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 Jason Coskrey

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Jason Coskrey
Jason Coskrey is a sports writer for The Japan Times. His primary focus is Japanese baseball, but he has also covered soccer, American football, boxing and basketball. He previously worked for the Marietta Daily Journal in Marietta, Ga. A native of Detroit, he is a graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 15, 2018
Giants riding wave of momentum into final stage showdown against Carp
Tomoyuki Sugano turned, slapped his glove and thrust both arms into air once the ball was safely secure in Daikan Yoh's glove in center field. He wore a broad smile as catcher Seiji Kobayashi enveloped him in a hug near the mound at Jingu Stadium. The rest of the Yomiuri Giants were beaming as well.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 14, 2018
Tomoyuki Sugano-no: near-perfect game sends Giants to CL Climax Series final
If there was any lingering doubt about who Japan's best pitcher was, Tomoyuki Sugano put it to rest.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 10, 2018
Samurai Japan unveils roster for series against MLB stars
Kazuma Okamoto has spent all season showing why many think he could be one of Japan's next great slugging stars.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Oct 6, 2018
Esports searches for foothold in Japan
During August and September, esports competitions took the stage in two very different and significant places.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Oct 3, 2018
Kei Nishikori prevails in second round against Benoit Paire at Rakuten Japan Open
Kei Nishikori was everywhere. Whether it was the left side of the court, the right side of the court or near the net, for large stretches it seemed like wherever Benoit Paire hit the ball, Nishikori was there to meet it.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Oct 3, 2018
Lions counting on quality starting pitching to set the tone in playoffs
The pitching staff of the Seibu Lions has put up some scary numbers in 2018. Not scary-good numbers either.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Sep 29, 2018
Defining the Heisei Era: When Japanese games went global
The Japan Times presents the fifth installment of a monthly 12-part series that looks back at the leading issues of the past three decades.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 28, 2018
Hisayoshi Chono slugs sayonara homer to lift Giants past BayStars, into third place in CL standings
Before watching his two former NPB clubs take the field in a crucial late-season game, the retiring Shuichi Murata urged them to give everything they had during the contest.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Sep 24, 2018
Swallows' Buchanan remains positive during playoff push
David Buchanan's little slice of heaven is in the outfield. He might be a pitcher by trade, but there are few things the 29-year old enjoys more than running, jumping and sliding around the outfield shagging fly balls during batting practice before games.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 22, 2018
Naomi Osaka cruises into Pan Pacific Open final
Naomi Osaka had punched her ticket for the Toray Pan Pacific Open final and fielded questions from the media about 10 minutes. Now, she had a question of her own. "Um, what is that on your phone?" she asked Ichika Shingyo from Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 20, 2018
Tokyo Game Show kicks off with stronger esports presence
The Tokyo Game Show kicked off Thursday with the usual assortment of bells and whistles, while Sony Corp., Sega Sammy Holdings Inc., Square Enix Holdings Co. and the other usual suspects all occupied large swaths of the convention halls at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 20, 2018
Naomi Osaka boosts interest at Toray Pan Pacific Open
Naomi Osaka's presence is being felt at the Toray Pan Pacific Open this week.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 19, 2018
Former Chiba Lotte interpreter Shun Nakasone helping Naomi Osaka in Japan
When Naomi Osaka faced the media in Japan as a Grand Slam champion for the first time on Sept. 13, Shun Nakasone was right there beside her.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 18, 2018
Ashleigh Barty outplays doubles partner CoCo Vandeweghe in Toray Pan Pacific Open singles clash
Ashleigh Barty and CoCo Vandeweghe teamed up to win the doubles title at the U.S Open earlier this month. The two friends were on the court together again on Tuesday, but only one could walk away as the winner this time.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Sep 17, 2018
Swallows in good position to solidify spot in standings
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows may have lost against the Hiroshima Carp on Sunday, but all in all it was still a good week to be a Swallows fan.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 12, 2018
Former Yomiuri great Warren Cromartie wants to see more passion from NPB clubs
Warren Cromartie was one of the greats of his day during his time with the Yomiuri Giants from 1984-1990. He was one of the Central League's best players and a popular figure on Japan's most popular team.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 11, 2018
Clutch performances by Wladimir Balentien and Yasuhiro Ogawa give Tokyo Yakult Swallows a big win
Wladimir Balentien was more than ready to turn the page on one of his worst weeks of the season. Being able to do it in an important game against the rival Yomiuri Giants was just icing on the cake.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Sep 10, 2018
Carp pitcher Daichi Osera in good position in race for Sawamura Award
The Central League-leading Hiroshima Carp only have one more game remaining against the last-place Chunichi Dragons, inexplicably the only CL team with a winning record against Hiroshima, this season.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 28, 2018
Steady starter Kris Johnson improves to 10-2 as Carp pound Giants
Hiroshima Carp pitcher Kris Johnson gave himself a passing grade, just barely, for his performance against the Yomiuri Giants on Tuesday night.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Aug 27, 2018
Carp have to avoid complacency as they head toward title
Koichi Ogata didn't sound like a manager with a pennant on the horizon after watching his Hiroshima Carp drop two of three against the Chunichi Dragons, a team 16 games behind them in the standings, over the weekend.

Longform

A woman passes an "akichi" (vacant lot) in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. The capital is littered with such small lots in part because of Japan's aging and shrinking population.
Dealing with rising land vacancies as Japan shrinks