author

 
 
Ed Odeven
Ed Odeven covers primarily basketball for The Japan Times. He reported on a wide range of sports from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Summer Games for this newspaper. A native of the Bronx, N.Y., Odeven is a graduate of Arizona State University. He previously worked for the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff, Ariz., reporting on high school, collegiate, professional and Olympic sports (Flagstaff is a major international Olympic training site due to its high elevation) and writing a weekly column. His articles have appeared in Venezuela Online News, The Gleaner (Jamaica), the Monitor (Uganda), The Moscow Times, Swimming World Magazine and numerous other publications.
BASKETBALL
Jan 11, 2010
Lakestars halt Phoenix to share series spoils
The Shiga Lakestars did what few teams have been able to do this season: slow down the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix's high-scoring offense.
BASKETBALL
Jan 10, 2010
Osaka maintains poise in crunch time against Ryukyu
Whenever the Ryukyu Golden Kings and Osaka Evessa square off, a playoff-like intensity exists between the bj-league rivals.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Jan 10, 2010
Evessa star says merger best bet for hoops in Japan
Osaka Evessa power forward Lynn Washington brings a strong presence to the basketball court, using his full array of skills to consistently earn praise as one of the elite players in Japan.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 8, 2010
Coach says Phoenix players focus on team
With 20 games in the books and 17 victories to date, the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix are on pace to have the finest season in bj-league history. The Ryukyu Golden Kings went 41-11 in the 2008-09 season en route to the team's first championship.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 1, 2010
Making Takeno starter keyed Niigata's charge
Niigata Albirex BB point guard Makoto Hasegawa, the league's second-oldest player, began the season in the starting lineup.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
Jan 1, 2010
Golden King star Newton recognized for superior defensive skills
Quietly and confidently, Jeff Newton remains the anchor of the defending bj-league champion Ryukyu Golden Kings.
BASKETBALL
Dec 28, 2009
Evessa's late heroics topple Five Arrows
Last-minute drama was the name of the game on Sunday in the bj-league.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / ONE-ON-ONE WITH ...
Dec 27, 2009
Benoit hopes Kyoto can still make run at playoff spot this season
The Japan Times will be featuring periodic interviews with personalities in the bj-league. The league's fifth season began in October. Head coach David Benoit of the expansion Kyoto Hannaryz is the subject of this week's profile.
BASKETBALL
Dec 27, 2009
Fukuoka stops Ryukyu's win streak
All streaks must end.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 25, 2009
All-Star Game squads announced by league
The votes have been counted, players have been notified and now the bj-league is putting the finishing touches on preparations for the 2009-10 All-Star Game on Jan. 31 in Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Dec 22, 2009
No surprise to see Apache in sorry state after offseason upheaval
Losing can breed disgust or apathy, and the Tokyo Apache have fallen on hard times in the bj-league's fifth season.
BASKETBALL
Dec 21, 2009
Broncos fly out blocks to take down Grouses
GYODA, Saitama Pref. — A day after giving first-year coach Charles Johnson a satisfying victory on his 48th birthday, the Toyama Grouses were handed a bold reminder that they've still got plenty of work to do in their full-fledged reclamation project.
BASKETBALL
Dec 20, 2009
Albirex extend win streak to five games
Sitting in last place after a blowout loss to the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix on Nov. 15, the Niigata Albirex BB regrouped during a three-week layoff and have rattled off five straight victories.
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Dec 18, 2009
Tennichi seeks solutions as Evessa's woes continue
Two seasons removed from their third consecutive championship, the Osaka Evessa are struggling to find a winning formula.
BASKETBALL
Dec 17, 2009
Newton lifts Golden Kings to victory in championship game rematch
Time after time, championship teams make in-game adjustments better than your run-of-the-mill opponent.
BASKETBALL
Dec 14, 2009
Joho finds form to lead Lakestars past Rizing
Masashi Joho rediscovered his shooter's touch on Sunday.
BASKETBALL
Dec 13, 2009
Albirex trounce Evessa, climb out of last place
The Niigata Albirex BB have climbed out of the Eastern Conference cellar.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 11, 2009
Coach says Singleton could become a star
For the Oita HeatDevils, Rashaad Singleton is the last line of defense.
BASKETBALL
Dec 7, 2009
Golden Kings shrug off Kinjo's absence in win
Despite leading scorer Shigeyuki Kinjo's absence from the lineup in the Ryukyu Golden Kings' weekend series against the Shiga Lakestars, the bj-league's defending champions racked up a pair of road wins.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / ONE-ON-ONE WITH ...
Dec 6, 2009
Sendai guard Takahashi studies NBA to help improve his game
The Japan Times will be featuring periodic interviews with players in the bj-league. The league's fifth season began in October. Kenichi Takahashi of the Sendai 89ers is the subject of this week's profile.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?