Sports

Badminton: Japan’s Hoki-Kobayashi target world No. 1 spot after title win

Jul 04 (The Star) - World champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi of Japan have set their sights on becoming the world No. 1 for the first time after capturing the Malaysian Open men’s doubles title in style.

Yesterday, the world No. 2 came out on top against world No. 7 Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto of Indonesia when they pulled off a sensational 24-22, 16-21, 21-9 win in 65 minutes.

They had also beaten Fajar-Rian in the final of the Thailand Open in May but then, the Indonesians were forced to concede a walkover due to an injury to the former.

With their second title this year, Hoki-Kobayashi have inched closer to the current world No. 1 Marcus Fernaldi-Kevin Sanjaya of Indonesia who have been hampered by injuries and poor form and have not won any titles this year.

The duo had pulled out of the home tournament at the eleventh hour, citing an injury to Marcus.

Osaka Expands Indoor Smoking Ban

From April 1st, a new regulation took effect across Osaka Prefecture requiring all restaurants with a customer seating area larger than 30 square meters to become entirely smoke-free indoors—unless they install a designated smoking room. Establishments violating the rule face fines of up to 50,000 yen, while customers may be fined up to 30,000 yen.

Japan's Imperial Household Launches YouTube Channel

The Imperial Household Agency launched an official YouTube channel on April 1st to introduce the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

New Recruits Across Japan Mark First Day as Working Adults

Japan's new fiscal year began on April 1st, with companies across the country holding entrance ceremonies to welcome new employees.

Death Toll Could Reach 298,000 in Nankai Trough Megaquake

The Japanese government has released an updated damage forecast for a potential Nankai Trough megaquake, estimating that up to 298,000 people could die in the worst-case scenario. This projection reflects a slight reduction from the previous estimate of 332,000 deaths made 13 years ago.

Tokyo's Cherry Blossoms Bloom Early This Year

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on March 30th that cherry blossoms (Somei-Yoshino) in central Tokyo have reached full bloom, one day earlier than the historical average and five days earlier than last year.

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