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July 04, 2025
 

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SUPER RUGBY

New Zealand's Ardie Savea in action against Ireland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Nov. 8
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Jun 17, 2025
All Black Savea to skip Super Rugby for Japan sabbatical in 2026
Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga said Savea, who was the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year this season, would be welcomed back with open arms in 2027.
All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett takes a selfie with children at an event in Yokohama on Nov. 28, 2017.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Feb 6, 2025
Beauden Barrett wants Japan back in expanded Super Rugby
"I'd love to see the Japanese become part of the competition," Barrett said. "I feel like we need to grow the competition and in that respect, that would be great."
Kubota Spears players watch the Chiefs perform the haka during a Cross Border Rugby game on Saturday at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Feb 13, 2024
Cross Border Rugby sets stage for exciting possibilities
Many of those involved saw the nascent venture as an important stepping stone towards greater international collaboration.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Nov 24, 2023
Super Rugby's Chiefs and Blues to face Japanese clubs in February
The Waikato Chiefs and Auckland Blues will travel to Japan in February for games against top local teams in preparation for the Super Rugby season.
Japan Times
Rugby
Mar 5, 2023
Fijian Drua coach says language barrier an issue in Super Rugby
Mick Byrne said he hoped the language barrier issue would be addressed by tournament organizers.
Japan Times
Rugby
Apr 14, 2021
New Zealand gives Pacific teams green light for Super Rugby
Pacific islands teams Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua have been granted conditional licences to join a proposed Super Rugby competition next year, New Zealand Rugby said on Wednesday.
Japan Times
Rugby
Aug 10, 2020
Australia puts New Zealand on clock for trans-Tasman tournament
Rugby Australia has given New Zealand a three-week deadline to agree to a trans-Tasman competition in 2021 that will include five Australian teams or face organizing its own domestic tournament next year.
Japan Times
Rugby
Jun 2, 2020
Sunwolves bosses express pride, regret at end of Super Rugby tenure
Sunwolves CEO Yuji Watase and head coach Naoya Okubo emphasized the contributions that the team made during its five years in the Southern Hemisphere competition.
Rugby
May 18, 2020
Super Rugby's Reds bench three for refusing pay cuts
Super Rugby side Queensland Reds have suspended Wallabies lock Izack Rodda and two other players for declining to accept pay cuts that were agreed to by the players' union amid a shutdown of the season due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Japan Times
Rugby
May 17, 2020
New Zealand players return to 'second preseason' on Monday
New Zealand's Super Rugby players will begin what coaches have deemed to be a "second preseason" on Monday as they return to training following a relaxation of health and travel restrictions imposed after the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Japan Times
Rugby
Apr 27, 2020
New Zealand sets up committee to review Super Rugby future
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has formed a committee with the country's five Super Rugby teams to review operating models and plot a way forward for the domestic game amid a shutdown in global sport brought by the coronavirus.
Japan Times
Rugby
Apr 26, 2020
Wallaby Matt Toomua calls for rethink of 'outdated' Super Rugby
Wallabies flyhalf Matt Toomua has joined calls for a rethink of the Super Rugby competition once the sport restarts after the coronavirus shutdown.
Rugby / ADDING THE EXTRAS
Mar 28, 2020
Odd decisions, big questions amidst crises in Japanese rugby
With rugby seemingly done for the season, it is time to look back on a crazy few months that have seen Japanese rugby go from the highs of the 2019 Rugby World Cup to a state of confusion in which even a former Brave Blossoms captain is questioning what is going on.
Japan Times
Rugby / ADDING THE EXTRAS
Feb 28, 2020
Asian rugby tested as COVID-19 wipes out schedules
Rugby across Asia is feeling the full brunt of the coronavirus outbreak with games and tournaments getting called off at a rate of knots.
Japan Times
Rugby
Nov 26, 2019
Sunwolves building roster for 2020 season
As they enter their likely final season in Super Rugby, the Sunwolves revealed 15 players who will compete for the Japan-based team in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Rugby / ADDING THE EXTRAS
May 2, 2019
JRFU's bewildering plans for Top League reform spark skepticism, opposition
The news that the Japan Rugby Top League is to undergo reform following this year's World Cup should have been met with heraldic fanfare, given the nation's recent entry into the Reiwa Era.
Japan Times
Rugby / ADDING THE EXTRAS
Mar 29, 2019
Future of Sunwolves in doubt after Super Rugby
Sunwolves CEO Yuji Watase put on a brave face last week despite clocking up air miles in the wake of the announcement his team would be not be part of the Super Rugby competition post 2020.
Japan Times
Rugby / Coach's Eye
Dec 14, 2018
Brave Blossoms must beat higher-ranked nations to gain respect
Playing against my England team at Twickenham last month was incredible for Japan.
Japan Times
Rugby / RWC Countdown
Sep 19, 2018
Brave Blossoms icon Goromaru calls for better promotion of Japanese rugby
Rugby icon Ayumu Goromaru is deeply concerned with the status quo surrounding his sport since the Japan's national team's sensational World Cup campaign in 2015.
Rugby / ADDING THE EXTRAS
Aug 30, 2018
Intense season awaits Top League
The 2018-19 Top League season kicks off Friday with plenty of changes to the format both on and off the field as the Japan Rugby Football Union looks to do all it can to ensure the Brave Blossoms are at their peak when Japan hosts the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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