The Japan Shogi Association is considering new rules to address concerns raised by female players who have effectively been forced to forfeit matches due to pregnancy and childbirth, with a review committee presenting its interim report on March 31st. (News On Japan)

Japan’s national football team secured a historic 1-0 victory over England in an international friendly held on March 31st in London, marking their first win in four encounters against the traditional powerhouse known as the “home of football,” and providing valuable momentum ahead of the FIFA World Cup set to begin in June across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. (News On Japan)

Japan’s national soccer team completed final preparations on March 30 ahead of an international friendly against England, scheduled to kick off at 7:45 p.m. on March 31 (3:45 a.m. on April 1 Japan time) at Wembley Stadium in London, marking their last match before the squad announcement for the World Cup set to begin in June across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. (News On Japan)

The first League of Legends Pacific League Spring Split marked the end of CTBC Flying Oyster's dominance and brought several other surprising twists. (News On Japan)

Today, English football is experiencing an unprecedented boom. The Premier League brings together the best players from around the world, sets current trends and attracts the attention of hundreds of millions of fans across the globe. (News On Japan)

A unique sledding competition using repurposed rice bags was held in Sapporo, drawing about 390 participants ranging from elementary school children to adults, all competing in a high-energy race for a prize equivalent to 60 kilograms of rice. (News On Japan)

Kirishima has been reinstated to the rank of ozeki, declaring his ambition to reach even greater heights, as the Japan Sumo Association unanimously approved his promotion during a rankings meeting and extraordinary board session held on March 25th at Edion Arena Osaka in Naniwa Ward, Osaka, ahead of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, which opens on May 10th at Ryogoku Kokugikan. (News On Japan)

A farewell ceremony for Masashi Ozaki, a legendary figure in Japanese golf affectionately known as “Jumbo,” who died at the age of 78 last December, was held at a hotel in Tokyo on March 16th, drawing many figures from the golf world and related industries to pay their respects. (News On Japan)

Momoka Muraoka secured a silver medal in the women’s sitting giant slalom on March 12th, the seventh day of the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, bringing her career total to 11 medals—the most ever won by a Japanese athlete at the Winter Paralympics. (News On Japan)

Japan’s sporting traditions remain influential, but fan interaction has increasingly shifted to digital spaces. (News On Japan)

JTB on March 10th unveiled to the media the details of a special viewing tour for Japan’s games in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), held at Tokyo Dome. (News On Japan)

A compelling matchup has been added to the boxing card as WBC bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue is set to defend his title against WBC bantamweight No. 3 contender Kazuto Ioka at Tokyo Dome on May 2. (News On Japan)

Japan’s national team began its World Baseball Classic campaign with a commanding victory on March 6th, defeating Taiwan 13-0 in a seven-inning mercy-rule game in Group C of the first round at Tokyo Dome. (News On Japan)

The Tokyo Marathon was held on March 1st along a course running from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to Tokyo Station, with Suguru Osako, who holds the Japanese national record and competes for Li-Ning, finishing 12th in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 59 seconds to post the best result among Japanese runners in the men’s race. (News On Japan)

Olympic gold medalists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, the pair known as “RikuRyu,” spoke at a press conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on February 25th, reflecting on their victory in pair skating at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and the determination that carried them through the competition. (News On Japan)

Nearly 35,000 runners raced through the streets of Osaka on February 22nd as the Osaka Marathon, now in its 14th year, was held in unseasonably warm conditions reminiscent of late April. (News On Japan)

Basketball is booming in Japan. The national team has competed in back-to-back Olympics for the first time since the 1970s. (News On Japan)

Ryutaro Hazuki, a player for the Hiroshima Carp who has been indicted on charges of using a designated drug known as “zombie tobacco,” was released on bail on February 18th. (News On Japan)

The pairs free skating event saw the duo known as “Rikuryu,” Riku Miura, 24, and Ryuichi Kihara, 33, of the Kinoshita Group, capture a dramatic gold medal in a stunning comeback, delivering a performance that brought the entire arena to its feet and earning 158.13 points, the highest free skating score in history. (News On Japan)

Roki Sasaki’s decision to join Major League Baseball has evolved from international speculation into an on-field reality that is already influencing both MLB outcomes and fantasy baseball strategy. (News On Japan)