Every morning for the past six years, no matter how early Los Angeles Angels players and staff members got to Tempe Diablo Stadium, they saw a throng of Japanese photojournalists standing on Tempe Butte, which overlooks the team’s spring training complex. This was not a sunrise hike. Every camera was zoomed in, waiting for the arrival of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Japan winger Junya Ito scored his third league goal of the season for Reims in France on Sunday, when Freiburg attacker Ritsu Doan also reached the same tally in Germany.
An Yong Hak was born and raised in Japan but he will be cheering for North Korea — his former team — when the two sides clash in a World Cup qualifier in Tokyo on Thursday.
Brand new artificial turf glows bright green under newly installed LED stadium lights at the 17,000-seat Gocheok Sky Dome. The clubhouses and skyboxes for VIPs have been repainted and renovated, while vendors are rushing to stock up on chimaek (fried chicken and beer).
Anderson Lopes bagged a brace as Yokohama F. Marinos edged a valiant Kyoto Sanga 3-2 in a whirlwind J. League first-division encounter Sunday that saw both teams finish with 10 men.
Brave Lupus Tokyo No. 10 Richie Mo'unga delivered a playmaking masterclass Sunday as he orchestrated a 41-19 victory over Sagamihara Dynaboars in Japan Rugby League One.
New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson said the current crop of Japan-based All Blacks were in good hands after watching his second Japan Rugby League One clash of the weekend on Sunday.
Reims coach Will Still praised "key player" Junya Ito for the Japanese star's mental strength after he put off-field troubles to one side to score the winner as his club beat Metz 2-1 in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers pounded out 17 hits to beat South Korea's Kiwoom Heroes 14-3 in an exhibition game Sunday, ahead of the season-opening two-game series against the San Diego Padres.
Iga Swiatek dominated Maria Sakkari to win the Indian Wells final 6-4 6-0 on Sunday and claim the title for a second time in the California desert.