News On Japan

Japanese Archer to Retire After Six Straight Olympics

TOKYO - Archery athlete Takaharu Furukawa, who competed in six consecutive Olympic Games and won a silver medal in the individual event at the 2012 London Olympics, announced on October 21st that he would retire from competition after the All-Japan Championships, which begin on October 25th at Tokyo Yumenoshima Park Archery Field.

Born in Aomori Prefecture, Furukawa progressed from Aomori Higashi High School to Kindai University. He participated in the Olympics continuously from the 2004 Athens Games to this summer's Paris Games. In the 2021 Tokyo Games, he secured bronze medals in both the individual and team events. In the 2015 World Championships, he achieved third place in the individual category.

Source: Kyodo

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watched Japan's opening FIFA World Cup match against the Netherlands together with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, highlighting the close ties between the Japanese Imperial Family and the Dutch Royal Family.

Japan and the Netherlands played to a 2-2 draw in their opening Group F match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 14, with the Samurai Blue twice coming from behind to earn a valuable point against one of the tournament's traditional powers.

Police in Kyoto Prefecture are investigating a hit-and-run after a vehicle crashed into the Maizuru office of Liberal Democratic Party Lower House member Taro Honda late on June 13 before the driver fled the scene.

A fire broke out at a Buddhist temple in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on June 13th, sending flames soaring from the building and causing temporary alarm in a nearby residential neighborhood before being largely extinguished about two hours later.

The Japanese government on June 12th released new guidelines calling for women’s toilets to have at least as many fixtures as men’s toilets in public facilities, seeking to address the persistent problem of long queues at women’s restrooms in places such as train stations and event venues.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Sports NEWS

Japan will look to build on an encouraging opening performance when the Samurai Blue face Tunisia in their second Group F match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, knowing that a victory could move them to the brink of the knockout stage.

When Japan kicks off its World Cup campaign against the Netherlands at 5:00 a.m. Japan time on June 15 at Dallas Stadium in Texas, the Samurai Blue will do so without one of their most influential players. Liverpool midfielder and former captain Wataru Endo has been ruled out through injury, prompting coach Hajime Moriyasu to hand the captain's armband to Ajax defender Ko Itakura while relying on Leeds United midfielder Ao Tanaka and Crystal Palace playmaker Daichi Kamada to help fill the void left in central midfield.

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Dallas, Texas, on June 12th after completing final preparations near Nashville, Tennessee, ahead of its opening Group F match against the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup in North America.

Japan captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the national team's World Cup squad due to injury and announced his retirement from international soccer, dealing a major blow ahead of Japan's Group F opener against the Netherlands on June 14th (June 15th Japan time), as the team continued preparations near Nashville, Tennessee, on June 11th.

Elementary school students in Yokote, Akita Prefecture, played a spirited game of dodgeball in a rice field on June 12th as part of an annual event that also serves to prepare the paddy for planting.

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.

A fortune-telling parrot at Nasu Animal Kingdom in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, predicted on June 11 that Japan's national soccer team will win all three of its group-stage matches at the FIFA World Cup.

Japan's top-tier women's softball competition, the JD League, was held in Okinawa for the first time, giving local fans a chance to watch national team players and athletes from the prefecture compete at the highest domestic level.