runs generate energy, excitement on diamond
Leadoff home runs are fun. Most can probably agree on that. A leadoff home run is a rush, an unexpected jolt of energy at the outset of a game.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Aug 5, 2017
Togame credits Tateyama for guidance
Shohei Tateyama hasn't done much pitching for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows this season, but his presence is still being felt to some extent on the diamond through Seibu Lions starter Ken Togame.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jul 24, 2017
Amador, Lopez, Mathieson catch fire in NPB
Over the past weekend in Japan, the only thing hotter than the weather, was the play of a trio of foreign NPB stars.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jul 15, 2017
Rookie shortstop Genda capitalizes on opportunity to replace injured Mogi on PL All-Star squad
Sosuke Genda was an almost last-minute addition for this year's All-Star Series. But that hasn't taken any of the fun out of it for the 24-year old Seibu Lions rookie.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jul 7, 2017
SoftBank's Sarfate joins exclusive club with 200th career save
It's been a week of benchmarks in NPB, with a few players reaching nice, round numbers.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jun 8, 2017
Giants enduring historic losing streak
In their 83 years of existence, the Yomiuri Giants have never had a stretch quite this bad.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Apr 14, 2017
Potent Hiroshima lineup tearing up Central League in early going
The Hiroshima Carp look unstoppable. That's a bit hyperbolic this early in the year, yes, but it doesn't feel that way when the Carp have been busy taking apart opposing pitching staffs after falling behind by a run or two.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Feb 9, 2017
Rosters finalized for upcoming World Baseball Classic
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are set to be the most well-represented NPB team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic after the final rosters for the tournament were revealed Wednesday in the United States.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jan 29, 2017
WBC duty means quick turnaround for foreign stars
Now that spring camps are only a few days away for NPB teams — some players are already working out "independently" together — the foreign contingent has begun trickling into the country. It was mostly the first-year foreign players the past couple of weeks, but now the veterans have started showing...
China seizes disputed reef near key Philippine military outpost
China Coast Guard officers unfurl a national flag on Sandy Cay reef, near the Philippine-held Thitu Island, in disputed waters of the South China Sea this month in this screen shot taken from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
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.
California says it overtakes Japan to become world’s No. 4 economy
Vehicles travel along the 110 freeway in downtown Los Angeles. California's GDP has overtaken Japan's to become the world's fourth largest economy, according to the U.S. state.
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
Arunima Mazumdar, a New Delhi-based communications professional, began sharing her love of Japanese literature online in 2022. The platform has grown into a robust community known as Dokusha Book Club.
Counting the reasons why there are so few American cars in Japan
Tesla's store in Tokyo's Shibuya district. While sales of American cars in Japan appear to be shrinking, Tesla's presence in the country is growing.
U.S. secretary of the navy weighs ‘dual-use’ shipbuilding with Japan
John Phelan at a Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. secretary of the navy in Washington in February
Expo '25 gives the world a masterclass in mascots
2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.
Japan struggles with gray zone of AI deepfakes exploiting children
AI-generated content — including those made using pictures of real people, which are known as “deepfakes” — is not explicitly covered under Japan's current legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
‘Wildcat Dome’ challenges Japan's historical narratives
On the surface, "Wildcat Dome" tells a personal story of damaged children — now adults — bound together by tragedy. Underneath, there’s a constant undercurrent of political consequence, invisible and pervasive like radioactive particles.
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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
By Alex K.T. Martin

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