Parrot Predicts Japan to Win All Group Matches at World Cup

Jun 11, 2026 | News On Japan

TOCHIGI - 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.

The bird, a male African grey parrot named Olivia, took part in a prediction event at the zoo, where it was tasked with forecasting the outcomes of Japan's three first-round matches.

After making its selections, Olivia predicted victories in all three games, forecasting a perfect record for Japan in the group stage. The event drew attention from visitors eager to see whether the bird's predictions might prove accurate when the tournament gets underway.

Severe Heat Grips Eastern and Western Japan as Thunderstorms Threaten Kanto

Severe heat is forecast across much of Japan on July 16, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius in Nagoya and Kofu and sudden thunderstorms threatening the Kanto-Koshin and Tohoku regions through late at night.

Tobu Railway Introduces Walk-Through Facial Recognition

Tobu Railway has introduced walk-through facial recognition ticket gates at Ikebukuro and Kami-Itabashi stations on the Tobu Tojo Line, allowing registered commuters to enter without presenting a ticket or IC card.

Nichirei System Failure Disrupts KFC and Major Retailers

A system failure at frozen food giant Nichirei has disrupted shipments and logistics, raising the risk of product shortages and temporary closures at some Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants while also affecting major supermarket and retail chains.

Katsuragawa Selected for Hokuriku Shinkansen Extension

Officials from the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party have agreed to adopt the Katsuragawa plan for the Obama-Kyoto route of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture to Shin-Osaka.

Heatstroke Alerts Issued for Record 19 Prefectures

Japan's environment and weather authorities have issued heatstroke alerts for a record 19 prefectures for July 15, warning that dangerous heat is expected to create an extremely high risk of heatstroke, including the first such alerts this year for the Kanto region.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sports NEWS

Tourists Pack Asakusa Sumo Stable

Foreign tourists are filling an interactive sumo show venue in Tokyo’s Asakusa district, where former wrestlers introduce the basics, rules and history of the sport in English as Japan’s traditional pastime enjoys growing popularity at home and abroad.

Koshien Rivals Rally in High School Baseball Thriller

Waseda Jitsugyo held off a ninth-inning rally by Hachioji to win a first-round showdown between two schools with Koshien experience in the West Tokyo high school baseball tournament on July 10.

Japan Coach Says Day Will Come When National Team Wins World Cup

Japan national soccer team coach Hajime Moriyasu, captain Ko Itakura of Ajax, Daizen Maeda of Celtic, Yukinari Sugawara of Bremen and Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto visited Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Yohei Matsumoto on July 8 following Japan's campaign at the FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Ohtani Becomes First Japanese Player to Hit 300 MLB Homers

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first Japanese player to reach 300 career home runs in Major League Baseball, hitting a solo shot in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles on July 7.

210 Million Yen Colt Shonan Galleon Wins in Record Debut at Hakodate

Shonan Galleon, a 210 million yen colt by Flightline, made a striking debut at Hakodate Racecourse on Sunday, July 5, winning the fifth race over 1,800 meters on turf in record time for a 2-year-old on the course.

Two Yokozuna Perform Ceremonial Ring Entry at Atsuta Shrine

Two yokozuna seeking to rebound after time away from the ring drew loud cheers from about 5,000 spectators on July 4 as they performed the traditional ceremonial ring entry at Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya ahead of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

King Is Back: Conor McGregor is the new 1xBet ambassador

Some names change the game, and Conor McGregor is one of them.

Martinelli Breaks Japan Hearts as Brazil Win 2-1 in World Cup Thriller

Japan’s World Cup campaign ended in the cruelest possible fashion on June 29, as Gabriel Martinelli scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Brazil a 2-1 victory over the Samurai Blue in their knockout match in Houston. Japan had led in the first half and were still level at 1-1 in the final moments, but Martinelli’s late strike sent Brazil into the Round of 16 and eliminated Japan from the tournament.

< 2 3 4 5 >