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August 15, 2024
 

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John Gunning
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 20, 2021
Shocking concussion incident should be wake-up call for sumo
The indifference shown by referees to the head injury sustained by third-tier wrestler Shonannoumi on Tuesday drew criticism from fans and journalists alike.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 13, 2021
Sumo stables deserve more scrutiny after wrestler's shock retirement
The decision by Kotokantetsu to leave the sport rather than risk infection with the coronavirus at the New Year Basho has resulted in a wave of outrage against the Japan Sumo Association.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 8, 2021
New Year Basho arrives with yokozuna absent and virus concerns rising
The first grand tournament of 2021 is scheduled to begin Sunday despite the announcement of a state of emergency in parts of the greater Tokyo area.
Japan Times
SUMO
Dec 30, 2020
Plenty to unpack after eventful, unforgettable year in sumo
Sumo somehow managed to keep going and provided much-needed distraction in a tough year.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 23, 2020
Hidden gems await fans who dig deep into sumo's lower divisions
The sport's second and third ranks offer a chance to see both rising stars and wily veterans engaged in the sort of exciting bouts that are sometimes rare in the top level.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 16, 2020
American rikishi recalls extremely wild times in sumo world
Details on the now 71-year-old's career had been lost to the mists of time until the California native resurfaced in sumo circles online in recent months.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 9, 2020
NSSU freshman Hidetora Hanada emerges to claim amateur yokozuna title
The Nippon Sports Science University student overcame a talent-studded field at Sunday's All Japan Sumo Championships, the country's top amateur sumo tournament.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 2, 2020
Chiganoura Beya had unique, eventful existence
Opened in 2004, by former sekiwake Masudayama, Chiganoura Beya grabbed the interest of many sumo observers right off the bat for a number of unique moves.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 25, 2020
Takakeisho's rise, Terunofuji's rebound? Thrills await fans in 2021
Professional sumo closed out the thrill ride that was 2020 with one final flourish.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 18, 2020
Popular rikishi Kotoshogiku and Gagamaru retire from sumo
Veteran ozeki Kotoshogiku hanging up his mawashi means there are now only four men in makuuchi still active who reached the sport's top division before the start of 2010.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 11, 2020
Universities offer foreign wrestlers new path to pro sumo
Instead of struggling to land rare stable placements directly, foreigners are instead blazing a path to the pros through collegiate and amateur sumo.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 5, 2020
Healthy yokozuna Hakuho looks ready to reclaim throne
The Miyagino stable man is in position to extend his championship record and pick up an incredible 45th Emperor's Cup.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 4, 2020
Sumo stables housed in older structures becoming rare sight
The demolition of the Izutsu Beya stable building, one of the more run-down in the sport, got underway Wednesday.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 28, 2020
Banzuke remains essential part of sumo culture
Distributed before each grand tournament, the hand-written rankings list has been a part of the sport's lore for centuries.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 21, 2020
Venerable Ryogoku Kokugikan has allowed sumo to successfully cope with pandemic
Possessing its own full-size arena has allowed the Japan Sumo Association to easily switch tournaments scheduled for other cities to its home base in Tokyo.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 14, 2020
Once-fearsome ozeki rank no longer sport's 'great barrier'
Wrestlers in sumo's second-highest rank have struggled to emulate the success of their peers in previous generations.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 7, 2020
Sumo fans have plenty to look forward to in coming weeks
There are many aspects of Japan's national sport that should give hope for the future.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 30, 2020
JSA pulls off another successful tournament in COVID-19 era
After managing a second basho with fans at Ryogoku Kokugikan, the Japan Sumo Association still faces a number of challenges going forward.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 23, 2020
Sumo experiencing extreme period of parity in final stages of Hakuho's legendary reign
With four former ozeki and an incredible ten wrestlers with championship experience still active in the top division, sumo is the very definition of parity right now.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 16, 2020
Are ozeki Asanoyama's struggles all in his head?
Called out by former yokozuna Asashoryu after a poor start to the Autumn Basho, the highly anticipated ozeki needs to clear his mind in order to reach sumo's top level.
Japan to revise consumption tax exemption for overseas tourists
Tourists walk through Nakamise shopping street near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo in April
Japan's tourism industry hit by cancellations after megaquake alert
A beach closed due to a megaquake alert in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, from Friday to Thursday.
Focus shifts to incoming typhoon as Tropical Storm Maria dissipates
Newly formed Tropical Storm Ampil, which is forecast to approach eastern Japan this weekend, is seen on the left side of this satellite image.
Kishida to step down in September in bid to show ‘LDP has changed’
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
Publisher finds surprise audience after translating history textbooks
Yamakawa Shuppansha president Takeshi Nozawa holds the publisher's textbook on Japanese history — used in high schools across Japan — alongside the new English version in Tokyo on May 23.
Economic security is about strengthening and sustaining growth, former minister says
Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi says changes in the international balance of power, along with deepening economic interdependence, have led some countries to attempt to use their economic power to impose their will on others.
Ice bandanas, convenience store breaks: Running under Japan’s summer sun
Blistering heat is becoming a fixture of summer in Japan, but a few tweaks to your routine can make your outdoor runs bearable — if not enjoyable — until cooler temperatures return.
Japan issued its first-ever megaquake alert. What does that mean?
Naoshi Hirata (center), chairman of a committee tasked with evaluating the risk of a Nankai Trough earthquake, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
France brings down the curtain on its Olympic party with Tom Cruise and Leon Marchand
Fireworks are set off during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday.
Japan fuels U.S. LNG boom even as climate targets and impacts loom
Flaring at the Cameron LNG export terminal in Hackberry, Louisiana. Flaring, a common sight at LNG plants, is a controlled burning of gas for reasons ranging from depressurizing equipment to disposing of gas that can’t be used. The practice is a "waste of money" and negatively impacts climate change and human health, says the International Energy Agency.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’
By Thu-Huong Ha

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