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December 31, 2024
 

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John Gunning
A full house at Dolphins Arena takes in a bout featuring Takarafuji during the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament in July.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 25, 2024
New Nagoya arena won't ease sumo's ticket crunch
A shiny new arena in Nagoya will seat 17,000 but capacity won't be nearly that high for sumo, meaning there's no relief on the horizon for ticket-hungry fans.
National team great Michael Leitch participates in the Japan Rugby League One season-opening news conference on Dec. 9.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Dec 20, 2024
Japan Rugby League One plays leading role through tough days in Japanese rugby
At the JRLO’s official 2024-25 season kickoff press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 9, the mood could only be described as festive and upbeat.
Miyagino (left), or former yokozuna Hakuho, alongside a young medalist at the Hakuho Cup in February 2023
SUMO
Dec 18, 2024
Amateur sumo world caught by surprise as Hakuho Cup set to go ahead
It was widely assumed that the tourney would be put on hiatus in the wake of an abuse scandal that resulted in the shuttering of Hakuho's Miyagino stable.
Panthers captain Daichi Yamazaki gets thrown in the air after the Koshien Bowl at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Dec 17, 2024
Kanto misses out yet again as Ritsumeikan wins the Koshien Bowl
Panthers claim victory in thrilling contest, but challenges abound for Japanese gridiron.
Japan’s national sport made its second foray into Western Europe, and first to the U.K., with a five-day tournament at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall in October 1991.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 11, 2024
London calling: Sumo's U.K. trip brings back memories of 1991
Such was sumo’s popularity in the U.K. in the late '80s and early '90s that all five days at the 5,000-seat Royal Albert Hall sold out quickly.
Shun Ikeda holds the trophy after winning his second consecutive amateur yokozuna title on Sunday at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 4, 2024
Lightning strikes twice for Shun Ikeda at All Japan Championships
Ikeda, now a corporate worker, has completed the rare feat of winning back-to-back amateur "yokozuna" titles.
Kotozakura speaks during a news conference in Fukuoka on Monday
SUMO
Nov 25, 2024
Kotozakura unburdened by weight of history after claiming first title
Sumo's top-ranked ozeki has won his first Emperor’s Cup.
Hoshoryu (right) defeats Wakatakakage at the Fukuoka International Center on Thursday, Day 5 of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 20, 2024
Ozeki lead the way in Kyushu, but title contenders abound
Hoshoryu, in particular, has been impressive, seeming like he is finally living up to his undoubted potential.
Onosato (above) defeats Hiradoumi on the first day of the Kyushu Basho in Fukuoka on Sunday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 13, 2024
The good, the bad and the sumo: Kyushu Basho gets underway
To no one’s surprise, new ozeki Onosato continues to tear through the top division with ease.
Onosato (left) and his stablemaster Nishonoseki celebrate after his victory at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in September.
SUMO
Nov 8, 2024
New ozeki Onosato tops list of contenders aiming for glory in Kyushu
Onosato could become the first wrestler since Hakuho in 2006 to win a championship in his debut at sumo’s second-highest rank.
Aonishiki competes at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Jan. 28.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 6, 2024
Head to sumo's second tier and it's a dog-eat-dog world
Jūryō action is something fans of exciting sumo shouldn’t miss.
Onosato pushes out Hoshoryu during the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo last month.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 30, 2024
Onosato hogs spotlight, but there are big changes in latest sumo ranks
With his name writ large as ozeki on the latest banzuke, sumo’s hottest ticket took another step toward what looks like a procession to yokozuna.
Stablemaster Oshima (left) congratulates Kyokushuzan on his promotion to the the jūryō division in 1995.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 23, 2024
Former ozeki Asahikuni, also a trailblazing stablemaster, dies at age 77
In 1992, the stablemaster recruited six young Mongolian men into his stable, creating a lasting connection between sumo and the central Asian nation.
Australian Giselle Shaw, 18, competes at the All-Japan Women's Sumo Championships in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, on Sunday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 16, 2024
Foreign wrestlers add international flair to All Japan Women’s Sumo Championships
From an experienced world champion down to a teen looking to make her mark, the tournament in Kyoto Prefecture showcased a wide range of talent.
Shonannoumi hits the dirt at the hands of Kotozakura during a bout in Tokyo in May. Shonannoumi is among the many top wrestlers who have dropped out of this month's regional tour due to injury.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 9, 2024
Spate of sumo tour dropouts highlights need to rethink wrestlers' health
While it would be foolish not to capitalize on sumo’s surging popularity, expanded tour schedules cut into recovery time and push wrestlers to their physical limits.
Takerufuji, the most recent Emperor’s Cup winner apart from Terunofuji and Onosato, claimed the second-tier title in September in his first full tournament back from injury after a six-month absence.
SUMO
Oct 2, 2024
Who can challenge Onosato's dominance? Takerufuji might be the best bet.
Onosato is sumo's new dominant force, but Takerufuji might have something to say about that as he works his way back from injury.
Takakeisho during a one-day tournament at Kokugikan in Tokyo in February 2020
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 25, 2024
As Onosato dominates the spotlight, former sumo stars exit the stage
Takakeisho, who announced his retirement last week, was must-watch TV for virtually all of his 6½ years in sumo's top division.
Onosato (right) during his bout against Kotoshoho in Tokyo on Wednesday, which marked his 11th straight win to open the Autumn Basho.
SUMO / Basho reports
Sep 22, 2024
With Autumn Basho win, Onosato makes it clear that he is sumo's dominant force
Onosato was so dominant over the course of the Autumn Basho that it's hard to see who can stop him from adding even more silverware in the coming tournaments.
Onosato shoves out Mitakeumi on Sunday in Tokyo to continue his perfect run at the Autumn Basho. At 192-centimeters-tall and 177 kilograms, Onosato may be neither the tallest nor the heaviest wrestler in the makuuchi division, but he is very close to the top in each of those two categories.
SUMO
Sep 18, 2024
Onosato’s meteoric rise is stunning — but not surprising
Well on his way to ozeki, for Onosato, further promotion to yokozuna has become a question of when, not if.
Kotozakura (left) defeats Tobizaru in a controversial finish to their bout on Day 3 of the Autumn Basho in Tokyo on Tuesday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 11, 2024
Thrilling bouts — and controversy — have Autumn Basho off to hot start
Often the first three days of a sumo tournament see little more than jockeying for position, but not this tournament.
Ukraine risks losing all Russian land it seized within months, U.S. says
Ukrainian soldiers carry the coffins of three comrades killed in recent fighting in eastern Ukraine during their funeral in the western city of Lviv on Dec. 20.
Japanese Princess Kako turns 30
As an adult member of the Imperial Family, Princess Kako has performed various official duties at home and abroad this year.
South Korea's worst plane crash in decades leaves 179 dead
Rescue personnel are seen near the tail section of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft after the plane crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on Sunday.
U.S. military coordination unit eyed in central Tokyo
A Self-Defense Forces soldier from a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile unit takes part in a drill at Yokota Air Base in Fussa, western Tokyo, in August 2017.
Shohei Ohtani ends blockbuster year with baby announcement
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, attend a Lakers game in Los Angeles on Dec. 8.
Japan’s weather in 2024: Record temperatures hurt people’s health and wallets
People cover themselves with umbrellas during a hot summer day in Tokyo's Ginza district in August. Temperatures shot up in early July, even before the official end of the rainy season, and the high temperatures persisted well into the fall.
How Hokkaido quietly became a culinary treasure trove in 2024
The central Hokkaido city of Asahikawa made headlines this year when one of its suburbs was named as the best place to live in Japan — a ranking earned in part due to the community's many outstanding restaurants and cafes.
Bling-Bang, baby: The J-pop soundtrack of 2024
Hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts' uptempo “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” quickly became a TikTok favorite after its release days into 2024, which helped turn the song into a Billboard Japan Hot 100 topper for 19 weeks before rising up viral streaming charts around the world.
Shohei Ohtani ends blockbuster year with baby announcement
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, attend a Lakers game in Los Angeles on Dec. 8.
Flu cases surge above ‘warning’ levels in much of Japan
Authorities are calling for utmost vigilance as Japan heads into the New Year holiday season, when many people plan getaways.

Podcast

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

Longform

Members of the Wajima City Morning Market Association pose for a group photograph on the site where the market once stood.
In the wake of disaster, the revival of Wajima's market brings hope
By Alex K.T. Martin

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