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Naomi Osaka ranked No. 2 on Forbes' list of highest-paid female athletes

Aug 08, 2019 (Japan Times) - Naomi Osaka almost topped the Forbes’ highest-earning female athlete list, slotting in at No. 2 behind fellow tennis star Serena Williams in the annual ranking of the top 10 paid sportswomen.

According to the rankings released Tuesday, Osaka’s total earnings were $24.3 million for the 12-month period ending June 1, including an estimated $16 million in off-court income, while Williams secured the top spot for the fourth year in a row with $29.2 million.

The 21-year-old Osaka, who has a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, has endorsement deals with Mastercard Inc., All Nippon Airways Co., Nissan Motor Co., among others.

She won two majors, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open, and became the first Asian tennis player to reach world No. 1 in singles.

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Large Typhoon No. 25 was moving northwest over waters south of Japan at 3 p.m. on September 19 and is forecast to strengthen as it approaches Kanto and the Izu Islands from September 20 through September 21, bringing the risk of torrential rain, violent winds and further damage in areas still recovering from last year's typhoon.

A black bear has been spotted near one of the most popular hiking trails on Mount Takao in western Tokyo, prompting authorities to urge visitors to take precautions ahead of the five-day Silver Week holiday and the approaching autumn foliage season.

Starbucks is considering selling a majority stake in its Japanese business, potentially valued at as much as $3 billion, or about 470 billion yen, as the U.S. coffee chain seeks to concentrate management resources on its struggling North American operations.

Japan's Halloween Jumbo Lottery went on sale nationwide on September 16, offering a combined top payout of 400 million yen for the first prize and its adjacent-number prizes.

A new top-tier "Supreme Class" offering fully private compartments above the level of Green Car service will debut on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen on October 1, with passengers able to experience the new seating at a demonstration booth at Shin-Osaka Station.

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The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan has exceeded 100,000 for the first time, reaching a record 107,677 as of September 1, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.