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Mai Yoshikawa
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.
OLYMPICS
Jul 14, 2024
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
While news sites have suggested that being a volunteer is a way to attend the Games for “free,” that doesn’t apply to international volunteers like Mai Tarumi.
Japanese businessman Kazunori Takishima, seen at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, has attended four Summer Games and four Winter Games since his first in 2006.
OLYMPICS
Jul 12, 2024
Japanese superfan with Olympic-sized wallet eager to make new memories in Paris
The 48-year-old Tokyo native spends large chunks of his disposable income on Olympic tickets.
Japan's men's and women's gymnastics teams pose for photos during a news conference to announce the team's uniforms for the 2024 Games.
OLYMPICS / Gymnastics
Jun 24, 2024
Leotard vs. unitard debate in gymnastics still raging ahead of Paris Olympics
The German gymnastics team took a stand against sexualization in the sport in 2021, but heading into Paris, the leotard is still very much in vogue in Japan and abroad.
Temperatures in Paris could exceed 30 degrees on many days during the 2024 Games.
OLYMPICS
Jun 17, 2024
Japanese Olympians to beat heat with own AC despite Paris' plans for green Games
The Japanese Olympic Committee announced last December that it plans to pay for its athletes to have air conditioning in their rooms for “safety and security” reasons.
Fans cheer after Japan's men's volleyball team qualified for the Paris Olympics on Oct. 7 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.
MORE SPORTS / Volleyball
Jun 4, 2024
Japanese volleyball’s fastest growing fan base — female superfans
More than 80% of the fans at men’s domestic competitions are said to be women in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
May 11, 2024
How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan
Five years into the Reiwa Era and the challenges Japan's moms face are unique, though the qualities that help them persevere haven't changed a bit.
Ibuki Matsumoto competes at an event in Osaka on April 21.
OLYMPICS / Skateboarding
May 6, 2024
Japan’s tween skateboarders get head start on preparations for 2028 Olympics
Hikari Satake, 11, and Ibuki Matsumoto, 12, may not be household names just yet, but they are laying the groundwork for their Olympic ambitions.
Ryoma Shimoseki (90) was playing at Kosei Gakuen High School in Tokyo when he was discovered by NFL Academy coaches.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Apr 17, 2024
Japanese NFL hopeful gets dream chance on football field in U.K.
Ryoma Shimoseki was recently announced as the newest addition to the NFL Academy as he bids to become the first Japanese to make an NFL roster.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani needs to find a way to keep his eye on the ball as he plays his first 162-game season without his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 9, 2024
Can Shohei Ohtani achieve Michael Jordan-level mental resilience?
One expert says ensuring that he can pivot smoothly into a new support system is crucial for the player.
Daiya Seto in action during the men's 400m medley final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha on Feb. 18.
OLYMPICS / Swimming
Apr 2, 2024
Japanese swimming veteran ready to make waves at Paris Olympics
Daiya Seto wants to be a voice for meaningful change in the domestic sport.
Japan's Evelyn Mawuli (left) goes on the attack as Canada's Laeticia Amihere plays defense in the first quarter of an Olympic women's basketball qualifier on Feb. 11 in Sopron, Hungary.
BASKETBALL
Mar 25, 2024
Basketball star thrives on court again after putting herself first
Evelyn Mawuli is helping to normalize career breaks for reasons other than physical health.
Pickleball courts in New York's famed Central Park
MORE SPORTS
Mar 15, 2024
Amid boom overseas, when will pickleball land in Japan?
Over the past few years, pickleball has emerged as the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., but it has yet to take off in Japan.
A childhood snapshot of Shohei Ohtani and his mother, Kayoko, posted on MLB’s account on social media website X.
BASEBALL
Mar 7, 2024
'Sporting geniuses are made, not born': How to be an all-star sports parent
If you want your child to be a top 1% athlete like Shohei Ohtani, a good place to start is to take a look at what his parents did.
When Fighters interpreter Shinju Sakuma set her mind on becoming a language liaison in sports, she picked a sport she enjoyed watching and an employer who thinks outside the box.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Feb 26, 2024
Rookie female interpreter provides voice for foreign baseball stars in Japan
Shinju Sakuma, who will graduate from Rikkyo University in Tokyo this spring, is believed to be the first female interpreter in NPB history.
Shiki Nakayama at a snow-covered baseball field in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, last month. Nakayama grew up watching her older brother’s exploits on the diamond and first picked up a bat and ball in elementary school.
BASEBALL
Feb 9, 2024
Meet the Gen Zer in Japan who is forging a path for girls in baseball
For 16-year-old Shiki Nakayama, it's no big deal that she's the only girl on her high school baseball team.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 20, 2022
Japanese intimacy coordinator makes sex scenes sexy and safe
Chiho Asada is one of only two certified intimacy coordinators in the country. Her role involves advocating for actors and creating safe plans for scenes that include sexual content.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 15, 2022
Ayumu Hirano’s latest trick: Making tenugui towels trendy
As the 23-year-old gold medalist received global media coverage, eagle-eyed fans spotted the white cotton cloth he wore around his neck in Friday's final and hailed his patriotic spirit.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 19, 2021
Two Japanese LGBTQ rights activists of different faiths find common ground
Homophobia in a country that has yet to legalize gay marriage has not stopped two Tokyo-based religious leaders from doing what they are called to do.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Feb 13, 2021
Why a Japanese man proudly took his wife's last name
Shu Matsuo Post calls himself a feminist, but he wasn't born one. For the first 28 years of his life, he says he never tried to understand what it was like to be a girl or woman in a patriarchal society.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Nov 17, 2020
Retired Olympian reshaping conversation around athletes' periods
Swimmer Hanae Ito is setting out to debunk myths and ensure both boys and girls receive proper education about menstruation.

Longform

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