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 Kaz Nagatsuka

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Kaz Nagatsuka
Kaz Nagatsuka is a staff writer covering Japanese sports, including Japanese professional baseball, basketball, American football and individual sports. He has covered big sporting events such as the World Baseball Classic, the NFL Super Bowl and soccer's World Cup.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jun 14, 2015
Guards Yoshida, Machida aiming high with national team
Looking to retain its title at August's FIBA Asia Championship for Women, the latest Japan national basketball team plans to play with more vigor and speed, partly to make up for its lack of height on the international stage.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jun 10, 2015
Japanese women look forward to competing for Olympic berth at Asia Championship
Japan's women achieved a great feat two years ago in Thailand, winning their first Asia Championship in 43 years. With the FIBA suspension of the Japan Basketball Association close to being lifted, Japan is on track to compete in the tournament again.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jun 5, 2015
Tokashiki earns spot with the Seattle Storm
Japan ace Ramu Tokashiki has made the Seattle Storm's opening-day roster, the WNBA club announced Thursday.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jun 3, 2015
Coach Geary leaves Jets, joins Diamond Dolphins
Reggie Geary is done as head coach of the Chiba Jets, the NBL Eastern Conference club announced Wednesday.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jun 2, 2015
JBA chief Kawabuchi says task force on track for ban to be lifted
Saburo Kawabuchi told reporters on Tuesday that the Japan Basketball Association is close to securing that its ban will be lifted by FIBA this summer.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jun 2, 2015
Japanese standout Watanabe eager to show growth for GW
Japanese basketball phenom Yuta Watanabe is currently back in Japan, using the break between semesters at George Washington University to spend some cherished time with his family and friends. He's also stayed busy working out and keeping up with media appearances.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 30, 2015
Aisin beats Toyota, wraps up NBL title
Needing just one more win, the Aisin SeaHorses wasted no time to extend the best-of-five series into a decisive game. Instead, they clinched the NBL championship in front of their loyal fans, who traveled from Aichi Prefecture.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 25, 2015
Kanamaru explodes in Game 3 to put SeaHorses on brink of NBL title
Aisin's Japanese ace Kosuke Kanamaru put his previous struggles emphatically behind him, scoring a team-high 29 points in the SeaHorses' 81-69 win over the Toyota Alvark in Game 3 of the NBL Finals at Yoyogi National Gymnasium Annex on Monday night.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 25, 2015
George Washington basketball team planning 2016 tour of Japan
The George Washington University men's basketball team is planning to tour Japan next summer, the school's athletic director, Patrick Nero, said in an interview with The Japan Times in Tokyo on Monday.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 24, 2015
Gritty Alvark beat SeaHorses in Game 2 to tie NBL Finals
The Toyota Alvark dragged the SeaHorses into their own preferred style of contest — a tenacious defensive battle — and pulled even in the NBL Finals with a 69-66 win over Aisin in Sunday's Game 2 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium Annex.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
May 24, 2015
Boise St. tight end Huff relishing time in Japan with Hosei
As a boy, Boise State University tight end Holden Huff grew up watching Japanese anime such as Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon and Digimon, though back then he had no idea they were from the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 23, 2015
Sakuragi leads SeaHorses to Game 1 victory
An old scorer never dies.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 20, 2015
Hoop hero Okayama reflects on lost chance
Long before recent international Japanese basketball stars like Yuta Tabuse, Yuki Togashi and Yuta Watanabe, there was Yasutaka Okayama, who might have made a name for himself the same way they did.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 18, 2015
Alvark advance to NBL Finals
The Toyota Alvark are going back to the title series.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 17, 2015
Hitachi forces decisive Game 3 against Toyota in NBL semifinals
The Hitachi Sunrockers snapped an epic winning streak by the Toyota Alvark.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 16, 2015
Toyota tops Hitachi for 26th straight victory
With exceptional versatility, a player like him is often dubbed a Mr. Everything.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 13, 2015
Kawabuchi chosen as new Japan Basketball Association president
Japan 2024 Task Force co-chairman Saburo Kawabuchi was officially elected as the new president of the Japan Basketball Association during an extraordinary council and board meeting on Wednesday.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
May 10, 2015
Fujimitsu outsprints field for 200-meter triumph
One week after helping the Japan men's 4x100 meter relay team punch its ticket to the 2016 Rio Olympics with a third-place finish in Nassau May 3, sprinter Kenji Fujimitsu shouldered the load all by himself and raced to a little more success on Sunday.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
May 9, 2015
Athletes gearing up for Golden Grand Prix Kawasaki
The Golden Grand Prix Kawasaki meet will be a rare opportunity for Japanese track and field fans to get to see some of the world's elite athletes from outside of the country in person, as well as top Japanese ones.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 8, 2015
Hitachi edges Chiba in NBL playoff opener
The Hitachi Sunrockers had to take a ferocious challenge from the Chiba Jets in their playoff opener. But they managed to survive it, coming through in the end.

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