News On Japan

Japan's 'Miracle' Suzuki takes darts world by storm

Apr 11 (Japan Today) - Described as the Phil Taylor of women's darts, Japan's Mikuru Suzuki already has plans to dominate the sport after becoming the first Asian player to capture a world title.

The deadeye 37-year-old -- known as "The Miracle" in a play on her first name -- is slowly getting used to her new celebrity following a shock victory at the BDO world championship in January.

"It really didn't sink in until I got back to Japan," Suzuki told AFP in an interview.

"There were fans waiting for me at the airport holding a banner. That's when it first hit me, the scale of what I had achieved -- it was a dream come true," she added. "Being called world champion is special but I don't want to stop at one world title, I want to win many more."

Suzuki did not drop a set on her way to the title in a blur of tungsten trickery that darts legend Taylor would have been proud of.

Her 3-0 blowout of Englishwoman Lorraine Winstanley in the final, which included a 148 checkout and back-to-back 180s, capped a magical week at Lakeside for Japan's darts sensation.

A late bloomer in a game once associated with beer bellies and smoky pubs, Suzuki began playing darts at 26 and admits she didn't always pack such a punch.

"At first I sucked at it," grinned the bubbly Shikoku native, who worked in a department store selling clothes and cosmetics before her unorthodox career switch. "But that's what got me hooked -- I was determined to make the darts fly straight. Though I never thought I would turn pro."

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

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.

Japan’s streaming industry is under growing pressure as foreign giants tighten their grip on the domestic market, with Netflix’s latest move to secure exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for every game of the World Baseball Classic next March highlighting the widening gap.

Investigators from the Immigration Services Agency conducted on-site inspections in Osaka on October 14th amid a surge in so-called 'paper companies' created by foreign nationals seeking residency.

The first grand sumo tournament in London in 34 years opened on October 15th, transforming the iconic Royal Albert Hall into a little corner of Japan and drawing more than 5,400 spectators for a spectacular night of traditional wrestling.

The relocation of Arimasu Tobiru, a distinctive architectural landmark on Hijirizaka in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, was carried out between August and October after nearly two decades of construction.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A violent attack early on October 20th in Ibaraki Town, Ibaraki Prefecture left one man dead and another injured after they were stabbed with what appeared to be a bladed weapon inside an apartment. Police are investigating the case as a murder.

A woman in her 40s suffered a serious injury after being trapped in a mechanical parking system in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward on October 19th.

A former pet shop owner convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting several female employees and sentenced to 30 years in prison appealed his case at the Fukuoka High Court on October 14th, again claiming that the acts were consensual.

The relocation of Arimasu Tobiru, a distinctive architectural landmark on Hijirizaka in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, was carried out between August and October after nearly two decades of construction.

A Brazilian man has been arrested and indicted for smuggling cocaine into Japan by swallowing the drugs and concealing them inside his body.

Prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for a man accused of killing three family members and seriously injuring another with a crossbow in 2020 in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture.

A police officer approaches a parked car in a dark city parking lot — and what emerges from inside is shocking. How do professionals detect crimes that hide in the night? This investigation looks into the work of officers on the front line.

A woman who had been in critical condition after being struck by a small car near JR Nagoya Station was confirmed dead on October 15th, according to Aichi Prefectural Police. The 49-year-old victim was among three pedestrians hit at an intersection in Nakamura Ward when the vehicle veered out of its lane.