author

 
Menu
Search
 
November 21, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Twitter

@JohnGunningISJ

John Gunning
Japan Times
SUMO
Mar 11, 2022
Osaka-style upset back on the table for Spring Basho
Starved of sumo for so long, it's unlikely fans in Kansai will care whether we see dominance by the yokozuna as usual or a reclaiming of the basho's stormy reputation.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 9, 2022
Former amateur yokozuna Hidetora Hanada shifts gears toward NFL dream
The Nippon Sport Science University student impressed in a recent X League combine and will attempt to leave his mark on the gridiron before taking on the world of professional sumo.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 2, 2022
Meet sumo's globe-trotting ambassador
Watts has been a prominent figure in sumo for over 30 years and since the 1990s has been a mainstay at World Championships, where she undertakes numerous roles.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 16, 2022
Hope rises for return of sumo's regional tours as pandemic abates
Jungyu014d events between major tournaments are not only sources of revenue for the Japan Sumo Association, but also an important means of promoting the sport and recruiting new wrestlers.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 9, 2022
Omicron threatens to extend sumo's two-year absence from Osaka
Losing the spring tournament would be a huge blow to the sport's birthplace, but the spread of COVID-19 within sumo is making it a possibility.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 2, 2022
Sumo's off-months aren't so quiet, if you know where to look
Retirement ceremonies, ozeki and yokozuna promotions, JSA elections, TV variety show appearances and more all take place between honbasho.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 26, 2022
Mitakeumi primed to shed ‘inconsistent’ image with historic ozeki promotion
Rather than solely benefiting from good timing and a weakened top division, Mitakeumi is arguably just now fulfilling the potential he has always had.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 19, 2022
U.S. sumo fans get opportunity to see Japan's rising stars
Often considered de-facto world championship due to their high level of competition, the World Games give young talents a chance to shine ahead of their pro careers.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 12, 2022
Sumo catches new audience with Pokemon collaboration
The Japan Sumo Association's tie-up with the world's biggest video game franchise could be a big step in attracting younger fans to the sport.
Japan Times
SUMO
Jan 7, 2022
Terunofuji enters New Year Basho with few serious challengers to throne
Anything other than a third straight championship for the Isegahama stable man at the upcoming January tournament would be a surprise.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 5, 2022
'No starting over': A fresh year for sumo may be just like the last
Fears surrounding COVID-19 aren't the only thing unchanged from 2021, as it looks to be another Terunofuji-dominated year.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 22, 2021
Sumo's 2022 storylines promise spectacle, but persistent COVID measures loom
Terunofuji's dominance is unlikely to be seriously challenged in 2022, but given his age and injury history it's possible we could start to see pretenders to his throne.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 16, 2021
Terunofuji's rise was among defining moments of eventful year in sumo
The past 12 months have been extremely challenging both inside and outside the ring, but sumo's highest highs and lowest lows of 2021 all occurred on the clay.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 8, 2021
All Japan tournament an optimistic indicator of a return to normal
Sunday's action at Ryogoku Kokugikan featured not only talented wrestlers with promising futures, but an upbeat atmosphere that hinted at a promising 2022 for the sport.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 1, 2021
Much more to come from yokozuna Terunofuji after stunning 2021
Just years removed from the unpaid ranks, the 30-year-old is on the path to becoming one of the most successful foreign-born grand champions in the sport's history.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 24, 2021
Terunofuji's challengers likely to emerge from amateur ranks
As the lone yokozuna attempts to wrap up his sixth Emperor's Cup in Fukuoka, this weekend's amateur championships may feature some of his potential successors.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 17, 2021
Lack of excitement threatens Kyushu Basho atmosphere
Despite the ongoing meet's seeming openness, there is a sense of inevitability about proceedings in Fukuoka that appears to be draining some of the energy out of the event.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 12, 2021
Yokozuna Terunofuji heading into Kyushu Basho with no equal in sight
With Hakuho retired, the Isegahama stable man has a golden chance to cement his own legacy.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 10, 2021
Despite sluggish attendance, Kyushu Basho boasts overwhelming charm
After a two-year absence, the return of professional sumo to Fukuoka offers a chance to reassess the grand tournament schedule's most unique host.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 3, 2021
One big name notably absent in November ranking of sumo wrestlers
For the first time in 14 years, the name of legend Hakuho Sho doesn't head up one side or the other of the banzuke's top row.
Ishiba delays meeting with Trump, citing legal restrictions
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba waves upon arrival for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, in Callao, Peru, on Friday.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Rising sex tourism exposes loopholes in Japan's anti-prostitution law
While financial misfortunes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have driven some women to work the streets, others simply want more money to spend — or want to pay off their debts — at host clubs.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

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

Longform

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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

SWCC keeps changing with keyword ‘new challenges’
SWCC keeps changing with keyword ‘new challenges’

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER