Miho Takagi (right) and other Japan women's speed skating national team members train on January, 27, 2026, in Inzell, Germany. (©KYODO)
Japan's athletes collected three gold medals and 18 total medals at the 2022 Beijing Games, the nation's best-ever overall performance at a Winter Olympics. In recent weeks, Japanese Olympic Committee officials have stated that the national goal is to eclipse that total in Italy.
The 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics run from Friday, February 6 to Sunday, February 22, though curling, ice hockey and snowboarding events begin before the official first day.
Can Japan earn 19 or more Olympic medals in Italy?
Yes, indeed.
Recent history suggests that it's definitely possible, with a number of Japanese athletes now bigger, stronger, and faster than their counterparts from past generations.
What else should be kept in mind is the following: There's been an increase in Olympic medals for Team Japan in each of the Winter Games since women's figure skating titlist Shizuka Arakawa took home the nation's lone medal from the 2006 Turin Olympics.
At the 2010 Vancouver Games, Japan had five medals (three silver, two bronze). Then, at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the Hinomaru claimed eight medals, including one gold (Yuzuru Hanyu's first of two consecutive titles in men's figure skating).
In 2018, the Japanese squad secured 13 medals, including four gold (three in women's speed skating).
How Japan Performed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics
Japan medaled in seven different sports in the 2022 Olympics, with speed skating providing the biggest chunk of the 18 medals ― one gold, three silver and one bronze. Other sports in which Japan grabbed medals: figure skating (four), snowboarding (three), ski jumping (two), Nordic combined (two), and curling and freestyle skiing (one apiece).
Aiming for More Olympic Glory
Miho Takagi, reigning women's 1,000-meter champion, returns to lead Team Japan's talented speed skating corps. In Beijing, she was the silver medalist in both the 1,500 and the 500, and a member of the runner-up squad in team pursuit.
Also in China, ski jumper Ryoyu Kobayashi soared to victory in the men's normal hill event, and snowboarder Ayumu Hirano captured the gold in the men's halfpipe competition.
Takagi is 31. Kobayashi is 29. And Hirano is 27.
Having experienced what it takes to win in the pressure-filled environment of the Winter Games, it wouldn't be a shock if any of them repeat as Olympic champions.
Takagi and other members of Japan's speed skating squad held a training camp in Inzell, Germany, in preparation for the Milan Cortina Games.
Now, one week before the competition gets underway and gearing up for her fourth Olympics, Takagi spoke about the anticipation of getting on the ice.
"The sense that the countdown has truly begun grows stronger day by day," Takagi was quoted as saying by Kyodo News on Friday, January 30.
Quality Preparations for Top Athletes
A week earlier, Takagi talked about her physical condition after finishing second in the 1,500-meter race at an ISU Speed Skating World Cup meet in Inzell.
"My feeling and the results are connecting now, and that's good for me," Takagi told reporters on January 23. "I still have little things to improve, which is a good thing in the run-up to the Games."
Kobayashi also recently provided a positive assessment of his training and meet results ahead of the Olympics.
"I'm starting to put my performances together, and I'm looking forward to the Olympics," Kobayashi said, according to Kyodo News.
Skating for Olympic Glory
Yuma Kagiyama had a silver medal performance at the Beijing Games. He's also earned three silvers in men's singles at the World Figure Skating Championships in recent years.
Three-time women's world champion Kaori Sakamoto, who is retiring after the season, is also expected to contend for a medal in Italy.
Japan's overall talent in men's and women's skating helped it claim the silver in the team competition in Beijing. Another medal in the 2026 team event is a strong possibility.
And keep an eye on two-time world champion pairs Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara when they step onto the ice at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. They will attempt to make Olympic history for Japan in their event.
"We're aiming for a medal, something that Japan has not won yet [in pairs]," Kihara was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.
Parting Thoughts on Team Japan
Nikkan Sports recently published its own medal forecast for the Japanese Olympic delegation, making the prediction that Japan would nab 26 medals (eight gold, nine silver, nine bronze) in Italy.
In Italy, I think Japan will surpass 20 medals. Its established stars in figure skating and speed skating should lead the way again in the medal tally.
There are also positive signs in other sports.
Japan's impressive results in various World Cup competitions in freestyle skiing (including Ikumi Horishima) and snowboarding (including Kokomo Murase) in recent years provide a reliable forecast. In other words, expect Japan to collect a handful of medals in each sport.
Look for ski jumper Nozomi Maruyama, winner of six World Cup competitions in her breakthrough 2025-26 campaign, to earn her first Olympic medal in February.
And after placing second in Beijing, the Japan women could be a medal contender once again in curling.
RELATED:
- Kosei Inoue: The Power of Sports Heads to the Milan Cortina Olympics
- JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK | Olympics: Kaori Sakamoto Inspired to Do Her Best
- Beijing Olympians Show Off Range of Japan's Talent and Skills with Great Results
Tennis
Oda Collects Pair of Australian Open Titles
Men's wheelchair tennis superstar Tokito Oda outplayed Spain's Martin de la Puente in the men's final at the Australian Open, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Saturday, January 31.
It was Oda's second Australian Open singles title. And he's now won the past four Grand Slam events, starting with the French Open in June 2025. At age 19, he's the youngest man to accomplish that feat.
On Friday, Oda and Argentina's Gustavo Fernandez teamed up for a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Spain's Daniel Caverzaschi and the Netherlands' Ruben Spaargaren.
Fernandez and Ota partnered for their first Grand Slam doubles titles together at the 2025 US Open.
Previously, Oda had lost his first six appearances in Grand Slam doubles finals. Now he's won two in a row.
Euphoria for Oda
Naturally, Oda, the world's top-ranked player, was in an upbeat mood after his triumph over de la Puente.
"Thank you all, I really appreciate all of your love," he said, according to the tournament website.
Oda added, "I hope you guys keep supporting wheelchair tennis."
The Tokyo native also had complimentary words for his singles final opponent.
"It's the first time we shared a final at a Grand Slam," Oda said. "I was very happy to play with Martin. Big congrats to your team."
RELATED:
Basketball
An Up-and-Down Week for Lakers' Hachimura
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura had 23- and zero-point performances in back-to-back NBA games on January 26 and 28, respectively.
In the first of those games, Hachimura helped lead the Lakers to a 129-118 road win on Monday over the Chicago Bulls. He made 9 of 11 shots from the floor, including 4 of 5 3-point attempts, in 29 minutes off the bench. And he matched his second-highest scoring performance of the season.
It was the Lakers' fourth game of an eight-game road trip.
Two nights later, Hachimura shot 0-for-7 in his 18 minutes of court time. The Cleveland Cavaliers hammered the Lakers, winning 129-99.
On Friday, January 30, Hachimura bounced back with 11 points in 18 minutes in the Lakers' 142-111 throttling of his former team, the Washington Wizards. Five LA players finished with 10 or more points, including Luka Doncic, who had a game-high 37 points.
Sunrockers Take Yamazaki with Top Pick in B.League Draft
University of Northern Colorado junior forward Ibu Yamazaki was the No 1 pick in the inaugural B.League Draft on Thursday, January 29. The Sunrockers Shibuya selected Yamazaki.
Shibuya won the draft lottery on December 22, 2025.
The 201-cm Yamazaki, a Chiba Prefecture native, is averaging 9.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 22 games (20 starts) through Thursday.
Yamazaki previously played at Radford University in Virginia from 2022-25. He sat out the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury.
Due to NCAA regulations, the Sunrockers and Yamazaki are prohibited from holding contract negotiations until after the season.
Sunrockers general manager Ryota Matsuoka is impressed with Yamazaki's talent and his potential as a future pro.
"Yamazaki is a wing player possessing exceptional size, athleticism and an outstanding work rate," Matsuoka said in a news release. "We firmly believe he is a rare talent worthy of the first overall pick, destined to lead the future of Japanese basketball."
At the 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, Yamazaki averaged 14.6 points and 4.0 rebounds for Japan in seven games.
Volleyball
SV.League Launches Program on YouTube
The SV.League has started a new interview series on YouTube. Inside SV.League 2025-26 is an ambitious effort to promote the circuit and educate fans about its players.
The first episode of the series features Brazilians teammates Rosamaria Montibeller and Sabrina De Jesus Machado of the Denso Airybees.
Reflecting on the current season, Machado said it's an exciting experience to play on the same club team as Montibeller.
"Getting to play together is a one-of-a-kind experience," Machado commented on the inaugural episode of Inside SV.League 2025-26. "I respected her for so long on the Brazilian national team and it's amazing that we get to share our energy with each other. Our entire team feels her presence and her energy. I'm just so happy to be able to feel that energy directly."
Denso has a 12-14 record in the SV League and is currently in 10th place among 14 women's teams in the standings. (The SV.League operates separate men's and women's circuits.)
American volleyball standout Matthew Anderson, an opposite hitter and four-time Olympian, is featured in the second episode of the program. He's a key player for Osaka's Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers, who have a 20-4 record just past the midway point of the 44-match men's season.
"I want to continue to grow as a player," Anderson said during the interview. "How I can fit in and how I can help the team. We're trying to take this team, which has a big history of winning, back to the forefront of the league and try to make them a dominant team again like they used to be."
Boxing
Trainer Inoue Honored at 2025 Ring Awards
Shingo Inoue was named the Trainer of the Year at the 2025 Ring Awards ceremony in New York on Friday, January 30. The boxing patriarch, whose sons Naoya and Takuma triumphed in world title bouts last year, was one of five finalists.
Other Japanese winners at the second annual gala were Seiya Tsutsumi and Daigo Higa for the Round of the Year. The accolade refers to the explosive ninth round of their WBA bantamweight title fight, which ended in a unanimous draw on February 24.
Also Friday, Mizuki Hiruta received the Female Fighter of the Year award. Hiruta won all four of her WBO super flyweight title defenses in 2025.
Before her third fight of last year (against Naomy Cardenas Gomez on August 15), Hiruta outlined her future goals.
"I still have a lot of room to improve, and I'm not satisfied yet, not at all," Hiruta said, according to The Ring magazine.
She added, "I don't think I'm recognized very well, and then to have that, I have to unify titles and also move up the divisions, so that way I can be a superstar. I want to be a superstar."
Baseball
Ohtani Won’t Pitch in the WBC
Shohei Ohtani will not pitch during the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced on Saturday, January 31.
On the same day, Ohtani, MVP of the 2023 WBC, gave an explanation for his decision while looking ahead to the 162-game MLB season, too.
"I've been thinking about the best way to balance pitching and batting this season," Ohtani said at Dodger Stadium, Kyodo News reported. "I think it's the right decision."
He added, "I'm in good health so far. Because of the WBC, I think I'll be able to adjust a little faster."
Roberts reiterated that it was Ohtani’s decision to not compete as a two-way player for reigning champion Japan in the WBC.
"I wasn't surprised. I can't even say I was relieved," Roberts was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "It just seemed like the right decision."
Quote of the Week
"Wearing a Japanese uniform once again fills me with a deep sense of pride and responsibility. I've trained hard this offseason to be in the best possible condition for the WBC."
―Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, on preparing to play for Samurai Japan at the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Reigning champion Japan faces Taiwan in its Pool C opener on March 6.
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
