Sports

Bagnaia Triumphs in Japan as Márquez Clinches Seventh MotoGP Title

Motegi, Sep 28 (News On Japan) - Francesco Bagnaia delivered a flawless weekend at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, taking pole position, winning Saturday’s Sprint, and dominating the main race at Motegi to secure maximum points.

The Ducati rider, who set a new lap record in qualifying, controlled Sunday’s race from the front, leaving his rivals little chance to challenge.

The bigger story, however, was Marc Márquez’s second-place finish, which was enough to seal his seventh premier-class world championship and ninth overall. Márquez, who joined Ducati this season, secured the title with five rounds remaining, marking a historic achievement in his career and reaffirming his comeback at the highest level of the sport.

Honda fans also had reason to celebrate as Joan Mir crossed the line in third, giving the Japanese manufacturer a home podium at Motegi. Rising star Pedro Acosta showed promise in the Sprint with a third-place finish but slipped back in Sunday’s race after struggling with grip. Defending champion Jorge Martín endured a difficult weekend, crashing and fracturing his collarbone in Saturday’s action, which ruled him out of the Grand Prix and further underlined the shift in momentum toward Márquez and Bagnaia.

The Motegi round reinforced Ducati’s dominance, with Bagnaia back in top form and Márquez securing the title early, leaving the remaining races to play out as a battle for pride, podiums, and future momentum.

Source: SPOTV ASIA

LDP Leadership Election Hinges on Unique Two-Stage Voting System

The upcoming Liberal Democratic Party leadership election will determine not only who leads Japan’s ruling party but also who is likely to become the country’s next prime minister, and the voting system itself plays a decisive role in shaping the outcome. The election is decided by a combination of votes from LDP lawmakers in the National Diet and ballots cast by the party’s grassroots members across Japan, creating a two-stage process that balances national and local influence.

Why Did a Wooden Home in Tokyo Collapse?

A two-story wooden house collapsed in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward on the night of September 30th, with experts suggesting that the ground beneath the property, rather than the building itself, gave way, likely due to a cracked retaining wall.

Hokkaido Saw Record-Breaking Rainfall in Just Six Hours

Heavy rainfall battered parts of Hokkaido, with some areas receiving more than a month’s worth of precipitation in only six hours, prompting flood warnings and evacuation advisories. Meteorologists are saying the downpour was the result of a combination of unstable atmospheric conditions and moist air flowing in from the sea.

Kamakura Introduces Bathing Tax to Tackle Overtourism

Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture has approved the introduction of a bathing tax, but the measure is drawing strong criticism from local hot spring operators since only two facilities fall under the new levy.

Osaka Introduces First Nationwide Cap on ATM Transfers

Osaka Prefecture has revised its ordinance to set a cap of 100,000 yen per day on ATM transfers made with cash cards by certain elderly account holders, marking the first such restriction in Japan.

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