The Japan national football team has begun its pre-World Cup training camp in Monterrey, Mexico, as players prepare for the tournament under challenging conditions, including temperatures exceeding 33 degrees Celsius. (News On Japan)

The annual Gatalympics festival was held on the mudflats of the Ariake Sea in Kashima City, Saga Prefecture, drawing about 1,400 participants from 13 countries and regions who battled through a series of unique mud-based events while becoming thoroughly covered in mud. (News On Japan)

A pair of sisters from Aichi Prefecture are closing in on a dream they have pursued for nearly a decade, with Ren Matsumoto and Non Matsumoto aiming to secure a place at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after rising to the top of Japan's beach volleyball rankings through years of family sacrifice and determination. (News On Japan)

Volleyball player Shunichiro Sato, a member of Japan’s men’s national team, was arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of possessing marijuana after allegedly leaving a bag containing the drug at a pachinko parlor in Tokyo. (News On Japan)

Japan's national soccer team began a domestic training camp in Chiba on May 25th ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, with 13 players including 39-year-old Yuto Nagatomo of FC Tokyo and Daichi Kamada of Eintracht Frankfurt taking part in the opening session. (News On Japan)

Yomiuri Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe resigned on May 26th after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting his eldest daughter at the family’s home in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, a scandal that has sent shockwaves through Japanese professional baseball just before the start of interleague play. (News On Japan)

Wakatakakage completed a remarkable comeback from major knee surgery and a fall to the lower divisions by winning his second top-division championship at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on May 24th, ending a 25-tournament wait for another Emperor's Cup. (News On Japan)

An amateur sumo tournament was held on the streets of New York, highlighting how Japan’s national sport is gaining new popularity in the United States while evolving in distinctly American ways. (News On Japan)

Under blazing sunshine along the clear waters of the Nagara River, competitors faced off in a serious test of stone skipping skill on May 17th in Gifu City, where temperatures climbed to 31.2 degrees Celsius, marking the city’s first midsummer day of the year. (News On Japan)

In modern professional sports, where financial resources and squad depth often determine competitive hierarchy, there are still moments when underdogs disrupt the established order. (News On Japan)

May in football is the moment when everyone’s nerves are already stretched to the limit, and mistakes become incredibly costly. (News On Japan)

An event allowing participants to enjoy rugby while covered in mud took place in pre-planting rice paddies in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture, on May 17th. (News On Japan)

Japan announced its 26-man squad on May 15th for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with several key selections drawing attention as injuries continue to affect the national team ahead of the tournament. (News On Japan)

A 400-meter race in which participants sprinted up a ski jump slope with a maximum incline of 37 degrees and an elevation difference of 130 meters was held on May 16th at the Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium in Sapporo. (News On Japan)

Part of the ceiling at 'Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena' in Nagoya's Minato Ward, which is scheduled to host squash events during the upcoming Asian Games, collapsed on May 11th, raising concerns over whether the venue will be ready in time for the international sporting event opening in September. (News On Japan)

Luis Enrique has achieved the impossible by combining dominant ball possession with lightning-fast counterattacks and intense pressing in the Parisians’ style of play. (News On Japan)

Figure skater Kaori Sakamoto held a retirement press conference in her hometown of Kobe, where she also revealed that she married in May. (News On Japan)

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on May 7th that Tokyo has been selected as a host city for the Olympic Qualifying Series, where athletes will compete for places at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. (News On Japan)

The issue surrounding rules related to pregnancy and childbirth in professional shogi has drawn renewed attention, with leading female player Kana Fukuma expressing lingering concerns over newly proposed revisions despite acknowledging some progress. (News On Japan)

A body-make competition showcasing the results of months of training was held in Ginowan, marking the first time the 'Muscle Gate' contest has taken place in Okinawa. (News On Japan)