News On Japan

Ohtani hits two 3-run homers

Jun 22, 2022 (NHK) - In Major League Baseball, Japanese star Ohtani Shohei hit a pair of 3-run-homers in Tuesday's game. But even "Sho-time" couldn't help the Los Angeles Angels secure victory in extra innings.

Ohtani was at-bat as the designated hitter as the Angels faced the Kansas City Royals. A homerun in the sixth inning marked his 14th overall for the season.

Ohtani did it again in the 9th, tying the game 10 to 10. And a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning set his career record of eight runs in a single game.

But the Royals managed to eke out the win, 12 to 11.

Meanwhile, Ohtani is now in second place as designated hitter in the All Star vote for the American League.

Right now, the Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez tops that list. The first phase of voting lasts through the end of this month.

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Japan's tourism industry is undergoing a major shift one year after China urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, with Chinese visitor numbers falling sharply and businesses in Osaka struggling to recover lost revenue, while Kyoto has successfully attracted more Western tourists through a strategy aimed at reducing its dependence on the Chinese market.

The number of people taken to hospital after being injured by deer in and around Nara Park has reached a record high in 2026, with foreign tourists accounting for more than 70% of cases, prompting warnings about the dangers of approaching the wild animals during their autumn mating season.

A shrine in Gunma Prefecture has used a high-pressure cleaning drone to wash Japan's largest statue of Daikoku, cutting a maintenance job that previously took two to three weeks to just one day while reducing costs to around one-tenth of the conventional method.

The resignation of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on November 12 following allegations involving a woman suspected of links to Chinese intelligence has raised concerns in Japan over the potential impact on semiconductor investment, financial markets and the yen, as uncertainty surrounding the American AI chipmaker threatens to disrupt the global technology industry.

Japan launched a new national disaster management agency on November 2nd to strengthen its response to major emergencies, just days before a powerful earthquake struck Aichi Prefecture, injuring 24 people and renewing concerns over the possibility of a catastrophic Nankai Trough earthquake.

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Japan enjoyed a dramatic day of international sporting success on November 14, with the national soccer team defeating Brazil 3-2 in Singapore and the country's baseball squad advancing to the Asia Professional Baseball Championship final, while the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament developed into a seven-way contest for the lead.

Basketball in Japan is booming, and Keisei Tominaga has emerged as one of its leading icons. The sharpshooter has come a long way, from the collegiate courts of the United States to becoming a national celebrity.

日本のバスケットボールは今、空前の盛り上がりをみせています。その中心的存在として注目を集めているのが富永啓生選手です。アメリカの大学バスケから日本の誰もが知るスターへと、このシューターは長い道のりを歩んできました。

Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, attended a martial arts tournament held by the Imperial Guard on November 11th, watching competitions in judo, kendo and Japanese archery as the organization marked its 140th anniversary.

Japan's national soccer team began training in Singapore on November 10 ahead of an international friendly against Brazil on November 14, with the two-match tour, which also includes a game against Paraguay on November 17, expected to be the team's final overseas trip under coach Hajime Moriyasu following the postponement of the Asian Cup originally scheduled to begin in Saudi Arabia in January 2027.

Yusaku Hosono, a 23-year-old professional golfer who underwent heart surgery as an infant and was forced to abandon his childhood dream of playing baseball, has emerged as one of Japan's brightest golfing talents after winning two domestic major championships this season, becoming the first left-handed player in 35 years to claim a men's tour victory.

A controversial penalty shootout decision during the Tokyo qualifiers for Japan's National High School Soccer Championship on October 24 has sparked debate after a team that believed it had secured victory was forced to continue playing and eventually lost, raising questions about whether a hole in the goal net contributed to an incorrect ruling.

Pillow fighting, once a familiar pastime on Japanese school trips, has evolved into a competitive team sport, with players dressed in traditional yukata competing on tatami mats under unusual rules that include a call of "The teacher is coming!" to freeze opponents for 10 seconds.