Sports

[Dogen Z]

Pure Powder

Japan has some of the finest powder snow in the world. In Nagano, the snow can be blown off your glove like it's dust, and Niseko reputedly has even better stuff - "like you're skiing on clouds."

Here's a vid of a couple of guys skiing in Niseko. They're certainly not novices, but they might be crazy (see the ending of the vid).

 

[Dogen Z]

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

NHK's tribute to the Vancouver Olympics. Music by L'Arc n Ciel.

I know that Korea's Yuuna Kim deserves an Olympic gold medal in skating, but I hope Mao Asada makes a spectacular recovery from here recent setbacks (get rid of the that coach, Mao).

 

[remitmoneytoindia]

Nice video

Nice video hope to see some more relevant sports news here...Its really nice section to know about sports in Japan.

 

[Dogen Z]

Nice video hope to see some more relevant sports news here...Its really nice section to know about sports in Japan.

No new video, but Mao Asada is back in form again, just in time for the Vancouver Olympics. Gambatte Asada-san. Great rivalry between her and Yuna Kim. Makes them both better, I think.

 

[Elizabeth]

NHK's tribute to the Vancouver Olympics. Music by L'Arc n Ciel.

I know that Korea's Yuuna Kim deserves an Olympic gold medal in skating, but I hope Mao Asada makes a spectacular recovery from here recent setbacks (get rid of the that coach, Mao).

Mao right now is too addicted to crisis and drama. A bit of a late bloomer who needs to mature both on and off the ice. But Yuna Kim won the gold. Even if Mao had skated flawlessly, I don't think between gold and silver it would have made any difference. just a smaller margin of victory. And maybe Mao would have broken Yuna's PREVIOUS world records...

 

[Elizabeth]

Japan has some of the finest powder snow in the world. In Nagano, the snow can be blown off your glove like it's dust, and Niseko reputedly has even better stuff - "like you're skiing on clouds."
Here's a vid of a couple of guys skiing in Niseko. They're certainly not novices, but they might be crazy (see the ending of the vid).

Niseko is a magnet for the world's most perfect snow storms, no doubt about it.

And, oh, the vid : Crazy jet-ski free stylin'!! These guys got some insane skills!

ﾂ静｡ﾅｽﾂｿ窶堙坂?怒ﾂ州窶堙??堙坂?敕､窶堙冷?｢ﾂｨ窶堙俄?堙遺?堙ｨ窶堙懌?堋ｹ窶堙ｱﾂ。

 

[Dogen Z]

Neither Nishikori nor Ferrer made it to the semifinals of the Japan Open so there was no rematch. : (
On to sumo. Recently, a former Russian sumo wrestler has claimed that his bouts were rigged. If he can back up his claim in a pending lawsuit against the sumo federation, it will be a real scandal.
Of course, rumors about sumo being rigged has been around for years, especially after the highly suspicious deaths of 2 sumo wrestlers at nearly the same time. In their book, Freakonomics, Levitt and Dubner go to some length showing how sumo match outcomes over a number of years are statistically extraordinary and extremely suspicious.

The statistical evidence was right. It is rigged! I hope sumo can clean itself up and regain public confidence asap.

 

[Davey]

Soccer: Japan rises to 17th in FIFA rankings+
TOKYO, Feb. 2 (AP) - (Kyodo)―Japan, which won the 2011 Asian Cup on Saturday, has risen to 17th in the latest world rankings released Wednesday by soccer world governing body FIFA.
Japan climbed 12 notches from the previous rankings, becoming the top Asian team for the first time since October 2008. The top three remained the same, with Spain retaining first place, followed by the Netherlands and Germany.

Australia, who lost 1-0 to Japan in the Asian Cup final in Doha, ranked 21st, while South Korea, defeated 3-0 by Japan in a semifinal penalty shootout, ranked 32nd.

Japan's highest-ever rank was ninth in February 1998.
Source

I really enjoyed watching the Japan vs SKorea and Australia games the other week, they have a great team and deserved to win the Asian cup. I am looking forward to seeing them play in the 2014 WC in Brasil. I hope that players like Honda, Nagatomo, and Uchida (shouldn't forget Kawashima) will still be there, and that Japan will be with the last 8 again.