JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK | JFA Chief Says Soccer Squad Needs a 'Breath of Fresh Air' at the Helm
Go Oiwa, who'll become the next Samurai Blue manager in March 2027, is seen in a July 2024 file photo. (©SANKEI)
Capturing the 2027 Asian Cup title is the top objective for the Japan men's soccer national team in the near future. After that, bolstering the team for the future with new leadership is the next priority, Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said on Friday, July 24.
Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Miyamoto explained the unconventional decision to hand manager Hajime Moriyasu a short-term contract (six months) instead of a long-term extension.
The press event was held a day after the JFA announced current Japan Under-21 national team boss Go Oiwa would become Moriyasu's successor at the conclusion of the Asian Cup.
"To win the Asian Cup, we want to count on the strength that Moriyasu's team showed in continuously winning in Asia [in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds]," Miyamoto said, according to Kyodo News. "But as we also have to look ahead to four years from now and beyond, I also thought about the need for a breath of fresh air."
The 2027 Asian Cup, which will be held January 7 to February 5 in Saudi Arabia, will mark the end of an era for the Japan soccer squad.
Preparing for the 2027 Asian Cup
Winning the Asian Cup, which Japan last accomplished in 2011, is one of the pillars of the JFA's blueprint for success.
"Now that the World Cup is over, what we believe is most important is winning the Asian Cup," Miyamoto said earlier in the week. "Looking ahead, our FIFA ranking will have an impact on our [2030] World Cup campaign, so it will be important to climb as high as possible.
"At the same time, we have to think not only about the next tournament, but also about the next four years and beyond," added the JFA chief. "Considering what Japanese football needs in order to continue growing, the conclusion we reached was 'succession and 'evolution.' "
Moriyasu, who has held the top job since 2018, guided the Samurai Blue in back-to-back World Cups.
Brazil ended Japan's goal of reaching the global soccer tournament's quarterfinals for the first time with a 2-1 triumph in the round of 32 on June 29.
Moriyasu's overall record as the national team boss is 73 wins, 15 draws and 19 defeats.
The 57-year-old soccer mentor said he has a final task to complete before the end of his managerial stint.
"Together with my staff, I will do the best I can to produce a result within this period of contract and pass the baton in a positive manner to my successor," Moriyasu said, according to Kyodo News.
Continuity is a Priority, Soccer Chief Says
Masakuni Yamamoto, the JFA national team director, also spoke to reporters at Friday's news conference.
"Mr Oiwa has demonstrated his aptitude with his track record," Yamamoto said, according to Kyodo News.
During Oiwa's coaching tenure working with the various under-age national teams (U-21, U-22, U-23) in recent years, he's had a track record of solid results.
Japan won two straight Under-23 Asian Cup titles, in 2024 and '26, with Oiwa at the helm.
Oiwa, 54, also served as Japan's Olympic coach at the 2024 Paris Games, where the team reached the quarterfinals. And in 2018, he guided the Kashima Antlers to the Asian Champions League title.
According to published reports, Miyamoto had weighed the possibility of offering the national team job to a foreign coach. But as it turned out, the former Samurai Blue captain said the JFA opted for continuity within the JFA leadership structure.
"Given the organizational strength Japan has cultivated and the quality of our soccer, we debated whether it would be better for a new foreign coach to come in and start completely from scratch, or to build on what we already have," Miyamoto said, according to Nikkan Sports. "After that discussion, we concluded that continuity should be prioritized."
Oiwa's contract as Samurai Blue boss will run through the end of the 2030 World Cup.
RELATED:
- SPORTS SHORTS | Go Oiwa to Take Over as Samurai Blue Boss After 2027 Asian Cup
- ODDS and EVENS | Hajime Moriyasu Deserves Applause for His Stellar Work as Japan Boss
- World Cup: Brazil Earns a Last-Gasp Victory Over Japan in Round of 32
Lacrosse
Japan Routs Czech Republic in World Championship Opener
Kokorozo Nakazawa and Chisa Kobayashi scored five goals apiece to lead Japan to a 21-5 win over the Czech Republic in the 2026 World Lacrosse Women's Championship opener on Friday night, July 24.
At Tokyo's Oi Hockey Stadium, Kobayashi gave Japan a 1-0 lead 43 seconds into the first quarter.
It was a sign of things to come in the Pool D match.
After Czech player Vendy Subrtova leveled the score at 1-1, Japan had five unanswered goals before the end of the opening quarter. Monika Jones began the scoring flurry, with Suzuno Hosoda adding two quick goals. The Czech Republic trailed 6-1 entering the second quarter.
Japan led 9-2 at halftime and 16-3 heading into the fourth quarter.
Eight players scored goals for Japan in the tourney opener, including Jones and Hosoda, who had three apiece. Mayu Fujii, Kokoro Nakazawa and Negai Nakazawa, who are sisters, shared the team lead in assists (two).
Japan outshot the Czech Republic 31-12.
The 16-nation world championship runs through August 2 in Tokyo.
Baseball
Marlins Draft Pick Sasaki Discusses MLB Dream
The Miami Marlins held an introductory news conference for eighth-round draft pick Rintaro Sasaki on Thursday, July 23.
Eleven days after he was chosen by the National League club with the 235th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, Sasaki spoke about his aspirations as a pro player.
"My dream is always going to be how I'm going to make it to the big leagues as soon as possible," Sasaki said, according to The Associated Press. "That's a big reason for choosing Miami. It's giving me a great opportunity."
Looking ahead, the former Stanford University slugger recognizes he faces a big challenge.
"I don't know what the result will be," Sasaki told the news conference through an interpreter, "and of course I'm aiming for the major stage, and I'm thinking about getting up there. I've chosen this path, so I'm going to do my best to do what I can do, and to do everything I can to get better."
Sugano Notches 10 Wins for 2nd Straight Season
Colorado Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano held the Milwaukee Brewers to two runs and five hits in a 5-2 home victory on Friday night, July 24.
As a result, Sugano (10-4) reached double digits for the second time in as many MLB seasons.
The former Yomiuri Giants ace went 10-4 with the Baltimore Orioles in 2025, his first season in the big leagues.
Despite a 5.73 ERA, Sugano is 6-0 in his last seven starts.
In other MLB news, Los Angeles Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki had one of his most dominant pitching performances of the season on Friday night. A 24-year-old fireballer from Iwate Prefecture, Sasaki (4-5) held the New York Mets to three hits and a run in seven innings, striking out nine and issuing two walks.
LA topped the Mets 4-2, picking up their MLB-best 66th win.
Urata, Iwata Share NPB Lead in Stolen Bases
Yomiuri Giants infielder Shunsuke Urata and Tokyo Yakult Swallows outfielder Yukihiro Iwata are tied for the NPB lead in stolen bases (25) through games of Friday, July 24.
Urata, 25, had zero steals in 22 games as a first-year player for the Giants in 2025. This season, he's emerged as a top theft artist on the base paths for the Central League squad.
Iwata, who made his NPB debut in 2024, has 25 steals in 82 games this season. In 2025, he swiped 14 in 126 games.
Box score of the week: The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks defeated the Orix Buffaloes 22-2 on Wednesday, July 22. Manager Hiroki Kokubo's squad pounded out 26 hits in the rout.
After scoring four runs in the home half of the first inning, the reigning Japan Series champion Hawks tacked on three runs in the second and two more in the third, then erupted for seventh in the fourth to take a 16-0 lead.
Third baseman Ryoya Kurihara powered the Hawks with five hits, including two homers and five RBIs. Teammate Kensuke Kondoh, who had a two-run blast in the second, went 4-for-4.
The Buffaloes used six pitchers in the game. Starter Raiku Katayama (0-1) was yanked after giving up four runs without recording an out in the first inning.
Basketball
New Ryukyu Coach McHenry Outlines Vision for Team
The Ryukyu Golden Kings are entering a new era with new leadership.
Anthony McHenry takes over as the bench boss as the B.League, which has been rebranded B.Premier for the 26-team first division, gears up for the 2026-27 campaign.
The Golden Kings began offseason workouts on Monday, July 20.
On the same day, McHenry spoke about his new role with the team. McHenry steps into the leadership spotlight after the recent departure of Dai Oketani.
Oketani left the team after leading Ryukyu to five consecutive appearances in the B.League Finals.
"With the team we've assembled for this season, we plan to move the ball more and play at a very fast pace," McHenry said at the media gathering, the Japanese-language website Basket Count reported. "I also understand that professional basketball is an entertainment business. That's why I want to put on a show with plays that fans love — like dunks and 3-point shots — to make the games as exciting as possible."
McHenry is listed as associate head coach, not head coach. This is a technicality, though, because B.League rules require head coaches to have a Japan Basketball Association S-class coaching license.
A Georgia Tech alum, McHenry retired as a player in 2023. He spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach on Oketani's staff. And he's working to fulfill the requirement to obtain the highest coaching certificate in Japan.
Longtime Golden Kings front-office executive Jun Yasunaga hammered home the point that McHenry is the bench boss.
"Although his title is 'associate head coach,' this will be the McHenry coaching regime," Yasunaga said, according to Basket Count. "If I were to express it in Japanese, I think the term 'Commander McHenry' would fit best."
Confidence in McHenry
A former franchise cornerstone, McHenry played a starring role on Ryukyu's four championship-winning teams in the bj-league era. He appeared in his first game for the Golden Kings in 2008 and became a team legend.
Yasunaga expressed confidence that McHenry's deep knowledge of the organization will be beneficial to him in his coaching post.
"While everyone has their own style and values, Coach McHenry's vision of 'what the Kings should be' and 'how they should play' truly aligns with what the Kings have built over their 20-year history," Yasunaga was quoted as saying by Basket Count.
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Volleyball
Japan Falls in Women's Nations League Quarterfinals
Brazil eliminated Japan 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20) in the FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League quarterfinals on Wednesday, July 22.
In Macau, outsider Ana Cristina de Souza paced world No 2 Brazil with 30 points, including 25 kills.
The victors had 15 blocks to Japan's eight, which proved to be one of the key factors in the match.
For Japan, Yukiko Wada had a team-best 19 points, including two aces. Mayu Ishikawa added 15 points and Yoshino Sato had 12.
"We couldn't score at critical moments. There are a lot of things we have to work [on], and I'd like to take some time to reflect on this," Wada said, according to Volleyball World.
Japan placed fourth in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League.
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Boxing
Masuda Claims Vacant WBA Bantamweight Title
Riku Masuda defeated Daigo Higa by split decision to capture the vacant WBA bantamweight title on Monday, July 20.
At Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, two judges scored the fight 117-111 in Masuda's favor. The other ringside judge's scorecard had it 115-113 for Higa.
With the victory, Hiroshima native Masuda improved to 11-1 (nine knockouts).
Higa slipped to 21-4-3 (19 KOs).
"As the fight wore on, Masuda's sharp counterpunching and superior accuracy gradually shifted the momentum in his favor," the WBA website's fight recap stated.
To his credit, the brief article noted, "the 28-year-old southpaw remained composed, moved smoothly around the ring, and landed the cleaner, more effective combinations against a relentless Higa who refused to take a backward step."
Quotes of the Week
"Every time I'd go out, I'd wear a hat, sunglasses and a face mask."
―Colorado Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, on his attempts to have some semblance of privacy during his 12 years pitching for the Yomiuri Giants (2013-24), MLB.com reported.
"It was a tough start, but I made some good par saves on the seventh and eighth holes. Then I had a surprising eagle on the 10th, and I was able to build some momentum and keep improving my score from there. I'm really happy with the way I finished."
―LPGA golfer Erika Hara, on her performance in the second round of the Women's Scottish Open on July 24 in Ayrshire, Scotland. Hara shot a 2-under 70 in the second round and was tied for fourth (4-under 140) at the midway point of the tourney.
"We got beaten convincingly in two areas today. Firstly in the maul ― they scored five of their six tries through their maul, and they convincingly won the battle in the air. With the shorter stature of our wingers, we have to find a better way to compete in that area. They are two great lessons for us."
―Eddie Jones, the Japan men's rugby head coach, on the Brave Blossoms' 42-15 loss to Ireland in a Nations Championship third-round match on July 18 in Tokyo.
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.
