Japan’s most popular symbol of the beautiful game continues with his newfound love of gambling.
soccer (Page 3)
In Iran, women are forbidden from stadiums, but for fans of soccer, drastic times call for drastic measures.
Go ahead and laugh, because the former midfielder will have the last laugh all the way to the bank… his big bank of poo.
New collaboration between part-time job hunting app an and Soccer King means you can fulfill your childhood dream of being a wall when you grow up.
Containing real throat lozenge powder, this new release is one of the most unusual Kit Kats seen in Japan to date.
Gerard Piqué seems to have enjoyed his time in Japan, but Japanese Internet users aren’t so thrilled.
While an eager audience of children hung onto his every word, his pep talk appears to have ruffled Japanese net users for an amusing reason.
Bringing the over-the-top soccer moves of Captain Tsubasa to a live stage seems like a crazy idea, but it’s the kind of crazy Ebina has built a career on.
Considering soccer is one sport Japanese athletes both male and female excel at compared to others, it’s easy to see why there’s so many fans of the Japan National and Women’s National Football Teams.
That’s why it may not be so surprising that after the men’s soccer team’s humiliating 0-4 defeat against Brazil last year, fans were feeling a little sour. But just how long do sports grudges last? Apparently quite awhile if you go by this picture of a certain popular Brazilian player that someone stuck in one of the urinals at the most-recent Tokyo Game Show.
Traditional Japanese fundoshi loincloths are both functional and fashionable, providing modesty for the modern man while still allowing a healthy influx of air around one’s nether regions. In fact, fundoshi are currently enjoying a revival of popularity in Japan, perhaps as a result of some men rebelling against constricting tighty whities and boring boxer shorts.
Our Japanese writers love them, and now some of the players from J-League division 2 football team V-Varen Nagasaki have lent their talents to advertise a range of crotch drapery designed to make fundoshi fun for football fans.
It’s safe to say that the current main sports in Japan are baseball and soccer. The older of the two, Japanese baseball, can be defined by its players’ almost militaristic commitment to the game developed through the harsh training they undergo as youths.
However, with soccer, it’s not uncommon to see players with shaggy long hair or even dye jobs, and along with that a new attitude to playing professional sports in Japan. As a result, the nation may be witnessing its first true sports celebrity in Keisuke Honda: AC Milan and Japanese National Team forward and now an award-winning perfumer.
I’ll be completely honest with you here–I don’t know much of anything about soccer. I hate to fit the dumb American stereotype, but when it comes to sports, soccer is one that I definitely never got into.
I have nothing against it, of course! Partly, it’s just exhausting watching the ball bounce back and forth between players, changing directions like a whip. But on the other hand, I have to admit that it’s easy to see why some call it a “beautiful” game, and this video of a Thailand soccer team ably slipping through a Malaysian team’s defenses is nothing less than amazing.
Readers in the West may not have heard much about it, but the 17th Asian Games were held between September 19 and October 4 in Incheon, South Korea. As the largest multi-sporting event after the Olympics, the Asian Games bring together athletes from all across the Asian continent only once every four years. By the end of this year’s competition, China had racked up the highest medal count, followed by host South Korea and Japan. However, this year’s Games were also plagued by rampant rumors of suspicious refereeing, fixed matches, and host country favoritism, leaving many nations with a bitter aftertaste upon their conclusion.
In response to the multiple stories of alleged corruption, one irate Thai viewer created a parody video to vent his frustrations. As of this writing, the video, with its scornful lyrics yet surprisingly bubbly nature, has been replayed over 2 million times on YouTube, despite having been published less than a week ago. Judging by the comments, it seems the rest of the world seems to sympathize with its message…
Back at the start of summer, our jaws dropped to the floor as we watched what might be the coolest commercial for Nissin Cup Noodle instant ramen ever, in which a man dressed in samurai armor travelled to Brazil and wowed the people of the World Cup host country with his amazing freestyle football skills.
The Japanese national team turned in a less than impressive performance in the contest, though, failing to advance past group play. Would the disappointment over his countrymen’s early exit lead the soccer samurai to retire?
Not at all, as his second video finds the samurai with a new set of armor, new, European surroundings, and now a group of adversaries: ninjas!
With Japan’s early defeat in the last FIFA World Cup finals, fans were eagerly awaiting a rebuilt and re-energized team under the guidance of new coach Javier Aguirre. This new national team is set to kick off for the first time on 5 September against Uruguay followed by a match against Venezuela on 9 September.
However, much of the excitement and anticipation held by fans of Aguirre Japan was quickly doused by a wet blanket in the form of a YouTube video posted on 2 September. In it we see what appears to be a practice session that looks…unencouraging to say the least.
Just a few weeks ago, as the World Cup got underway, expectations were running high for Japan’s national soccer team, which played impressively on its way to making the Group of 16 four years ago in South Africa. Seemingly the whole country was pumped up, with both long-time soccer nuts and people who ordinarily have little interest in sports getting behind the men in blue.
Sadly, though, Japan’s shot in Brazil came to a close after just three games, with its best outing being a 0-0 draw with Greece. It’s safe to say fans are disappointed, and there’s another group of people that acutely shares their pain: retailers stuck with boxes of unsold Japanese soccer team merchandise.
















Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
Family Mart releases new Human Made Cup Noodle in Japan, with freebies for Nigo fans
Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Hobonichi unveils new 2027 planners, diaries and stationery with One Piece, Suica Penguin, Hello Kitty and a must-buy Mini Techo
Hikaru Utada sings new song in Shinkansen commercial for Japan’s Supreme Class cabins
Mister Donut releases new doughnuts that look and taste like Japanese sweet potatoes
This Japanese 7-Eleven has the most expensive drinks, and item, we’ve even seen at the chain
Farewell Final Ceremony announced for Tokyo’s life-size Gundam statue, will stream live
Pizza Hut Japan creates moon-viewing sukiyaki chrysanthemum pizza for tsukimi season
Foreign travelers arrested in Japan following smash-and-grab robbery in Tokyo shopping mall
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Nike x One Piece collection brings Devil Fruits to sneakers and streetwear in Japan
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
Police in Japan looking for who’s responsible for dumping 80 loaves of bread on side of road [Video]
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
Nephew of Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki serves up Totoro Shaved Ice in Tokyo
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Mister Donut releases new doughnuts that look and taste like Japanese sweet potatoes
This Japanese 7-Eleven has the most expensive drinks, and item, we’ve even seen at the chain
Farewell Final Ceremony announced for Tokyo’s life-size Gundam statue, will stream live
Pizza Hut Japan creates moon-viewing sukiyaki chrysanthemum pizza for tsukimi season
Foreign travelers arrested in Japan following smash-and-grab robbery in Tokyo shopping mall
No, Japan’s prime minster did not make friends with a cockroach, despite what you may have heard
Mos Burger skips tsukimi burgers, crafts moon-viewing focaccia sausage sandwiches instead
Starting this fall, you’ll be able to take a Pokémon Jet flight to Japan
Anime and Hollywood movies cross over in new Universal Studios Japan merch collection
McDonald’s Japan reveals exclusive new Tsukimi moon viewing collection for 2026
Family Mart reveals new T-shirt uniforms, relaxes hair colour rules for staff… but is it all too casual?
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport opens new Terminal 1 North Satellite next month
Amid foreign sex tourist rise, Japanese government considering outlawing paying for prostitution
Starbucks Japan adds a gooey sweet potato Frappuccino to its menu this autumn