BASEBALL

Japanese Baseball

BayStars slugger Tyler Austin hit two homers against the Giants during the final stage of the Central League Climax Series.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 26, 2024
BayStars aim to complete Cinderella run against Hawks in the Japan Series
To say the Yokohama DeNA BayStars are underdogs against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the Japan Series would be putting it mildly, but titles are not decided on paper.
Fighters manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo celebrates his team's defeat of the Marines in the first stage of the Pacific League Climax Series on Monday.
Tsuyoshi Shinjo’s high-stakes gamble pays off in the Climax Series
Not every manager would willingly go into a three-game playoff series without planning for his best pitcher to throw.
Tomoyuki Sugano (left) with his Giants teammates during a game last month in Hiroshima.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 5, 2024
Giants ace Tomoyuki Sugano announces plans to join MLB
The long-time Giants starter has won the Sawamura Award as NPB's best pitcher twice, in 2017 and 2018.
Giants players celebrate their Central League title by tossing manager Shinnosuke Abe into the air after the team's 8-1 win over the Carp on Saturday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 29, 2024
Giants clinch Central League pennant after tough season-long battle
The storied club earned its first league championship in four years in a year in which the Giants are celebrating their 90th anniversary.
Swallows star Norichika Aoki announced his plan to retire on Friday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 13, 2024
Swallows great Norichika Aoki to retire
Veteran Tokyo Yakult Swallows outfielder Norichika Aoki, one of the best hitters Japan has ever seen, plans to retire at the end of this season, he announced on Friday.
Lions players celebrate after a win over the Buffaloes on Wednesday at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 25, 2024
A fight over free agency in NPB, with help from an American union
The union representing players in NPB is fighting to secure rights over players' images and give them the opportunity to make the jump to MLB sooner.
Tigers players, including Ukyo Maegawa (center), celebrate their win over the Giants at Koshien Stadium on Thursday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 2, 2024
Tigers celebrate Koshien's 100th with victory over rival Giants
"Everyone understood the importance of this three-game series," manager Akinobu Okada said. "It's great to win in such a memorable way on this special day."

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition