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October 21, 2025
 

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SAMURAI BLUE

Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo during a Champions League match in San Sebastian, Spain, in September.
SOCCER
Jan 13, 2024
Ex-Barcelona junior Kubo set for lift-off with Japan at Asian Cup
The 22-year-old has found his feet at Real Sociedad this season, scoring six goals and helping the club top its Champions League group.
Kaoru Mitoma in action during the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022. Mitoma's availability for the Asian Cup, which begins Friday, is uncertain due to an injury.
SOCCER
Jan 11, 2024
Samurai Blue the favorites as Asian Cup kicks off
Samurai Blue manager Hajime Moriyasu's team has enjoyed a strong year since, losing only once in 12 matches and winning 4-1 in Germany in a friendly.
Japan midfielder Kaoru Mitoma controls the ball during extra time of the team's Round of 16 match against Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Mitoma was named to the Samurai Blue squad for the upcoming Asian Cup despite an ankle injury.
SOCCER
Jan 4, 2024
Samurai Blue call on Mitoma to help erase Asian Cup 'frustration'
Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi said late last year that Mitoma would be out for up to six weeks after hurting his ankle in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Dec. 21.
SOCCER
Dec 8, 2023
Japan must 'deal with anything' at Asian Cup, Moriyasu says
The Samurai Blue are one of the favorites for the tournament in Qatar, which kicks off on Jan. 12.
South Korea's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann (center) speaks to his players during a training session at Mokdong Stadium on Nov. 13, ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match between South Korea and Singapore.
SOCCER
Nov 14, 2023
Warning for Japan as Asian heavyweights begin World Cup qualifying
A record eight direct spots and one intercontinental playoff berth are up for grabs for Asian Football Confederation sides at the expanded event in 2026.
North Korea's Kim Kyong Sok (center) reacts after the men's quarterfinal football match between North Korea and Japan at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Sunday.
SOCCER
Oct 2, 2023
North Korean soccer players clash with referee after loss to Japan
North Korea captain Jang Kuk Chol and teammate Kim Kyong Sok remonstrated heatedly with referee Rustam Lutfullin.
SOCCER
Jun 16, 2023
Japan cruises past 10-man El Salvador in friendly
The lopsided result at Toyota Stadium marked the first win for Hajime Moriyasu's men since last year's Qatar World Cup.
Japan Times
SOCCER
May 26, 2023
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu calls up Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate for friendlies
Japan will take on El Salvador on June 15 at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture and Peru five days later at Panasonic Stadium Suita in Osaka Prefecture.
Japan Times
EDITORIALS
Dec 12, 2022
After showing at World Cup, Japan is hungry for more
The Samurai Blue wins shocked many experts who expected European powerhouses to dominate their group and much of the World Cup competition.
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 6, 2022
As Japan exits the World Cup, eyes turn to the team's future
Veterans are set to step back, head coach Hajime Moriyasu's future is uncertain and the country waits to see if the next star player is waiting in the ranks of the J. League.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 6, 2022
World Cup interest is so high in Japan that a streamer couldn’t cope
CyberAgent's Abema TV had to restrict access to Japan's World Cup game against Croatia, after runaway demand pushed the streaming service to its limits.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 6, 2022
World Cup not Modric's swansong, says Croatia coach Dalic
The Real Madrid player has now appeared in four World Cups and four European Championships.
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 6, 2022
Penalty shootout agony for fans as Japan's World Cup dream comes to a disappointing end
Devastated fans brave rain and a midnight start to watch the Samurai Blue's historic chance at a quarterfinal appearance slip through their fingers.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 6, 2022
Japan's World Cup run ends with shootout heartbreak against Croatia
The Samurai Blue's dreams of reaching their first-ever FIFA World Cup quarterfinals were dashed by the runner-up of the 2018 edition.
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 4, 2022
How Japanese soccer evolved to produce world-beating warriors
The Samurai Blue's upset wins over Germany and Spain at the 2022 FIFA World Cup are a result of decades of effort to expand the sport's footprint across the country.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 4, 2022
Japan super-sub Ritsu Doan aims to sink Croatia
The Freiburg winger would become the first Japanese player to score three goals at a single World Cup if he scores on Monday, but his focus is on helping his team reach the quarterfinals.
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 2, 2022
Japan adds another thrilling chapter to World Cup story with improbable victory over Spain
Japan's win sends the Samurai Blue into the round of 16 as the Group E winner. The team's next challenge is a showdown with Group F runner-up Croatia.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 2, 2022
Too close to call? Japan’s winning goal joins list of controversies
Ao Tanaka's goal may have rescued the Samurai Blue's World Cup campaign, but it was Kaoru Mitoma's touchline assist that has fans and pundits debating technology's place in refereeing.
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2022
World Cup stocks rise in Tokyo as Japan upsets Spain to advance
Shares of CyberAgent, which is broadcasting all the games for free in Japan on its Abema streaming service, jumped as much as 7.3%.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 2, 2022
Spain coach Luis Enrique bemoans 5-minute 'total loss of control' against Japan
'They scored two goals against us, and if they had needed to score two more, then they would have scored them too, I'm sure,' Spain coach Luis Enrique said about his team's collapse.
Takaichi makes history as Japan’s first female prime minister
Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi reacts to applauding lawmakers after being elected prime minister at the Lower House on Tuesday.
Why I chose Japanese citizenship over permanent residency
Jon Heese (second left) takes part in a 2024 New Year's nihonshu barrel opening ceremony.
Path clears for Takaichi to become PM as LDP and JIP agree to form coalition
Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi (right) reaches out to shake hands with Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura after signing a coalition deal Monday evening in Tokyo.
EV battery race heats up among Japanese automakers
Japanese EV production is focusing on batteries as automakers compete for the lightest, most durable models and the longest driving range.
Takaichi government will likely spend less than expected
Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi at the National Diet Building in Tokyo on Monday
Nakatsu keeps its cool as gentrification looms
Shunsuke Takahashi, owner of the cafe Hood by Vargas, says the Osaka neighborhood of Nakatsu feels brighter and calmer with the influx of new businesses.
How Japan’s greatest psychological horror game came home
Series composer Akira Yamaoka and writer Ryukishi07 were integral figures in helping one of Japan's greatest horror gaming franchises land a Japanese setting.
Japan leads in in-depth AI awareness, new global study finds
In Japan, 55% were “equally concerned and excited” about the rise of AI in daily life, while 28% were “more concerned than excited.”
What does Jimbocho think of its unexpected ‘cool’ status?
Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood is a haven for book lovers, its rows of secondhand bookstores spilling over with printed materials.
What you need to see at this year's Tokyo film festival
Chloe Zhao’s "Hamnet"

Podcast

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

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building
By Patrick St. Michel

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