Not everyone will miss Jurgen Klopp
So, farewell then Jurgen Klopp. What memories you will leave us. You were exuberant, passionate and unorthodox. You ran up…
Why no one in Japan is talking about the Fujitsu Post Office scandal
‘They are a national disgrace.’ That was the response of a Japanese friend when I asked for her opinion on…
Is Japan finally embracing immigration?
Japan has long been known for its steadfast refusal to submit to the allure of large-scale immigration, as a country…
Japan’s earthquake has brought back painful memories
The year 2024 began in the worst possible way for Japan. At least 30 people were killed by a powerful…
Why can’t the BBC leave Agatha Christie alone?
I would like to report a murder. It took place in the evening of 27 December in millions of homes…
The admirable humility of Japanese sports stars
Who is the best paid sportsperson in the world? Cristiano Ronaldo perhaps? Or Kylian Mbappé? Lionel Messi? Novak Djokovic? LeBron…
Does football really need sin bins to tackle bad behaviour?
Here we go again. Just when you thought a period of welcome stasis might have descended on the world of…
Everton’s problems are only just beginning
Pity the poor Everton fans. Just as their once mighty club, now a perennial relegation battler, seemed to have a…
Celtic’s Remembrance Day shame is the final straw
A portion of the crowd at Celtic’s Parkhead stadium booed the minute’s silence for Remembrance Sunday. It was abandoned after…
Lost in Translation was Tokyo at its bizarre, dislocating best
You can wait ages for a Japan themed Hollywood film and then three come at once. In an odd spasm…
Is sumo wrestling dying out?
For any young athletes harbouring ambitions of being a sumo wrestler, there was some good news this week. The Japanese…
Football’s shameful silence on Israel’s tragedy
Few top-flight football matches these days kick off without an expression of solidarity with a cause or condolence. Along with…
Is Fifa trying to destroy the World Cup?
It’s official, well almost. Fifa has announced the location for the 2030 (centenary) World Cup. And the winner is… all…
The excruciating pain of being a Manchester United fan
Can there be a more wretched existence in football than being a Manchester United fan? Well, yes, would be the…
The upside of living in Japan’s ageing society
For the first time more than 10 per cent of the Japanese population are aged 80 or older, according to…
Was Luis Rubiales’ resignation really necessary?
Luis Rubiales, the embattled Spanish football chief, has bowed to the seemingly inevitable and resigned from both his positions as president…
Does Japan not care about Kitagawa’s abuse?
The niece of Jonny Kitagawa, founder of the Japanese talent agency Jonny & Associates, stepped down this week from her role…
The tragedy of Jordan Henderson
‘Money has never been a motivation,’ according to footballer Jordan Henderson, the ex Liverpool captain and recent recruit to Al…
Things look grave for Luis Rubiales after his World Cup kiss
What’s in a kiss? More perhaps than just a moment of bliss. It was really rather stupid of Luis Rubiales, the…
The Fukushima water is safe. So why does no one trust it?
Japan will today begin releasing tritium-laced water from the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant into the ocean (weather permitting). Japan’s…
What the future holds for women’s football
Well, that’s the end of that. Football, like an unrepentant runaway, stubbornly refuses to come home. Spain, deservedly probably, edged…
Could Sarina Wiegman be the next England (men’s) manager?
Sarina Wiegman, the manager of England’s women’s football team, probably has a lot on her mind at the moment, what…
Is it really not safe to extradite someone to Japan?
In November 2015 three men entered a jewellery shop in Tokyo’s upmarket Omotesando district, beat and injured a security guard, smashed a…
Prince Harry could learn from the Japanese royals
Plain old Harry Windsor, as he is now, is in Japan for the International Sports Promotion Summit and a few…
