Japan's top-tier women's softball competition, the JD League, was held in Okinawa for the first time, giving local fans a chance to watch national team players and athletes from the prefecture compete at the highest domestic level. (News On Japan)

Japan's World Cup campaign begins on June 14 when the Samurai Blue face the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium in Texas, a clash that will showcase some of the game's most talented players and pit two ambitious teams against one another in a crucial Group F opener. While Japan arrives without injured winger Kaoru Mitoma, one of its most recognizable stars, the squad still boasts a wealth of talent drawn from Europe's top leagues. (News On Japan)

In this 1xBet review, we’ll take a look at the key aspects of the main match of Matchday 1 in Group F of the World Football Forum 2026. (News On Japan)

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America. (News On Japan)

Japan's national football team continued preparations for the FIFA World Cup in North America on June 6th, holding a partially closed training session near Monterrey, Mexico, on the fourth day of its pre-tournament camp. (News On Japan)

Expectations for Japan are unusually high heading into the 2026 World Cup, with the team now aiming not merely to reach the knockout stage but to finally break through the Round of 16 and advance to the quarterfinals for the first time. (News On Japan)

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)