Sports

Kickoff: J1 League's Opening Day Details Unveiled

TOKYO, Jan 24 (News On Japan) - The J1 League, Japan's top level of professional soccer, has announced the schedule and venues for its opening matches, with the new season kicking off on the 23rd of February at Hiroshima's new stadium where Sanfrecce Hiroshima will face Urawa Reds.

This season, J1 has expanded to include 20 teams, an increase of two teams from the previous season. While the matchups for the first round, set to take place from the 23rd to the 25th of next month, had already been determined, the J.League has now disclosed the specific dates and locations for each match.

On the 23rd, two matches will feature the "Original 10" teams that have been part of the league since its inception. The season will commence with a match between Sanfrecce and Reds at the new stadium in Hiroshima, starting at 2 PM. At 6 PM, Nagoya Grampus will go head-to-head with Kashima Antlers in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The following day, on the 24th, six matches are scheduled, and two more will be played on the 25th. On the 25th, the National Stadium will host a match between Tokyo Verdy, who have returned to J1 for the first time in 16 seasons as the league's inaugural champions, and Yokohama F. Marinos, reminiscent of the J.League's opening match in 1993.

NHK is set to broadcast the opening match between Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Urawa Reds on the 23rd on its General TV channel.

Source: NHK

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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