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Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Sep 29, 2022

Slots to smartphones: Pandemic sends Australia's gambling problem online

Already the world's biggest gambling nation in terms of loss per person, Australia has seen a shift in betting behavior since the pandemic-forced closure of public venues.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 23, 2022

Yankees' Aaron Judge captivates baseball with home run pursuit

The debate over who should win American League MVP between Judge and Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani has also invigorated a sport slumping in popularity.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 16, 2022

Roger Federer to call time on glittering career after next week's Laver Cup

The 41-year-old, who won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and re-defined a sport with his artistry and grace, broke the news tennis fans across the world have long dreaded.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 4, 2022

Serena Williams in the broadcast booth? The ball is in her court

Industry officials say the former world No. 1 and 23-time Grand Slam winner would be welcomed with open arms were she to take on a commentary role after she retires.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 3, 2022

What's in a name? Czechs learn to live in 'Czechia'

Nearly three decades after Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two states, Czechs are still looking for a proper name in English for their country.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 17, 2022

Germany may consider Olympic bid after multi-sport Munich event

The Bavarian capital is hosting the European Championships, with large crowds flocking to venues that are still in regular use after having been built for the 1972 Summer Games.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Aug 16, 2022

Premier League celebrates 30-year rise to global dominance

In 1992, England's top clubs broke with 104 years of tradition by splitting from the Football League and controversially creating a 'super league' which would keep its own income.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 31, 2022

Ex-Tokyo Olympics executive received ¥230 million from Games sponsor, sources say

Tokyo prosecutors suspect that the payments to Takahashi were made as a reward for helping Aoki Holdings become a Tokyo Games official sponsor.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jun 23, 2022

Martina Navratilova calls out IOC over lack of leadership on transgender issue

Tennis great and gay rights trailblazer Martina Navratilova has slammed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its lack of leadership on the issue of the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports.
Japan Times
SOCCER
May 11, 2022

Game over: EA and FIFA part ways after decadeslong partnership

FIFA said it would launch new video games developed by third-party studios and publishers, but added it had granted a short-term extension to EA to launch a new FIFA title later this year.
Japan Times
SOCCER
May 11, 2022

Smart mouthguards collect data in extended study of heading's impact

Officials hope technology developed by Sports & Wellbeing Analytics will help to further understanding of head injuries in the sport.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Apr 16, 2022

Mike Bossy, Hockey Hall of Famer on champion Islander teams, dies at 65

Kimber Auerbach, director of communications for the Islanders, said the cause was lung cancer. Bossy announced he had the disease in October.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Apr 14, 2022

NBA mogul and former captain duo join Stephen Pagliuca on Chelsea bid

Chelsea were put up for sale by owner Roman Abramovich following Russia's invasion and before sanctions were imposed on the oligarch by the British government.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2022

America is fueling Chinese techno-nationalism

China is pursuing its goal of bolstering its technological capabilities with an intensity unseen since Mao Zedong committed to developing nuclear weapons six decades ago.
Two-way star Shohei Ohtani ended his free agency on Saturday by announcing his decision to play for the Dodgers.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 10, 2023

Shohei Ohtani to join Dodgers on record-breaking deal

Ohtani reached an agreement on a record-breaking deal worth $700 million with the Dodgers.
Palestine's coach Makram Daboub speaks to his players during a training camp in Abha on Dec. 29.
SOCCER
Jan 3, 2024

Gaza war overshadows soccer as Asian Cup looms for Palestine

The players have "a constant feeling of anxiety for their families," Makram Daboub, a former Tunisia coach and player, said by telephone.
Roberta Wilson-Garrett, who has Parkinson's disease, poses with her GyroGlove, made by GyroGear, which uses a gyroscope to help stabilize tremors before this week's Consumer Electronics Show on Jan. 8 in Las Vegas.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 12, 2024

High tech glove stymies Parkinson's disease tremors

GyroGear has built the world's most advanced hand stabilizer, with strategic partners that include Taiwanese technology group Foxconn, according to founder Dr. Faii Ong.
Iga Swiatek won the WTA Finals in November 2023 to end an event that featured bad weather and a number of complaints from the players.
TENNIS
Jan 15, 2024

WTA and ATP Tours embarking on year of formative changes

The WTA is looking to take steps toward equal pay for women at combined events, and the ATP hopes to align the interests of its players and tournaments.
The Marines' Roki Sasaki pitches in the bullpen during spring camp in Okinawa on Thursday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Feb 9, 2024

Roki Sasaki gets back to business after weeks of speculation about future

After weeks of rampant rumors, the "Monster of the Reiwa Era" is back to the business of baseball, and the MLB questions are back on the shelf for now.
Shohei Ohtani is expected make his regular-season debut with the Dodgers in Seoul on March 20.
BASEBALL
Feb 16, 2024

Seoul mayor hopes interest in Shohei Ohtani and MLB brings more games to South Korea

The Seoul Series will be a chance for South Korea and MLB to work together to revive professional baseball’s popularity in the nation.
On the amateur circuit, domestic tournaments such as the Dream Girls Cup, which took place in Tokyo last month, have generated significant publicity for youth sumo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 6, 2024

Sumo's popularity is booming. The recruitment of new pros is not.

Sumo is not immune to the labor shortages plaguing the rest of aging Japan.
An illustration of the planned Paris Games opening ceremony on the River Seine
OLYMPICS
Mar 20, 2024

Russians and Belarusians will not take part in Paris Games opening parade

The athletes from the two countries will be competing as independents without their flags and anthems following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani watches the MLB season-opening game against the San Diego Padres along with interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (left) in Seoul on Wednesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 21, 2024

Ohtani’s longtime interpreter fired amid illegal gambling allegations

ESPN reported that at least $4.5 million in wire transfers were sent to a bookmaking operation, which is under federal investigation.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani delivers a statement during a news conference at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 26, 2024

Ohtani denies betting on baseball and accuses ex-interpreter of lying and theft

The baseball star expressed shock over the gambling scandal involving his long-time ex-interpreter, in his first public comments on the matter.
Ippei Mizuhara, the 39-year-old former interpreter for Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani, was ordered released on $25,000 bond after his first court appearance to face a bank fraud charge accusing him of stealing $16 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star to cover illegal gambling expenses.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 13, 2024

Ohtani's ex-interpreter issues apology after release on $25,000 bond

Ippei Mizuhara was released on bond after appearing in court on a bank fraud charge accusing him of stealing $16 million to cover illegal gambling debts.
Japan's men's and women's gymnastics teams pose for photos during a news conference to announce the team's uniforms for the 2024 Games.
OLYMPICS / Gymnastics
Jun 24, 2024

Leotard vs. unitard debate in gymnastics still raging ahead of Paris Olympics

The German gymnastics team took a stand against sexualization in the sport in 2021, but heading into Paris, the leotard is still very much in vogue in Japan and abroad.
Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya celebrates after winning gold in the women's Olympic marathon in Sapporo in August 2021.
OLYMPICS
Jun 26, 2024

At Paris Olympics, women athletes finally reach parity

When the event was revived by French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin, he saw it as a celebration of gentlemanly athleticism "with female applause as its reward."

Longform

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