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July 24, 2026
 

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SPORTS

A man holds a banner criticizing South Korea men¡¯s national soccer team coach Hong Myung-bo as he waits for the coach¡¯s arrival at Seoul-Incheon International Airport on June 30. ?
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 19, 2026
Strong soccer teams start with merit, not politics
Japan¡¯s treatment of the national team¡¯s head coach is worlds apart from that of his South Korean counterpart, who was forced into an indignant resignation.
Japan¡¯s head coach, Hajime Moriyasu, directs his players from the touchline during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 match between Brazil and Japan in Houston on Monday. Brazil won 2-1.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 2, 2026
Soccer¡¯s Asian century is still just a distant dream
Asian teams¡¯ underwhelming World Cup showings have raised questions about the region¡¯s potential, driven by a nascent soccer culture compared to Europe¡¯s more competitive systems.
A fan watches Japan's World Cup match against Sweden on a smartphone in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS
Jun 29, 2026
World Cup offers chance to find right broadcasting balance for fans in Japan
The diversification of broadcasting methods for soccer, such as online streaming, could be a potential for further growth for the sport.
Japanese fans hold up their blue plastic bags before the start of the Group F match against Tunisia at the 2026 World Cup in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 20.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 28, 2026
The spotless World Cup stadium and the ¡®unseen sink¡¯
OECD data place Japanese men among the least domestically active in the developed world.
Folarin Balogun of the U.S. challenges Australia's Jacob Italiano during a Group D match at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Seattle on June 19.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 26, 2026
FIFA World Cup thrives on diaspora players
The tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams this year, creating space for more countries and for the transnational communities that define many of them.
Japan¡¯s Ritsu Doan challenges the Netherlands¡¯ Cody Gakpo during a FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match in Arlington, Texas, on June 14.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 19, 2026
FIFA was right about ticket pricing
A nonprofit organization only in name, FIFA squeezes fans, host cities and partners for every last dollar
Japan's Junya lto challenges Netherlands' Nathan Ake for the ball during a World Cup Group F match in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 19, 2026
Trump¡¯s World Cup: A global stage for an anti-globalist
Past World Cup hosts have used major sporting events to project national image abroad, but under Trump the U.S. is treating the tournament more as a domestic political stage.
Executives of the Japan Volleyball Association bow in apology during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday following the arrest of Shunichiro Sato, a member of the national volleyball team, on suspicion of cannabis possession.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
May 29, 2026
Japan national volleyball player arrested over suspected cannabis possession
Police allege that Shunichiro Sato, 26, had dried cannabis in his possession at a pachinko pinball parlor in Tokyo¡¯s Itabashi Ward on Wednesday afternoon.
A professional table tennis player competes against Sony AI autonomous robot Ace in December in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 23, 2026
Table tennis robot Ace makes history by beating top-level human players
The feat could presage an array of other applications for similarly adept robots.
An Argentina fan attends the March 2025 World Cup qualifier between Argentina and Brazil in Buenos Aires.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 20, 2026
Don¡¯t give up on getting World Cup tickets (yet)
But the price tag shock is also a stark reminder of the income disparities between U.S. consumers and Latin Americans.
Taiwan players celebrate their win over South Korea at Tokyo Dome on Sunday. A visit to Japan by Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai to watch the island¡¯s team play in the World Baseball Classic prompted an outcry from China.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 13, 2026
How a baseball game in Japan is testing China on Taiwan
The real significance of this WBC match lies beyond the stadium. It¡¯s a signal that Tokyo and Taipei are testing how much Beijing can practically control their engagement.
Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman is in action against India in the Asia Cup final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on Sept. 28.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 24, 2026
The theater of the absurd that is India vs. Pakistan cricket
When politics interferes with sports, no one wins.
Nintendo¡¯s upcoming film, Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is positioned as a major 2026 soft-power moment for Japan, with expectations it could replicate the franchise¡¯s 2023 $1.36 billion box office success.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 29, 2025
Takaichi, Mario, baseball and the Year of the Fire Horse
2026 marks the Year of the Horse in Japan. It¡¯s one demographers have been awaiting for decades ¡ª the return of the Fire Horse.
Masahisa Takemi, a 50-year-old teacher at the Central School for the Deaf, played an instrumental role in the development of the "starting light" and the adoption of the device at sporting events.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Nov 19, 2025
¡®Starting light¡¯ developer voices hopes for Deaflympics
Masahisa Takemi pursued a solution that could even the odds after seeing a deaf student of his struggle in track events in which a starting pistol is used.
An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
SPORTS / Longform
Nov 15, 2025
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo
As Tokyo hosts the Deaflympics, organizers hope to further gains made in the realm of greater inclusivity throughout Japan.
On Oct. 29, teams from 33 qualifying countries scoured the streets of Shibuya for all manners of trash as part of the Spogomi litter-picking competition.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 9, 2025
Cleanliness gets competitive at Tokyo¡¯s Spogomi world cup
On Oct. 29, teams from 33 countries scoured Tokyo¡¯s streets for discarded wrappers, crushed cans and cigarette butts.
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.
A recent survey by the Sports Agency found that women in their 30s and 40s were less physically fit in 2024 compared to 1998 levels as more women are busy working and/or raising children.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Science & Health
Oct 14, 2025
Fitness levels fall for women in their 30s and 40s compared to 1998, survey finds
The survey from the Sports Agency suggested women are too busy working and/or raising children to do physical exercise, resulting in the decline.
Brooklyn Nets' Cam Thomas dribbles past Phoenix Suns' Oso Ighodaro during the NBA pre-season basketball game at the Venetian Arena in Macau on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 14, 2025
The NBA¡¯s return to China is no slam dunk
From a commercial point of view, re-engaging with its second-biggest market is an obvious move.
This year marked the ninth annual championship put on by the Hogyokukai school of traditional Japanese swordsmanship.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 26, 2025
Traditional Japanese swordsmanship ¡ª with modern matches
Held on July 12, the Hogyokukai¡¯s ninth annual championship once again blended classic techniques with contemporary competition.
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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