For fans of football (or soccer, if you must) around the world, the FIFA Women’s World Cup takes place later this year in China.
Having won the previous tournament in 2003 in the USA, reigning champions and hot favourites Germany will have the honour of kicking off the show in Shanghai on September 10, their opponents unfancied Argentina, currently ranked 36.
The next day, and in the same Group A, Japan will begin their World Cup campaign against England, the teams ranked 11 and 12 respectively.
But early that same day, a real tasty titbit even for non-fans. Group B begins in Chengdu with twice-before champions (there have only been 4 championships) the USA taking on the ladies of DPR Korea. The NorKs promise to be no pushovers, ranked just 4 places below the United States.
Hosts China, who were runners-up in 1999, have their first match in Group D in Wuhan the following day against Denmark.
Although Japan has been represented at every FIFA Women’s World Cup, they haven’t made it further than the quarter-finals yet. But with players like inspirational and much-lauded midfielder Homare Sawa certain to shine, who knows this time…
Tokyo’s Illoiha Gym has added a definite urban touch to its indoor rock climbing wall by providing hand and footholds shaped like picture frames, shelves, and even a mounted deer head.
Via Plastic Bamboo
Members of Japan’s beach volleyball squad show off their new uniforms for 2007.
More photos here.
The commentators may still struggle to pronounce his name (”Shoon-sooky!”), but the fans love Shunsuke Nakamura in Glasgow. Well, the green half of Glasgow.
Since moving to Scotland, Nakamura has made himself a hero to Celtic fans by helping them to back-to-back championships. And of course, that makes him a media darling back home in Japan.
He’s a very good player on decent form, no doubt. In fact, his story reads well. This weekend, Celtic took the Scottish title with four games still remaining, and it was thanks to a last minute goal from Nakamura. Hours later, he was named the Scottish Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year.
But we need a little perspective when it comes to Shunsuke. Some perspective that you won’t get from the media coverage here.
We’ve all seen the fuss over Matsuzaka going to MLB in the USA. And that’s understandable. It’s the biggest world stage in baseball. But Nakamura is plying his trade in Scotland. The league there is so famously weak that it has been dominated by the two Glasgow giants, Celtic and Rangers, since its inception in 1890. (No other team has lifted the title since 1985, and Celtic and Rangers have only been deprived of the title 4 times in the last 42 years.) So joining one of those two clubs means that (if you’re not playing the other one) it’s about as challenging as finding your own bum with both hands.
I don’t mean to do down Nakamura’s achievements over the last two seasons. He’s a very talented player. But he’s reached the top of the game he’s currently playing. He’s not challenging himself, by any stretch. The question is whether he’ll be content to remain the big fish in the small loch, or move on to a bigger test that may show just how good he is.
Some other people who aren’t Shunsuke Nakamura
Picture: Neil Hanna, The Scotsman
Tokyo has beaten out Fukuoka and has become Japan’s official city of offering for the bid to host the 2016 Olympics.
A 55-member panel of Japan’s sporting federation and of course Japan’s Olympic committee voted for Tokyo with a 33 to 22 result. The last time Tokyo host the Olympics was in the summer of 1964. But now that Tokyo has been chosen it will be up against several other big name cities in the world who seem to be equally hungry for the opportunity to have the Olympics come to their cities. Some names already mentioned have been San Fransisco, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, New Delhi, and Toronto.
Gold medalist Shizuka Arikawa is in Harlem, New York for the annual gala called “Skating with the Stars” which is being held at Central Park’s Wollman Rink.
It seems odd that just a few days after Japan won first and second place at the World Skating Competition, that a former heavyweight in the sport would be convicted of embezzling money.
The former head of the Japan Skating Federation, Katsuichiro Hisanaga, was convicted Tuesday but still allowed to walk free for embezzling money from the popular sport’s governing body. Perhaps further proof that Horie’s two year jail term was politically driven.
Anyways this conviction is the bottom line for Hisanaga who “once wielded significant influence in the sport” and who once served as vice president of the Switzerland-based International Skating Union.
Check out our new special page of images dedicated to figure skater Miki Ando. If you know of another photo that is not included on our page, send us the image or a URL and we will add it.
Congratulations to Miki Ando for taking the gold for the women’s singles at the World Figure Skating Championship 2007 being held in Tokyo.
Sometimes it seems as if Japan has an association for just about everything.
The other day when walking around Tokyo, I came across the headquarters for something called the Japan Rubber Baseball Association.
Its baseball season. Here come the Japanese boys of summer…
Boston Red Sox pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka (L) and Hideki Okajima (R) pose with New York Yankees’ Hideki Matsui in Florida.
Photo courtesy of REUTERS/Steve Nesius
Picture of the day… From the Associated Press:
Chiba Lotte Marines third baseman Hisao Heiuchi tumbles to the photographers’ area as he catches a fly ball hit by Kosuke Fukudome of the Chunichi Dragons in the first inning of their pre-season game at Nagoya Dome in Nagoya, central Japan.
Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Kyodo News
Ok I know… But before anyone tells me to grow up, I just wanted to say that as immature as it is to poke fun at images that ‘look’ like something else, sometimes you just have to let go and give in to that inner child of stupidness…
Sumo’s grand champion Asashoryu, right (or under) is driven out of the ring from behind by fellow Mongolian Tokitenku during their bout on the opening day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka. Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Kyodo News
21-year old Japanese beach volleyball star Miwa Asao recently announced the release of a DVD intended to spotlight her skills and promote the sport of beach volleyball.
Asao is currently seventh in the Japan volleyball rankings, and also works as a TV personality and model. Sales of a shashinshu (photo book) that features photos of Asao already have exceeded 10,000 copies.
How can you tell sumer is getting closer? Because Ichiro’s picture is EVERYWHERE! Not really complaining… But hell, you just know this summer Japanese Television is going to be loaded with baseball stars plugging everything from vitamins health to beer!
Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki, of Japan, squeezes a baseball during a workout at baseball spring training, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson.)
I was in Japan when they won the World Baseball Classic and maaaan.. That was a hell of a time! I have fond memories of watching newsmen air Ichiro screaming the ‘F’ Word in the dugout again and again and again to pump up the team…
My favorite team is Chiba Lotte Marinsu! (yes I spelt it that way on purpose!)
Competitors ski in the ski course built in Sapporo Dome during a men’s sprint classical qualification of the Nordic World Ski Championships in Sapporo, northern Japan, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007 prior to the opening ceremony of the 11-day championships.
Cross country sprint races will start and finish in Sapporo Dome, a 42,000-seat facility that was built for the 2002 soccer World Cup and is normally used for baseball and soccer. The stadium is equipped with a giant moveable grass field that will be covered with snow and rolled into the building for the sprint races.
After starting in the stadium, the athletes will exit through a giant door before coming back into the building to cross the finish line. Photograph courtesy of AP Photo/Koji Sasahara
Turin Olympics gold medal winner Shizuka Arakawa looking pretty darn good as she strolls the catwalk wearing a wedding dress by designer Yumi Katsura during the recent Rose Obi Rose fashion show.
Japan’s Kazuhiro Kokubo performs a jump during the men’s Halfpipe competition at the Snowboard World Cup in Furano, northern Japan February 18, 2007. Photo courtesy of REUTERS/Toru Hanai (JAPAN)
