News On Japan
Society

J. League sets early January date for postponed Levain Cup final

Nov 13, 2020 | News On Japan

Nov 13, 2020 (Japan Times) - The J. League on Thursday announced that the Levain Cup final will take place on Jan. 4, 2021 at Tokyo’s National Stadium, nearly two months after the game’s original date.

The showdown between Kashiwa Reysol and FC Tokyo, originally scheduled for Nov. 7, was postponed after Reysol suffered a coronavirus cluster infection among its players and staff beginning Nov. 2. That outbreak forced the league to postpone two first-division games which will be made up in early December.

While officials considered holding the final between the J1’s Dec. 19 finale and the Emperor’s Cup semifinals on Dec. 27, the early 2021 date was chosen due to Tokyo’s Asian Champions League commitments, which will see the team travel to Doha on Nov. 19 and possibly stay through the continental competition’s Dec. 19 final.

Tokyo, which is currently in third place in the J1 with four games remaining, can still theoretically finish the season in second place and qualify for the Emperor’s Cup semifinals alongside presumptive league champion Kawasaki Frontale.

“Because of the potential (for Tokyo to reach the ACL final), it was difficult to schedule the Levain Cup for FC Tokyo between Dec. 19 and 27,” league chairman Mitsuru Murai said. “Right now players returning from overseas will have to isolate. We’ve been in negotiations but it’s not a simple thing and we determined that putting a match in that period would be risky.

“There’s still the possibility that Tokyo won’t reach the final and they could return to Japan earlier. In that case it might have been possible to schedule the match for (later in December), but in order to make it easier for fans who have purchased tickets we can’t create a situation where there are multiple reschedulings.”

Further complicating matters are current regulations intended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus within Japan, which would see Tokyo players and staff returning from Qatar forced to isolate for two weeks. Should Kenta Hasegawa’s men reach the ACL final, that would leave them unable to train as a team until as late Jan. 3 — the day before the Levain final.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Players to Watch When Japan Faces the Netherlands

Japan's World Cup campaign begins on June 14 when the Samurai Blue face the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium in Texas, a clash that will showcase some of the game's most talented players and pit two ambitious teams against one another in a crucial Group F opener. While Japan arrives without injured winger Kaoru Mitoma, one of its most recognizable stars, the squad still boasts a wealth of talent drawn from Europe's top leagues.

El Nino Returns, But Japan Faces Another Hot Summer

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced that an El Niño phenomenon is believed to have developed this spring, warning that Japan is likely to experience above-average temperatures nationwide this summer despite the climate pattern's traditional association with cooler summers.

Narita Airport Advances Compulsory Land Acquisition for Runway

Narita International Airport Corporation is expected to announce next month that it will apply to the national government for project certification as part of the process to enable compulsory land acquisition for the construction of a new runway at Narita Airport, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Fire Destroys Historic Arima Inari Shrine

A fire broke out at Arima Inari Shrine near the Arima Onsen hot spring resort area in Kobe on the night of June 9th, destroying multiple buildings and leaving an elderly Shinto priest and his wife with minor injuries.

Japan National Team Holds First Training Session in Nashville

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         
MORE Society NEWS

Fire Destroys Historic Arima Inari Shrine

A fire broke out at Arima Inari Shrine near the Arima Onsen hot spring resort area in Kobe on the night of June 9th, destroying multiple buildings and leaving an elderly Shinto priest and his wife with minor injuries.

Japan Cycling Association Head Arrested Over Alleged 30 Million Yen Fraud

Two men, including the head of the Japan Cycling Association, have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of defrauding two men in Kagoshima Prefecture out of 30 million yen by falsely promising a massive return on a purported patent-related investment.

Another Bear Feared Roaming Utsunomiya

A bear that had been repeatedly spotted in commercial and residential areas of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, was captured in a residential neighborhood at around 3:30 p.m. on June 9th after authorities used a tranquilizer gun, but the city remains on alert because police say they cannot rule out the possibility that another bear may still be roaming the area.

Self-Proclaimed 'Messenger of God' Among Seven Arrested Over Teen's Confinement

Nara Prefectural Police have arrested seven people, including a 46-year-old Yokohama man who described himself as a "messenger of God," on suspicion of unlawfully confining a teenage boy entrusted to their care by his parents, allegedly threatening him, confiscating his belongings, and forcing him to sleep naked.

Knives Found in Eye and Abdomen of Dead Man in Kobe

A man believed to be in his 50s or 60s was found dead with knives lodged in his left eye and abdomen inside a container at a company property in Kobe's Suma Ward on June 8th, prompting police to investigate the possibility of a criminal case.

Missing American Student Found Dead After Week-Long Search in Kyoto

The family of James "Weston" Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University student who disappeared during a family vacation in Japan, announced on June 7th that he has been found dead after a volunteer search-and-rescue team located his body in a mountainous area outside Kyoto, bringing a week-long multinational search to a tragic end.

Unlicensed Peruvian Man Conducts Risky Medical Procedure During Delivery

A clinic director and a former Peruvian staff member have been referred to prosecutors after the man allegedly performed medical procedures without a license, including an external cephalic version—a procedure used to manually turn a baby into the correct position before birth—at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Fukuoka City, raising concerns about patient safety and oversight in maternity care.

Video Shows Old Lady Chasing 14-Year-Old Girl After Cash Grab

A 14-year-old junior high school girl was arrested on suspicion of robbery resulting in injury after allegedly spraying a woman in her 60s in the face and stealing her wallet during a robbery attempt in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture.