The seventh event on the 2024 Street League Skateboarding Championship Tour calendar was held on Saturday, November 23 in Tokyo. And it was a banner day for Japanese skateboarders at Ariake Arena, where they earned four of the six trophies awarded.
Sora Shirai, the 2023 world champion in the men's street competition, triumphed in that discipline on Saturday, amassing 36.8 points from his two runs. The 23-year-old Kanagawa Prefecture native also scored the highest mark on a trick (9.4 points) among the six men's finalists.
Confidence in his ability to perform in the high-stakes pressure of the final paid off for Shirai, who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics. He cited his victory-clinching final trick as key.
"I knew I would be in first place if I decided to do it," Shira said, according to Nikkan Sports. "I've always been frustrated because I couldn't make a decision in such a spot, [but] I have grown up a little bit."
Two-time defending Olympic champion Yuto Horigome was the men's runner-up with 36.3 points. Chris Joslin of the United States earned a third-place finish (36.2 points).
Although he fell short of his goal of winning the competition, Horigome was pleased to have the opportunity to compete in Tokyo.
"This is my hometown," he said, according to Nikkan Sports. "I have family and friends here, and I was happy to skate in a special place."
Strong Results for Japanese Women in Skateboarding Event
Of the six women's finalists at the Street League Skateboarding competition in Tokyo, four were Japanese.
Brazilian Rayssa Leal, the Paris 2024 bronze medalist, triumphed with 30.7 points.
Olympic runner-up Liz Akama also placed second in this event (30.1) at Ariake Arena.
"I'm glad I was able to perform my favorite move in my last run," Akama said, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun. "I was able to show the audience my own style of skating."
Paris 2024 women's champion Coco Yoshizawa finished in third place (29.4 points).
"I couldn't get the run right, but I was able to perform the move I wanted to perform in Best Trick, so I'm satisfied with my skating," Yoshizawa was quoted as saying by The Yomiuri Shimbun.
Also for Japan, Aoi Uemura and Yumeka Oda were fifth and sixth, respectively, with 20.5 and 13.1 points.
The Street League Skateboarding Championship Tour wraps up its season with the Super Crown World Championship on December 14-15 in Sao Paulo.
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- Yuto Horigome Edges Two Americans to Defend His Title in Street Skateboarding
- Women's Street Skateboarding Yields Gold and Silver for Japan at Paris 2024
- A Photographer Reflects on the Street Skateboarding World Championship
Sumo
Ex-Yokozuna Kitanoufuji, a Winner of 10 Emperor's Cups, Dies at 82
Kitanofuji, a winner of 10 Emperor's Cups and a yokozuna from January 1970 until his retirement in July 1974, passed away on November 12 at a Tokyo hospital, the Japan Sumo Association announced on Thursday, November 21. He was 82.
The Hokkaido native, whose given name was Katsuaki Takezawa, made his sumo debut in 1957 at age 14. He toiled in the lower ranks for several years before becoming a maegashira in 1964.
In March 1967, he captured his first Emperor's Cup, winning the Spring Basho with a 14-1 record. He triumphed in back-to-back tournaments in November 1969 and January 1970 to earn promotion to sumo's highest rank.
Kitanofuji debuted as a grand champion at the Spring Basho in March 1970. He went 13-2 in that tourney, but didn't win it. That May and July produced his first titles as a yokozuna.
He won three more tournaments in 1971 and one apiece in 1972 and '73.
After his retirement as a wrestler, Kitanofuji worked as a stablemaster. He later served as a popular sumo commentator for NHK, as recently as July 2024, and also wrote about the sport for the Chunichi Shimbun.
Over the past year Kitanofuji had heart problems and a stroke, according to published reports.
Remembering Kitanofuji as a Broadcaster
Longtime NHK sumo announcer Fujio Kariya remembered Kitanofuji as a gifted communicator on broadcasts.
"He was a cultured person with a deep sense of humor, stylishness and good sense," Kariya was quoted as saying by Sports Hochi. "I have worked with various commentators on live broadcasts of various events, including the Olympics, and Kitanofuji was an outstanding commentator. His sense of humor and conversational sense were ingrained in his body."
Kariya also shared insights on Kitanofuji's distinct style as an announcer, offering these descriptions: "He reads the atmosphere of the scene and uses words in a way that is easier to understand and more amusing," Sports Hochi reported. "The way he conveys this to the audience is chic and stylish. He was a person who was able to get ideas from various things he saw and put them out there."
Soccer
Vissel Kobe Capture Emperor's Cup
Reigning J.League champion Vissel Kobe defeated Gamba Osaka 1-0 in the 104th Emperor's Cup final on Saturday afternoon, November 23 in Tokyo.
Forward Taisei Miyashiro scored the lone goal in the 64th minute at National Stadium to lift Vissel to their second tournament title. The Kansai-based club captured its first Emperor's Cup title on New Year's Day in 2020.
For Vissel fans, the winning goal was an exciting spectacle of teamwork, with on-the-move Yuya Osako passing the ball to Yoshinori Muto, who delivered a centering pass that was deflected, but Miyashiro was in the right place at the right time. From close range, he booted the ball into the net.
"I kept running believing in my teammates and the ball dropped right in front of me. I'm grateful to everyone," Miyashiro said, according to Kyodo News.
"The whole team really connected to get to the final, and I think we were able to win the championship with our team power," Osako was quoted as saying by NHK. "I just want Vissel Kobe to be a team that keeps winning titles, so I want to make that happen and keep working hard without being satisfied."
With two rounds of matches remaining in the 2024 J.League season, Osako's squad holds a three-point lead over second-place Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Vissel: 20 wins, eight draws, eight defeats (68 points).
Sanfrecce: 18 wins, 11 draws, seven defeats (65 points).
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Basketball
Japan Cruises Past Mongolia in FIBA Asia Cup Qualifier
Led by Yudai Nishida, four players scored in double figures as Japan defeated Mongolia 93-75 in a FIBA Asia Cup Group C qualifier on Thursday, November 21 in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture.
Nishida, a SeaHorses Mikawa player, sank 7 of 8 3-point shots and finished with a team-best 21 points at Nikkan Arena Tochigi.
Akatsuki Japan, ranked 21st in the world, and 108th-ranked Mongolia were tied 22-22 at the end of the first quarter.
The hosts added a little breathing room in the second quarter and took a 47-36 advantage into the second half.
Mongolia faced a 67-31 deficit entering the fourth quarter.
Japan took its largest lead of the game (83-54) in the final period.
In addition to Nishida, Japan's notable scorers included Makoto Hiejima (Utsunomiya Brex), who finished with 18 points and three steals and Alex Kirk (Ryukyu Golden Kings), who poured in 17 points, pulled down eight rebounds, handed out five assists and swatted four shots. Hirotaka Yoshii (San-en NeoPhoenix) contributed 10 points in the rout.
Japan leads Group C with a 3-0 record. It notched home victories over Guam (77-56) and China (76-73) on February 22 and 25, respectively.
Coach Tom Hovasse's squad is set to face Guam in Mangilao on Sunday afternoon, November 24.
After Thursday's win, Hovasse said it was a beneficial experience for the club.
"I'm glad to get the win," Hovasse told reporters, according to Kyodo News. "The experienced players were calm [and] the younger players weren't as proficient at our style of basketball, but they needed this experience. They'll be able to do it next time."
Kawamura Dishes Out 16 Assists in Hustle's G League Victory
Yuki Kawamura registered his first double-double in the NBA G League on Wednesday, November 20 against the Osceola Magic in Southaven, Mississippi. The Japanese playmaker finished with 15 points and 16 assists in the Memphis Hustle's 123-118 victory.
Kawamura has appeared in nine games for the Hustle's parent club, the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, and stepped onto the floor in two Hustle matches during the 2024-25 season.
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Baseball
Ohtani's Unanimous MVP Selections are Unprecedented
Writing for Forbes.com, veteran American sports reporter Jack Magruder examined the significance of Shohei Ohtani winning his third unanimous MVP Award in Major League Baseball.
The article, published on Friday, November 22, a day after the National League and American League MVP winners were announced, put Ohtani's historic feat in context in the broader landscape of North American sports.
"While it seemed a foregone conclusion after his historic 50 home run/50 stolen base season — no player had reached both those plateaus in the same season — it was also another step toward legendary status," Magruder wrote.
"With his 2024 MVP, Ohtani became the only player in the four major US professional sports leagues — Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League — to be an unanimous MVP more than once."
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Suzuki Appears on Hall of Fame Ballot
Ichiro Suzuki's name appears on the 2025 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, which was announced on Monday, November 18. Ichiro is one of 14 first-time candidates eligible for induction. To be selected as a Hall of Famer, a player's name must appear on 75% of the ballots filled out by Baseball Writers' Association of America voters.
The results will be announced on January 21, 2025, according to the Baseball Hall of Fame, which is located in Cooperstown, New York.
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Track and Field
Olympian Tanaka to Compete in Grand Slam Track
Long-distance runner Nozomi Tanaka, who represented Japan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris Games, has signed a contract to participate in Grand Slam Track's inaugural 2025 season.
An announcement was made on Friday, November 22 by legendary Olympic runner Michael Johnson, commissioner of Grand Slam Track.
"I am delighted to be part of Grand Slam Track and represent my country of Japan on the global stage," Tanaka said, according to a news release. "The level of competition is incredible, and I can already feel how much it's going to challenge me. [And] the lineup of other racers is fantastic and I know I'm ready to give my best to be victorious.
"I can't wait to showcase my speed in Grand Slam Track and look forward to seeing the fans at all of the Slams in 2025."
Along with Tanaka, who placed ninth in the women's 5,000 and 11th in the 1,500 at the Paris Olympics, Elise Cranny of the United States, Britain's Daryll Neita, Kenya's Mary Moraa and Bahrain's Salwa Eid Naser were named as new Grand Slam Track signees.
Additional Details on Grand Slam Track
Grand Slam Track has announced the signing of 37 of the 48 racers from around the world for the 2025 season, which will feature four meets: April 4-6 (Kingston, Jamaica), May 2-4 (Miami), May 30-June 1 (Philadelphia) and June 27-29 (Los Angeles).
Forty-eight challengers will also be paid to appear in the quartet of meets throughout the season.
Athletes will be assigned to compete in one of the six categories (with two events in each category): short sprints, short hurdles, long sprints, long hurdles, short distance or long distance.
Assigned to the long-distance category, Tanaka will race in both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races.
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Rugby
League One Season Set to Kick Off in December
The 2024-25 Japan Rugby League One season starts on Saturday, December 21.
Three matches are scheduled for the opening day of the new campaign: Mie Honda Heat vs BlackRams Tokyo, Shizuoka BlueRevs vs Kobelco Kobe Steelers and Tokyo Sungoliath vs Saitama Wild Knights.
Check out the full schedule on the league's website (in English).
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An Athlete's Voice
"I think the ace of the team has to be able to score when the team is struggling and when they really need a goal, so I think it was great that I was able to score the first goal when we were struggling and then score another goal to stop the momentum of the opponents when they were starting to gain momentum. But there are still a lot of things we need to work on, so we cannot afford to rest on our laurels."
―Japan forward Koki Ogawa, who scored two goals (39th minute, 54th) in a 3-1 away victory over China in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Group C third-round qualifier on November 19 in Xiamen.
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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