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June 30, 2026
 

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Jim Armstrong
Japan's offense has been over-reliant on MLB stars like Seiya Suzuki, seen here making a hit against South Korea at Tokyo Dome on Saturday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 12, 2026
Samurai Japan still faces lineup questions despite perfect WBC record
In the first three games in Tokyo, Japan relied heavily on its three major league stars at the top of the batting order: Shohei Ohtani, Seiya Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida.
Blue Jays third-baseman Kazuma Okamoto hits a two-run home run in the second inning against the New York Mets at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Feb. 23.
BASEBALL
Mar 4, 2026
Murakami and Okamoto put MLB prep on hold to answer the call for Samurai Japan
The players, who were pivotal to Japan winning the 2023 World Baseball Classic, flew in from spring training to help defend the title.
Yusei Kikuchi pitches for Samurai Japan during an exhibition game against the Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Monday.
BASEBALL
Mar 3, 2026
A calming presence and a ‘strong heart.’ Yusei Kikuchi all set for WBC.
The 34-year-old is making his Samurai Japan debut, and manager Hirokazu Ibata sees him as a valuable addition to the team.
Pairs figure skaters Riku Miura (left) and Ryuichi Kihara with their medals during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan on Wednesday
OLYMPICS
Feb 26, 2026
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara vow to remain together after Olympic triumph
Of the 24 medals Japan won, a record for the nation at a Winter Games, the gold for Miura and Kihara was arguably the most memorable.
Ryoyu Kobayashi performs his first jump in the individual Large Hill HS137 on the third day of men's FIS Ski Jumping World Cup competition in Sapporo on Sunday.
OLYMPICS / Ski jumping
Jan 20, 2026
Ski jumper Kobayashi aims for more medals at Milano-Cortina Olympics
Kobayashi won the gold medal in the men’s normal hill event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, becoming the third Japanese man to win individual Olympic ski jumping gold.
Kaori Sakamoto performs a free skating routine during the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya on Dec. 6.
OLYMPICS / Figure skating
Jan 8, 2026
Japan’s figure skaters face fierce Olympics test
Japan will have to contend with a resurgent United States in Milano-Cortina, as well as Russian skaters for the first time since the Beijing Olympics.
Shintaro Mochizuki reacts after a point during his match against Casper Ruud at the Japan Open on Thursday.
TENNIS
Sep 26, 2025
Shintaro Mochizuki aiming to succeed Kei Nishikori as Japan’s top male player
Mochizuki, currently 104th in the world rankings, notched his maiden Grand Slam main-draw win this year at Wimbledon.
Arisa Trew understands both sides of the debate around the introduction of a minimum age limit for World Skateboarding Tour events.
MORE SPORTS
Jun 23, 2025
World Skate puts brakes on skateboarding’s preteen movement with new age limits
The minimum age of 11 this year will be raised one year each in 2026, 2027 and 2028 so that when the LA Olympics roll around in 2028, the minimum age will be 14.
Arisa Trew competes in the women's vert event at X Games Osaka on Saturday. Trew won the title for her first of two gold medals over the weekend.
MORE SPORTS / Action sports
Jun 22, 2025
Australian Arisa Trew sets new mark at X Games Osaka as Japan athletes shine
Trew, whose mother is Japanese, electrified the crowd at Kyocera Dome with two monster runs in the park final to put her ahead of Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Sakura Yosozumi.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

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

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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