Japan's next star golfer: Is it Takumi Kanaya or Keita Nakajima? Or will it be both?
golfweek -- Jan 13
As the first Japanese winner of a men’s major, Hideki Matsuyama’s victory at the Masters in April is expected to making a lasting impact in golf crazed Japan. But the reverberations from his rise to international golfing star can already be felt in two of the country’s most promising talents.
Keita Nakajima, the current No. 1-ranked amateur in the world and winner of the 2021 Mark McCormack Medal, and Takumi Kanaya, a former World No. 1 amateur who competes mainly on the Japan Golf Tour (JGTO) and finished the year at No. 49 in the Official World Golf Ranking, are both in the field this week at the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii just as they will be in April at the Masters. Neither pro needed much prodding to heap praise on Matsuyama, who enters the week ranked No. 19 in the world and won the Zozo Championship in November.
“First and foremost, his playing self is second-to-none, and not only me but a lot of the Japanese players have been inspired to play well on U.S. soil,” said Kanaya.
Nakajima added of Matsuyama, “He’s a superstar in Japan. I want to catch up to Mr. Hideki and Mr. Takumi, as well.”
The 21-year-old golfer is off to a good start. He canned a 25-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to defeat Taicho Kho and win the Asia-Pacific Amateur and book his ticket to the Masters.
Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Watching Grand Sumo Wrestling
Sumostew - May 22
I’ve been watching the tournaments for over a year now as a non-Japanese person. And I thought I would share with you the things I picked up in my first year of watching sumo that I wished I knew when I started watching the sport as a complete beginner.
Japanese Judo Team Training 2022
Judo Highlights - May 19
The Japan Judo team are full of monsters, and here they are all under one roof!
Three Japanese Sports Stars Who Have Made It Internationally
newsonjapan.com - May 19
Japanese people love sports. Some live and breathe their chosen game, dedicating their lives to their passion.
Honda set for F1 return at Japanese Grand Prix
f1i.com - May 18
The Honda name will officially return to F1 later this season, with the manufacturer receiving top billing at next October's Japanese Grand Prix as the event's title sponsor.
Japan's Endo lifts Stuttgart in dramatic Bundesliga finale
Nikkei - May 15
Wataru Endo scored in injury time for Stuttgart to clinch Bundesliga survival at Hertha Berlin's expense after a dramatic 2-1 win over Cologne in the final round on Saturday.
See Why Japan Volleyball Team Has the Best Defense in the World !!!
Power Volleyball - May 14
The Japan men's national volleyball team represents Japan in international volleyball competitions and friendly matches. Their nickname is "RYUJIN NIPPON (龍神 NIPPON) ", meaning "Japanese Dragon God" or "Dragon God of Japan" in Japanese.
Angels' Shohei Ohtani hits first career grand slam in two-homer game vs. Rays
cbssports.com - May 10
Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani recorded his first grand slam in either his Major League Baseball or Nippon Professional Baseball career and his second multi-homer game of the season on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Rays as the Los Angeles Angels notched their fifth win in their past six tries by an 11-3 final
Japanese athlete collapses, vomits after sanitiser swig
straitstimes.com - May 10
Japanese authorities have pledged to investigate a mix-up that saw high school athletes given hand sanitiser to drink during a race, with one student falling ill after taking a swig.
Baseball’s biggest fans return to the stands in South Korea and Japan
South China Morning Post - May 05
Baseball is a national obsession in South Korea and Japan and for the first time since the pandemic, crowds returned to the stands to sing, dance and cheer on their favourite teams.
Life after the spotlight: Japan’s sumo wrestlers struggle to find work outside the sport
South China Morning Post - May 04
The life of a sumo wrestler can be one of lavish gifts and public adoration. But it’s a short-lived career.
The Cost of Injury in Sumo Wrestling
Sumostew - May 04
A look into how injuries are treated in the world of Grand Sumo Wrestling, the national sport of Japan.
Baseball: Shohei Ohtani hits 4th homer of season as Angels win 6th straight
Kyodo - Apr 30
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani blasted his fourth home run of the season Friday while batting cleanup for the first time since September 2020 as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Chicago White Sox 5-1 for their sixth straight win.
Sumo: Wakatakakage, Mitakeumi renew their battle on the east
Kyodo - Apr 25
Coming off his first top-division championship in March, sekiwake Wakatakakage remains on the more prestigious east side of the latest rankings released Monday by the Japan Sumo Association ahead of next month's Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
Asia's aging sports stars never say 'retire'
Nikkei - Apr 20
Elderly Western visitors to East Asia often say they enjoy their trips partly because of the respect accorded to older people. But these cultural habits can hold back countries such as Japan and South Korea when it comes to sport.
FIFA 2022 World Cup - Which Teams Have Already Qualified?
newsonjapan.com - Apr 18
We’re less than eight months away from the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Usually, the biggest sports event on the globe kicks off in spring/early summer. This year, it starts in November due to logistical and weather concerns.
University of Tokyo student Hotaka Suyama passes sumo entrance exam
Japan Times - Apr 16
Hotaka Suyama made a little history on Friday when the student of philosophy passed the first part of his entrance test to enter professional sumo as its first apprentice wrestler from the University of Tokyo, a bastion of elite academia.
