Shuta Ishikawa struck out eight in a one-hit shutout as the SoftBank Hawks overcame a spate of coronavirus-related absences to complete a two-game series sweep of the Seibu Lions with a 3-0 win on Sunday. The Pacific League leaders returned to duty on …
Baseball: Padres’ Darvish takes loss after early barrage by Dodgers
Yu Darvish gave up three first-inning home runs on the way to his fourth loss Saturday as the San Diego Padres were beaten 7-2 by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over six innings, Darvish (7-4) surrendered five runs on eight hits, including solo homers to Fre…
Soccer: Japan defender Itakura signs with Borussia Monchengladbach
German top-flight club Borussia Monchengladbach announced the signing Saturday of Japan defender Ko Itakura on a full transfer from Manchester City. Germany’s Bild newspaper reported that the Bundesliga side paid a 5 million euro ($5.2 million) transfe…
Soccer: Kiyotake backs Japan to test old homes Germany, Spain
One of five Japanese to have played in both German and Spanish top divisions, Hiroshi Kiyotake was happy to see his country join the former World Cup winners in Group E of this year’s tournament in Qatar. Currently captaining his old side Cerezo Osaka …
British ad giant WPP looking for opportunities in aging Japan
British advertising giant WPP Plc sees potential in Japan’s shrinking market, with elderly consumers a segment to tap into, the head of its Japanese operations has said. Japan’s population is expected to continue to decline and age, reflecting its fall…
“au” mobile customers across Japan hit by network troubles
The operator of the “au” mobile brand, one of Japan’s top three carriers, said Saturday its customers are facing difficulties making calls and connecting to the internet as a result of nationwide network trouble. KDDI Corp. with some 60 million au cust…
Basketball: Japan no match for Australia in World Cup qualifier
Japan suffered a heavy 98-52 loss to Australia in the opening round of Asian qualifying for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup on Friday. University of Nebraska Omaha guard Keisei Tominaga was Japan’s lone spark, scoring a game-high 18 points off the b…
Baseball: Blue Jays’ Kikuchi snaps 7-start winless streak at home
Yusei Kikuchi put together a quality start Thursday, earning his first win in over six weeks for the Toronto Blue Jays in a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Having lost three of his seven starts since his previous win on May 16, Kikuchi (3-4) leane…
Russia to install new operator for Sakhalin 2 energy project
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to set up a new operating company for the Sakhalin 2 oil and liquefied natural gas project, Russian media reported, casting the investments of two Japanese firms into doubt. The two major Japanese tr…
Tokyo stocks lower in morning on Wall St. fall, weak BOJ Tankan
Tokyo stocks were lower Friday morning, with sentiment dampened by an overnight fall on Wall Street and weaker-than-expected results from the Bank of Japan’s Tankan business survey released shortly before the market opening. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock …