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Osaka reaches Australian Open final, closing in on world No. 1 ranking

Jan 25 (Japan Today) - Japan's Naomi Osaka never made it past the fourth round at any of the first 10 Grand Slam tournaments of her career. Now, still just 21, she's suddenly on the verge of a second consecutive major championship.

And the No. 1 ranking, too.

Osaka moved one victory away from adding the Australian Open trophy to the one she collected 4Â½ months ago at the U.S. Open, using her smooth power to produce 15 aces and groundstroke winners at will while beating Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the semifinals Thursday.

"I just told myself to regroup in the third set and just try as hard as I can," said Osaka, who saved four break points in the last set and finished the match with an ace at 115 mph (185 kph).

A day after erasing four match points and a 5-1 deficit in the third set to stun Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, Pliskova could not produce the same kind of comeback.

Instead it is Osaka, the only Japanese woman to win a major singles title, who will face two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova on Saturday.

The winner will rise to the top of the WTA rankings for the first time; Osaka is currently No. 4, Kvitova is No. 6.

Typhoon No. 24 Poses Heavy Rain Threat to Okinawa

Typhoon No. 24 is currently located over the southern seas and is expected to track westward toward Vietnam later this week, with no direct impact anticipated on Japan. As of now, the storm’s central pressure is 1000 hectopascals, with maximum sustained winds reaching 20 meters per second. Satellite imagery shows a significant cloud mass developing in the southern region, indicating intensified activity around the system.

Real-Life Water Police: Protecting Tokyo’s Seas and Rivers

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Tourist Graffiti Threatens Kyoto’s Iconic Bamboo Forest

Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, is facing a growing problem of graffiti etched into the bamboo along its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with more than 350 stalks now damaged — a practice that experts warn could eventually cause bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure visitors.

Japanese Streaming Services Struggle Against Netflix

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Japan Tightens Rules on Foreign Business Visas

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