Ice hockey, considered by most to be the purview of toothless Canadians, black-eyed Minnesotans and bloodied Russians has been popular in Japan for years and its popularity has been spreading both in Japan and throughout Asia. Asia League Ice Hockey was formed in 2003 when the Japan Ice Hockey League expanded to other Asian countries…

The last few decades have seen a literal expansion in people; not in numbers, but in size. Worldwide, particularly in developed nations, people have been getting fatter and less fit. Sedentary lifestyles and cheap, high-fat food has led to this trend, with predictions now that in North America, more than twenty five percent of adults…

At the definitive clang of the referee bell, two sweat drenched fighters, clad in somewhat offbeat pink shorts rise from their opposing benches and circle each other in a manner that looks somewhat like an animalistic display of attack and fleeing behavior in a territorial battle between wild cats. Rising and falling in tension, their…

Rally racing has always enjoyed popularity in Japan and with the World Rally Championships returning to Japan for the fifth time, that trend is not likely to end anytime soon. Raced for the last three years in and around Obihiro, the race moves closer to Sapporo this year and will feature narrow forest roads with…

After taking over the reins of the Japanese National Rugby Union Team in January 2007, Head Coach John Kirwan declared that he wanted his players to play with so-called “Samurai Spirit” and become the “world’s fittest team.” Since setting those lofty goals, the team has played in two major tournaments; the Rugby World Cup in…

SKATEBOARDS Traditionally, the skateboard has belonged to punks on the fringe and was relegated to a few skate parks and unwelcome in many public spaces. While surveys of North American teens rank skateboarding the third most popular sport, it does not even make the list in Japan. Even as the number of skate parks decrease…

Citius, Altius, Fortius or swifter, higher, stronger make up the Olympic creed and are words that will be on the minds of over 11,000 athletes from nearly 200 countries participating in the upcoming Summer Olympics in Beijing. Marking the first time in 20 years that the Summer Olympics have been held in Asia, the 2008…

With the hockey and basketball seasons finishing up, baseball months away from wrapping up and with football still far over the horizon, it’s time take a break from the beginning of summer to cool off with some ice. Specifically, time to take a look at figure skating. Following the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in…

With sumo Yokozuna (Grand Champion) Asashoryu getting ready for his third tournament since serving his two-tournament suspension, all eyes are on him to see if he can return to top form following his failure to win the Hatsu basho (tournament) in January. While his record in the Haru basho was much improved/disappointing/more of the same,…

Baseball season is here again and getting into the swing of things is easy as this year promises to be an exciting one on both sides of the Pacific especially with the Nippon Pro Baseball league in Japan set to go. In Japan, defending Japan Series Champions, the Chunichi Dragons of Nagoya are looking to…