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.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 16, 2016
Aoki, Maki cherished chance to play for Hill
Second in a three-part series
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 14, 2016
Ryukyu setting pace as final season winds down
Who's hot and who's not?
BASKETBALL
Apr 10, 2016
Aomori surges late to defeat rival Fukushima
The growing rivalry between the Aomori Wat's and Fukushima Firebonds reached another level over the weekend, when fourth-quarter offensive fireworks intensified in both games.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 10, 2016
Veteran Oguchi provides spark for Phoenix
Players nearly half his age are beginning their professional careers, and high-energy guard Masahiro Oguchi continues to make his mark for the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix and defy the odds. He remains a textbook example of gutsy play and the importance of veteran smarts for a team's success.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 9, 2016
Former Apache team members, staff reflect on fateful 2010-11 season
First in a three-part series.
BASKETBALL
Apr 8, 2016
Iwate escapes with victory, sends Tokyo to 38th consecutive defeat
The Tokyo Cinq Reves stayed within striking distance, but failed to halt their epic losing streak on Friday night.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 8, 2016
Former Evessa star Lottich named new Valparaiso head coach
Ten years after helping lead the Osaka Evessa to the first of three consecutive bj-league championships, Matt Lottich has become a Division I head coach.
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 7, 2016
Third-division assignment could spell trouble for Kanazawa Samuraiz
The Kanazawa Samuraiz are a solid team in the final year of the bj-league's 11-season existence. They also happen to be a brand new team.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 7, 2016
Passing skills elevate Sendai's game
Building an offense around good ball movement isn't a revolutionary concept in basketball.
BASKETBALL
Apr 3, 2016
HeatDevils pound hapless Lightning
The Hiroshima Lightning are getting outscored by 42.3 points per game this season. Which means that a 58-36 halftime deficit on Sunday is only a minor snapshot of their woes.
BASKETBALL
Apr 2, 2016
Hamamatsu relies on outside shooting to edge Iwate
Strong 3-point shooting carried the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix past the Iwate Big Bulls on Saturday night.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 2, 2016
Akita star Roby saw brother Martin, a longtime NBA standout, as inspiration
Blessed with natural athletic talent, Richard Roby and Kenyon Martin capitalized on opportunities to play pro basketball. The sport also helped them develop a brotherly bond.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Mar 31, 2016
Kinjo leads by example for Ryukyu
In the Ryukyu Golden Kings' infancy, before the team made multiple championship game appearances, Shigeyuki Kinjo was one of the league's most exciting, explosive Japanese backcourt stars.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Mar 30, 2016
Watanabe, GW claim place in NIT title game
The George Washington men's basketball team didn't receive an invitation to the 68-team NCAA Tournament.
BASKETBALL
Mar 27, 2016
Broncos' woes continue in defeat to Happinets
In the history of professional sports — pick a sport, any sport — very few franchises have achieved the level of futility that's become the Saitama Broncos' trademark.
BASKETBALL
Mar 27, 2016
Johnson leads Phoenix past Hannaryz
Kejuan Johnson, the bj-league's 2014-15 regular-season MVP while playing for the Sendai 89ers, delivered a big, bold reminder of his talent and impact on Saturday night.
BASKETBALL
Mar 25, 2016
Fukuoka ends 12-game slide, hands Hiroshima 35th consecutive defeat
The Rizing Fukuoka scored points in a hurry and never let up in Friday's series opener against the host Hiroshima Lightning in Yamaguchi.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Mar 24, 2016
Nara chasing playoff berth, consistency late in season
Without their 22 road games, the Bambitious Nara would be in no position at this stage of the season to be vying for a playoff position.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Mar 22, 2016
Former Olympian Hopkins, long jumper at 1964 Tokyo Games, dies at 74
Gayle Hopkins, who advanced to the final round in the men’s long jump at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, died in his sleep on Sunday night or early Monday morning in Tucson, Arizona, according to sources close to the matter.
BASKETBALL
Mar 20, 2016
Surging Lakestars take care of business against Bambitious
After consecutive defeats to the rival Kyoto Hannaryz on Feb. 20 and 21, the Shiga Lakestars have quietly strung together an eight-game winning streak.

Longform

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