Teqball, a sport combining elements of soccer and table tennis, will make its Asian Games debut when the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games open in September, giving Japan's players a major opportunity to raise the profile of a discipline that has so far attracted relatively little attention domestically. (News On Japan)

Major sporting goods retailer Alpen is opening Alpen OSAKA, one of the largest sports and lifestyle stores in the Kansai region, at the former Uniqlo site in Osaka's Chayamachi district, with six floors offering everything from running shoes and golf equipment to hands-on product testing. (News On Japan)

On August 3, 2026, Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced the launch of the "Thoroughbred Championship Series" to determine the top 3-year-old thoroughbred, starting next season, as reported by Sponichi Annex. (News On Japan)

Wakana Uchikoshi, a 27-year-old recruitment professional at Ajinomoto AGF, has built a demanding but rewarding life that combines her weekday corporate career with twice-weekly practices as a cheerleader for a company-affiliated American football team. (News On Japan)

A former member of Japan's weightlifting team at the Tokyo Olympics was arrested after allegedly stealing eggs and other items from a convenience store and injuring an employee who confronted him, investigative sources said. (News On Japan)

Watch the Men's highlights between Japan and USA of the Volleyball Nations League 2026 in Ningbo Beilun (China)! (News On Japan)

Sapporo TV Tower tested the countdown display that will signal the start of the Hokkaido Marathon, with about one month remaining before the race on August 30. (News On Japan)

Sekiwake Aonishiki said he will target sumo’s highest rank after winning his third career championship at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament and securing an immediate return to ozeki. (News On Japan)

World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue will face top-ranked challenger and former kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa in a highly anticipated rematch at Toyota Arena Tokyo on September 27, organizers announced on July 23. (News On Japan)

Former professional tennis player Rika Hiraki, who won the mixed doubles title at the 1997 French Open, has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in a romance scam. (News On Japan)