China accused Mesut Ozil Monday of being "deceived by fake news" and said he should visit Xinjiang to see for himself after the Arsenal soccer player decried the treatment of the region's Uighur minority. Ozil, a German national of Turkish origin, condemned China's crackdown on ...
Japan's Rising Sun flag: A bone of contention for South Korea
Late last month, South Korean lawmaker An Min-suk of the ruling Democratic Party stood before the media in Seoul to explain a resolution proposed in the National Assembly. Displayed on the podium before him were illustrations of two flags: Japan's Rising Sun, which portrays a ...
Japan firms fight the frugal retail psyche with AI-driven pricing and other tricks
After years of soggy inflation and a long reign by Japan's tightfisted shoppers, businesses are adopting new methods to lift prices, from artificial intelligence to simple packaging tweaks. Despite many rounds of stimulus, policymakers have failed to jolt households out of the deflationary mindset that ...
Japan opens World Cup qualifying with 2-0 away win against Myanmar
Shoya Nakajima's and Takumi Minamino's first-half goals led Japan to a 2-0 win away over Myanmar as the Samurai Blue opened their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign with a victory. Japan picked apart the Myanmar defense early and often, slowed nearly as much by Thuwanna ...
In digital era, Chelsea's tie-up with Yokohama Rubber blazes new trail in Japan
For Chelsea supporters, the club's iconic blue uniform represents 114 years of history, dozens of domestic and continental trophies and a reputation as one of English soccer's established giants. For Yokohama Rubber, it represents global exposure, whether it's to the English Premier League's billions of ...
Kazuyoshi Miura: Flashy 'King Kazu' steered soccer's rise
It could be said that no team sport in Japan has outpaced soccer's growth through the Heisei Era, and 52-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura is the only player who can claim to have been a part of that growth throughout.
'I'm an Aussie': Refugee soccer player Hakeem al-Araibi granted Australian citizenship
A refugee soccer player who fled Bahrain and was held in a Thai prison for months during a tense extradition standoff between Australia and the Gulf state was granted Australian citizenship on Tuesday. Hakeem al-Araibi, 25, left Bahrain in 2014 after he was accused of ...
Traffickers used Russia's World Cup to enslave us, say Nigerian women
Blessing Obuson thought Russia's soccer World Cup would be an opportunity to find a job and flew into Moscow from Nigeria last June on a fan ID. Instead, she found herself forced to work as a prostitute. Fan IDs allowed visa-free entry to World Cup ...
'Captain Tsubasa' and friends from popular soccer manga take over Yotsugi Station in Tokyo
A local train station in Tokyo has been covered from floor to ceiling with images from the famous soccer manga and anime series "Captain Tsubasa," and the train arrival chime now features the show's theme song. The new interior of Keisei Electric Railway's Yotsugi Station ...
Plane cushions found in English Channel search for missing soccer player Emiliano Sala
Investigators searching for a lost plane carrying Premier League soccer player Emiliano Sala said on Wednesday an underwater search would begin after they found two seat cushions on the French coast that likely belonged to the aircraft. The 28-year-old Argentina-born forward had been en route ...
Former Japan international soccer defender Yuji Nakazawa, 40, to retire
Durable Yokohama F Marinos defender Yuji Nakazawa, who played in two World Cups for Japan, has decided to retire, an official source said Monday. Last Aug. 19, the 40-year-old sat out a game due to pain in his left knee, ending his string of 178 ...
Thailand's cave boys enjoy kick-about at iconic River Plate stadium
Twelve Thai boys and their soccer coach, who were dramatically rescued from a flooded cave in July, enjoyed a high-profile kick-about on Sunday, playing a game at River Plate's iconic Monumental stadium. The team, known as the "Wild Boars," are honored guests at the Youth ...
