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July 24, 2026
 

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BASEBALL

Shinnosuke Abe announces his resignation as the manager of Yomiuri Giants during a news conference in Tokyo on May 26.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jun 16, 2026
Ex-Giants manager Abe spared indictment over alleged assault of daughter
¡°We took into account the nature of the alleged assault, the circumstances surrounding the case and other relevant evidence,¡± the prosecutor¡¯s office said.
Yuki Kusumi, president of Panasonic Holdings, in the city of Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, in April 2025
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
May 13, 2026
After cost cuts and reforms, Panasonic enters decisive stage in turnaround
Fiscal 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for the major manufacturer as it seeks to break free from prolonged stagnation and place its recovery on firmer ground.
Shohei Ohtani warms up during the 2026 World Baseball Classic exhibition game in Osaka on March 2.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 24, 2026
After controversial Netflix deal, Japan urges WBC to ensure more people can watch
¡°It is extremely important for a wide range of people to have the opportunity to experience and watch sports,¡± sports minister Yohei Matsumoto said.
A Uniqlo store in New York. Operator Fast Retailing struck a landmark deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers to raise its brand recognition in the U.S. market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 30, 2026
Uniqlo taps into Ohtani magic at Dodgers Stadium to fuel U.S. push
The alliance is an almost perfect match, leveraging U.S. and Japanese fans¡¯ fascination with the multiple-MVP batter and pitcher.
Fans watching from Tokyo react after Japan beat the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic in March 2023.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 4, 2026
Netflix deal shuts out Japan¡¯s sports bars from freely showing WBC
For fans, the Netflix deal will mean a completely different experience from the past, when WBC games were aired for free, allowing sports bars to easily air them at their venues.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani during a spring training game in Tempe, Arizona, on Feb 21. For Japan, Netflix's exclusive deal to broadcast the World Baseball Classic may serve as a wake-up call to broadcasters that prices are going up and that they need to change as viewers seek better experiences.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 4, 2026
Netflix¡¯s WBC deal upends baseball traditions in Ohtani¡¯s homeland
Professional baseball in Japan has largely stayed in the hands of domestic broadcasters and free-to-air networks.
The Metropolitan Police Department headquarters in Tokyo
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Feb 12, 2026
High school baseball players suspected of spreading obscene images
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the possibility that an obscene video of a 15-year-old girl might have been disseminated to dozens of people.
Hiroshima Prefectural Police have arrested Ryutaro Hatsuki, a 25-year-old infielder for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, for allegedly using etomidate, a designated drug also known as the "zombie cigarette."
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jan 29, 2026
Hiroshima Carp infielder arrested over ¡®zombie cigarette¡¯
Ryutaro Hatsuki, 25, denies the allegation and claims that he has no memory of using the drug, according to Hiroshima Prefectural Police sources.
Netflix Japan's new series "The Human Vapor" is based on a 1960 cult film of the same title and follows a string of assassinations carried out by a perpetrator who can vanish into thin air.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 28, 2026
Netflix Japan lays out 2026 slate of anime, adaptations and live baseball
The streaming service revealed release windows for the upcoming ¡°Human Vapor¡± adaptation and more, plus plans to livestream all 47 games of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The Dallas Cowboys were valued at $13 billion, a 29% jump compared to last year, Forbes said.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 19, 2025
NFL¡¯s Dallas Cowboys top Forbes¡¯ most valuable teams list
The Cowboys, who unseated Spanish soccer club Real Madrid for top spot on the list in 2016, were valued at $13 billion, a 29% jump compared to last year, Forbes said.
Shohei Ohtani (left), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (center) and Roki Sasaki of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate in the locker room after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 to win the 2025 World Series at Rogers Center in Toronto, on Nov. 2.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 12, 2025
Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki generate ?132.8 billion in economic impact
Merchandise sales, broadcasting rights and the popularity of the players are all thought to have contributed to the high number.
Shohei Ohtani lacks the advantages that made NBA legend Michael Jordan a global icon: a unified mass media landscape, broad commercial appeal and a sport built to show off individuality.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 24, 2025
Why can¡¯t Shohei Ohtani truly be like Michael Jordan?
The challenge begins with baseball itself. The game is played at a high level throughout the Americas and parts of Asia-Pacific, but remains a niche sport elsewhere.
Prime Minister Yoshio Mori declared in September 2000 that Japan must ¡°grab the historic opportunity of the IT revolution."
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / History / Japan Times Gone By
Sep 6, 2025
Japan Times 2000: Prime minister pitches ¡®e-Japan¡¯ as way of life
Japan must ¡°grab the historic opportunity of the IT revolution,¡± Prime Minister Yoshio Mori declared as the final Diet session of the century opened in September 2000.
The Betsukai Pilot Spirits welcomed new players (left to right) Yuta Yamanaka, Roman Guthrie, Scott Bellina and Leo Jiminian this year, pictured here with Yassir Lachkar of the Ishikari Red Phoenix.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Sep 1, 2025
Overseas sluggers step up to bat in small-town Hokkaido
The residents of Betsukai, Hokkaido ¡ª where cows outnumber people 7-to-1 ¡ª have extended a warm welcome to five players from overseas who joined the Pilot Spirits.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission said that moves by Nippon Professional Baseball could violate the antimonopoly law, and urged the organization to prevent any recurrence.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 11, 2025
Japan Fair Trade Commission warns NPB over Fuji TV media pass denial
The antitrust watchdog said that such moves could violate the antimonopoly law, urging NPB to prevent any recurrence.
A special manhole cover featuring Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 11, 2025
Japanese MLB stars to be featured on manhole covers
Each manhole cover will have an illustration of a Japanese player and be located at a place associated with his roots in baseball.
Japan's Shohei Ohtani carries the Japanese flag onto the field before the start of the World Baseball Classic final against the United States in Miami on March 21, 2023.
BASEBALL
May 15, 2025
Historian Rob Fitts discovers earliest ever reference to baseball in Japan
The widely held belief is that American Horace Wilson introduced the sport to Japan in 1872. Fitts¡¯ discovery revises the timeline to 1869.
New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Citi Field in New York on Saturday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 20, 2025
Kodai Senga and Pete Alonso lead Mets past Cardinals
Senga (3-1) allowed just three hits, walked two and fanned four in an 89-pitch performance.
Katsuhiko Nakamura, secretary-general of the NPB, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Monday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 25, 2025
NPB teams to fine 16 players for using online casinos
The fines will be donated to organizations working to combat gambling addiction.
Shohei Ohtani gets a kiss from his dog Decoy at a game in August 2024. The Japanese slugger-pitcher¡¯s return to his country to kick off the Major League Baseball season has sparked immense excitement, highlighting his unparalleled career and symbolic role as a national hero.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 18, 2025
Superstar Shohei Ohtani for prime minister
He¡¯s unavoidable in Japan: His face adorns ads for cosmetics, mattresses, English conversation schools and, most recently, convenience store rice balls.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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