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Baseball: Hanshin's Triple Crown winner Sato to be posted for MLB move
TOKYO - The Hanshin Tigers announced Monday they have approved star third baseman Teruaki Sato seeking a move to Major League Baseball via the posting system this offseason. Sato won the Central League's Triple Crown this season with 39 home runs, 106...
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Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games kick off with record 45 countries, regions
NAGOYA - The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games got underway Sunday with an opening ceremony, with around 4,000 athletes and officials from a record 45 countries and regions set to participate in the continental sporting event. The host nation will field...
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UPDATE1: Baseball: BayStars reach Japan Series after beating Tigers in Climax Series
NISHINOMIYA, Japan - The DeNA BayStars reached the Japan Series after downing the Hanshin Tigers 8-5 in Game 4 of the best-of-seven Central League Climax Series final stage on Saturday. The BayStars scored four runs in the ninth inning to turn the game...
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Ohtani determined to return healthy as two-way player
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani vowed Thursday to return as a twoway player after wrapping up an injury-hampered 2026 campaign that ended with him shut down from pitching and struggling at the plate. The four-time MVP broke a...
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Asian Para Games: Former ekiden standout Shimazu embraces para athletics
TOKYO - Former Hakone Ekiden stage winner Yudai Shimazu will run for gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games after an eye disease prompted his move to para athletics. The 26-year-old, a two-time stage winner in Japan's prestigious university relay...
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WBA bantam champ Masuda to defend title against Tsutsumi on Nov. 29
TOKYO - WBA bantamweight champion Riku Masuda will make his first title defense against former titleholder Seiya Tsutsumi on Nov. 29, organizers said Wednesday. At a news conference, Masuda, who became champion in July, predicted a third-round knockout...
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Crater lake in eastern Japan draws crowds after 8year closure
MAEBASHI, Japan - An emerald-green crater lake in eastern Japan drew crowds of tourists Tuesday as the surrounding area reopened for the first time in more than eight years following a reduction in the volcanic alert level. The town of Kusatsu in Gunma...
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Russia likely mass-producing satellites with Chinese components: Ukraine
Russia has likely begun mass-producing small satellites for its communications network using Chinese-made electronic components, according to intelligence obtained by Ukraine's military. The development has raised concerns within the Ukrainian military...
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Baseball: Murakami strikes out 4 times as White Sox lose ALDS to Guardians
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Munetaka Murakami struck out swinging four times as the Chicago White Sox lost the American League Division Series on Saturday with a 2-0, Game 5 defeat to the Cleveland Guardians. The White Sox had won the first two games of the...
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Asian Para Games: Torch relay starts ahead of opening on Oct. 18
OKAZAKI, Japan - The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games torch relay started Saturday, ahead of the opening ceremony on Oct. 18, with around 3,000 athletes from more than 40 countries and regions expected to compete. Yoshimi Kaji, who represented Japan in...
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Figure skating: Hanyu to perform in March ice show 16 years after disaster
TOKYO - Two-time Olympic men's figure skating champion and professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu will perform in an ice show in Miyagi Prefecture to mark the 16th anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan,...
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53 companies in Japan hit by ransomware group known as Qilin
A total of 53 companies in Japan have suffered attacks by a ransomware group known as Qilin that operates internationally, National Police Agency officials said Thursday. The Japanese government, meanwhile, decided to warn businesses to take thorough...
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Japan's researcher Kenso Soai wins Nobel chemistry prize
Japanese organic chemist Kenso Soai and French researcher Henri Kagan won this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry, for the discovery of "non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said...
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Japan hands over Russian ransomware suspect to Germany
TOKYO - Japan has handed over to German authorities a detained Russian national suspected of being a key member of the international ransomware group, a source familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The cybercrime group known as Qilin is alleged to...
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Japan farm minister retracts controversial budget remarks, makes apology
TOKYO - Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana on Monday retracted recently revealed past remarks he made on local road budget cuts that suggested he was able to exert unfair political pressure over budget allocations,...
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Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to conclude as Japan secures its most golds ever
NAGOYA - Competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games wrapped up on Sunday with host Japan winning 83 gold medals, its most ever, ahead of the closing ceremony for the 16-day event at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya. Medals were contested in 43...
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Asian Games: Japan beats China for 7th straight softball title
ANJO, Japan - Japan won its seventh consecutive Asian Games softball gold medal Saturday with a 7-0 mercy-rule victory over China, while veteran pitcher Yukiko Ueno capped a remarkable career milestone by being part of all seven title-winning teams....
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Asian Games: Japan tops record medal haul from Hiroshima
NAGOYA - Yusuke Kusuhara and Shunsuke Nakagawa won the men's tennis doubles gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday, helping Japan surpass its previous record medal tally of 218 set at the 1994 Hiroshima Games. Kusuhara and Nakagawa beat South...
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Sumo association to hold 1st exhibition tour in Thailand next June
TOKYO - The Japan Sumo Association said Thursday that it will stage a three-day exhibition from June 11 next year in Bangkok, marking the first of its kind in Thailand. The exhibition tour will be the association's third consecutive overseas...
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Imperial couple meet with disaster victims in quake-hit Kumamoto
KUMAMOTO, Japan - Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Wednesday visited Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan and met with local people two months after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the region. Following an explanation by Kumamoto Gov. Takashi...
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FOCUS: Japan's boosting of southwest defenses to be easier under new Okinawa gov.
TOKYO - Japan is likely to see smoother sailing in its efforts to bolster its defenses in its southwestern region after the new Okinawa governor, who is more supportive of the state's security plans than his predecessor, takes office Wednesday....
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Asian Games: Japan's Nakai, Hatakeyama win golds in BMX racing
NAGOYA - Japan's Asuma Nakai won the men's cycling BMX racing final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, successfully defending his title, while Sae Hatakeyama claimed the women's gold. Nakai beat compatriot Hyoga Kiuchi, who took silver, and...
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Sumo: Onosato overwhelms Aonishiki to capture 1st title in year
TOKYO - Yokozuna Onosato defeated title rival ozeki Aonishiki in an emphatic fashion to capture his first title in a year at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday. Having thrown away his two-win lead with successive losses through Saturday,...
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Asian Games: Japan cricket keeps positive outlook after rain ends campaign
NISSHIN, Japan - Host nation Japan saw its Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men's cricket campaign end Saturday with rain washing out its last Group A match against Nepal, but the team is taking positives from the tournament. Following its opening loss to...
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Sumo: Leader Onosato loses as Aonishiki, Asanoyama move 1 win behind
TOKYO - Yokozuna Onosato fell to his second defeat at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday as ozeki Aonishiki and former ozeki Asanoyama moved a win behind the leader with two days remaining. Onosato (11-2) was second best off the opening clash...
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Japan's Ohashi sets men's 200-meter breaststroke world record
TOKYO - Japan's Shin Ohashi set a world record of 2 minutes, 4.83 seconds to win gold in the men's 200-meter breaststroke at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday. The 17-year-old broke the previous world record of 2:05.48 set by China's Qin Haiyang...
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Asian Games: Japan bags men's gymnastics team silver as China wins
NAGOYA - Japan was edged by China and settled for silver in the artistic gymnastics men's team final on Wednesday at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Daiki Hashimoto topped the vault and horizontal bar events as the Tokyo Olympics individual all-around...
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Iran offers to reopen Hormuz strait within 7 days in push for diplomacy
TEHRAN - Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States takes initial steps toward easing military pressure, a senior Iranian government official told Kyodo News on Tuesday, as part of Tehran's ramped-up efforts...
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Yokozuna Onosato keeps sole lead with win over Fujiryoga
TOKYO - Yokozuna Onosato maintained the outright lead at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday, improving to 8-1 with a straightforward win over No. 4 maegashira Fujiryoga. Fujiryoga (3-6) landed a solid opening hit, but Onosato calmly stepped to...
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ASIA WATCH: Homegrown brands reshape China's booming cosmetics market
HUZHOU, China - In a cosmetics exhibition hall tucked away in the mountains of eastern China, shelves of creams, lotions and other beauty products offer a glimpse of how dramatically the country's cosmetics market has changed. "Many Chinese cosmetics...
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Sumo: Onosato breezes to victory, moves into 2way tie with Kotozakura
TOKYO - Yokozuna Onosato blew away No. 3 maegashira Churanoumi to stay on top of the leaderboard at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday. The 26-year-old grand champion improved to 6-1 to finish Day 7 of the 15-day tournament in a two-way tie...
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Fujinokawa stuns Aonishiki, Kirishima also suffers upset
TOKYO - New sekiwake Fujinokawa stunned ozeki Aonishiki, handing the Ukrainian star his third straight defeat at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday. Promotion-seeking ozeki Kirishima (4-2) also suffered an upset loss at the hands of No. 2...
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Australia toughens student, working holiday visa rules to cut migration
SYDNEY - Australia will stop most international students from adding family members to their visas and limit the extension of working holiday visas in a bid to reduce migration, the country's home affairs minister said Thursday. The changes are part of...
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Sumo: Yokozuna Onosato suffers 1st loss, ozeki Kotozakura remains unbeaten
TOKYO - Yokozuna Onosato suffered his first loss at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday, while ozeki Kotozakura became the only unbeaten wrestler after four days. Ukrainian ozeki Aonishiki surrendered his first loss on Day 4 of the 15-day...
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Japan's land prices up for 5th straight year on housing, tourism demand
TOKYO - The average price of land in Japan as of July 1 climbed for the fifth straight year, led by major metropolitan areas with robust housing demand and tourist destinations amid increasing inbound visitors, government data showed Tuesday. The...
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Kodai Sano nets 1st goal as PSV come back to batter Sparta
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands - Japan midfielder Kodai Sano scored his first goal for PSV Eindhoven on Sunday in their home 4-1 comeback win over Sparta Rotterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie. The 22year-old summer signing from NEC Nijmegen blasted low into the...
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Japan's Hamaoka nuclear power plant operator president to resign: sources
NAGOYA - Chubu Electric Power Co. President Kingo Hayashi intends to resign over the utility's seismic data manipulation scandal during the screening for restarting reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in central Japan, sources close to the...
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Asian Games: Japanese head coach helps Taiwan shoot for basketball medal
TAIPEI - Taiwan women's basketball head coach Kenzo Maeda aims to elevate the status of the women's game on the island by winning a medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan this month. The Japanese coach began his role in April, with little time...
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Figure skating: Hanyu to stage encore performances of solo ice show
TOKYO - Two-time Olympic men's figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu will stage encore performances of his solo ice show "REALIVE" on Nov. 28 and 29 in Saga, southwestern Japan, organizers announced Friday. Hanyu, who won back-to-back Winter Olympic...
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JOC chief ready to revive Winter Olympics bid
TOKYO - Japanese Olympic Committee chief Seiko Hashimoto has stressed the importance of hosting major international multisport events as she expressed readiness to revive a stalled bid for the Winter Olympics. "It is the JOC's mission to bring...
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Sumo: Kirishima dominates practice bouts ahead of yokozuna bid
TOKYO - Ozeki Kirishima signaled his determination to earn yokozuna promotion at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament with a dominant display during a joint training session on Wednesday. Facing off against opponents such as new sekiwake Fujinokawa and...
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Sumo: Aonishiki battles through injury in pursuit of yokozuna promotion
TOKYO - Despite lingering injuries affecting his preparation, ozeki Aonishiki is determined to build on his dramatic July championship and secure promotion to the ultimate rank of yokozuna at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament opening Sunday at Tokyo's...
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URGENT: Japanese yen briefly hits 6-month high at 154 versus U.S. dollar
TOKYO - The Japanese yen briefly strengthened to around a six-month high against the U.S. dollar in the 154 yen range on Monday. Recently, Japan and the United States conducted a rare joint currency market intervention to shore up the yen following its...
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ICC chief Akane vows to continue job no matter what amid U.S. sanctions
Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, vowed on Sunday that she will continue to do her job, despite U.S. sanctions against her and the Hague-based judicial body. Appearing online at an event in Tokyo, Akane said she stands firm...
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Sumo: Veteran Takayasu ready for Autumn meet despite injury
TOKYO - Veteran wrestler Takayasu said Saturday he feels ready for the upcoming Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament despite resuming sparring only a day earlier following a left leg injury. The former ozeki fought 13 practice bouts as he geared up to contest...
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Japan remains on high alert over forex moves: top currency diplomat
Japan remains on high alert over foreign exchange movements, its top currency diplomat Atsushi Mimura said Thursday, following the yen's sharp rise against the dollar in the day's trading. "I'm neither reassured nor satisfied" with the yen's current...
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Sumo: Yokozuna Onosato resumes full-scale training ahead of Autumn meet
TOKYO - Yokozuna Onosato resumed full-scale training Wednesday at his Nishonoseki stable in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture, in preparation for the Sept. 13-27 Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament. The 26-year-old grand champion appeared in good...
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IN PHOTOS: Japan's Disaster Prevention Day drills
TOKYO - The Japanese government held a disaster prevention drill on Tuesday simulating a magnitude 8.3 earthquake off eastern Hokkaido that triggered tsunami from the northern main island to Tokyo to review initial response procedures such as assessing...
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OPINION: After diplomatic flop, Japan must return shipping to the path of ambition
TOKYO - Japan is a powerful maritime nation and has been a key player in U.N. shipping climate negotiations. Japan's shipyards have built a reputation for high quality, fuel efficient, and energysaving vessels. As such, this strategic sector naturally...
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Football: Japan defender Itakura returns to Borussia from Ajax
TOKYO - Japan defender Ko Itakura has returned to Borussia Monchengladbach from Dutch football club Ajax, the German top-flight side said Thursday. The 29-year-old, who captained Japan at this year's World Cup, has signed a contract through 2030. After...
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Foreign visitors to Japan hit 3.44 mil. in July, new record for month
TOKYO - The number of foreign visitors to Japan in July inched up 0.1 percent from a year earlier to 3.44 million, a record for the month, government estimates showed Wednesday, with travel demand remaining strong amid the summer holiday season in the...
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Japan fighter jet blocks Okinawa airport runway after landing gear breaks
NAHA, Japan - A runway was closed for hours at Naha Airport in the southern island prefecture of Okinawa on Tuesday after a Japanese Self-Defense Forces fighter jet became immobilized following landing, according to the transport ministry. There were...
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Japan eyes introducing U.S.-made AI into SDF operations, command
TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry is considering introducing U.S.-developed artificial intelligence into command and control for Self-Defense Forces units, sources close to the matter said Monday. The aim is to speed up decision-making by using AI to...
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Damage reports from Chiba rain disaster grow, death toll stands at 10
CHIBA, Japan - Reports of flood damage continue to grow three days after torrential rain pounded Chiba Prefecture east of Tokyo, with the prefectural government saying Sunday that some 1,300 homes were flooded, 10 people were killed and one remained...
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FOCUS: Japanese auto, motorcycle makers back India's drive to cut fossil fuel use
NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent appeal to Indians to reduce petrol and diesel consumption is reinforcing a broader shift in the country's mobility strategy, with Japanese automakers, a major presence in the country's market, taking a...
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Baseball: Sasaki throws 6 innings of 2-run ball in Dodgers' loss to Brewers
LOS ANGELES - Roki Sasaki pitched six innings of two-run ball as the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 on Thursday. Sasaki did not factor in the decision after allowing two runs on four hits and five walks, while striking out two at...
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Wrestling: Aonishiki-inspired Kusaka eyes Asian Games gold after Paris win
TOKYO - After winning Greco-Roman wrestling gold at the Paris Olympics, Japan's Nao Kusaka is yearning for triumph at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games while drawing inspiration from sumo's Ukrainian sensation Aonishiki. The 25-year-old Kusaka won the men's...
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Sumo: Mongolian-born Joshoyu eyes quick rise after pro debut
TOKYO - Mongolian-born Joshoyu has vowed a rapid rise through the ranks as he made his longawaited professional sumo debut at last month's Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. "I want to reach sekitori as soon as possible," the 22-year-old Joshoyu said,...
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Awa Odori, Japan's signature summer dance festival, opens with 600 dancers
TOKUSHIMA, Japan - Awa Odori, one of Japan's signature summer dance festivals, opened Tuesday in Tokushima Prefecture, where about 600 performers from leading local troupes staged a joint show at a hall. The opening day featured three performances. In...
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Japan PM calls for free, safe passage of Hormuz in phone talks with Oman
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for the resumption of free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in phone talks with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on Monday, amid stalled U.S.-Iranian negotiations on the conflict. Oman...
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Baseball: Murakami launches 26th homer, White Sox snap losing streak
CHICAGO - Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami homered for the second straight game, taking his tally to 26 for the season, in Saturday's 6-3 comeback win over the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth at...
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