Masato Yoshii, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles' new manager, attends an introductory news conference on June 17, 2026, in Sendai. (©SANKEI)
With the worst record in NPB's Pacific League, the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles have shaken up their leadership ranks, appointing Masato Yoshii as the team's new manager.
Yoshii, who managed the Chiba Lotte Marines from 2023-25, was back in a familiar spot on Friday night, June 19, leading his new team against his old baseball club.
Lotte spoiled Yoshii's Rakuten debut, handing the Eagles an 8-5 loss. Trailing 4-3 after the third inning at Zozo Marine Stadium, the hosts tied it up in the fourth and added four more runs in the sixth. The Eagles scored once in the ninth.
With their most recent defeat, the Eagles dropped to 23-41-1. The Marines improved to 32-31-2.
"Everyone gave it their all," Yoshii, 61, said after his Rakuten debut, according to PacificLeague.com. "We'll put this behind us, devise a strategy to win tomorrow, and give it our best shot."
Saturday's Marines-Eagles game was postponed due to rain.
With 78 games remaining this season and plotting a turnaround, Masato Yoshii said he's focused on leading the Eagles out of the PL cellar.
"We'll fight with a strong determination to win," Yoshii told reporters. "There's still a chance — even if it's not 100 percent — so we'll aim for the top."
Masato Yoshii Returns to the Spotlight
Following Lotte's last-place finish (56-84-3) in 2025, Yoshii resigned, ending his three-year managerial stint.
His Marines went 71-66-6 and placed third in the six-team PL in 2024.
In his first season leading Lotte, the club placed second with a 70-68-5 record.
A former NPB and MLB pitcher (1985-2007), Yoshii had a lengthy second career in baseball as a pitching coach. He worked for the Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters (2008-12, 2016-18), Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2015) and the Marines (2019-21) before becoming a manager.
Within Japanese baseball circles, Yoshii is widely recognized for his ability to help develop young pitchers, including ex-Lotte standout Roki Sasaki, who's now employed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. And he's also spent time as pitching coach for Samurai Japan, the national team, including during its title-winning run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
In taking over a struggling franchise, Yoshii said he embraces the challenge of returning the Eagles to respectability.
"As a baseball person, I am very happy to be entrusted with such an important job," Yoshii said, according to Sports Hochi.
Hajime Miki began the season as Lotte manager before it was announced on June 10 that he was taking a leave of absence. At the time of Miki's departure, the Marines had a 21-36-1.
Head coach Tatsuya Shiokawa then took over as interim manager, but not for long as Yoshii was named the new dugout boss on June 17.
In selecting Masato Yoshii to lead the Eagles, Rakuten owner Hiroshi Mikitani said he hoped that "a winner's mentality will be instilled" in the team, Sports Hochi reported.
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Ohtani Announces Birth of 2nd Child
Shohei Ohtani has become a father for the second time.
The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar announced in a social media post that his wife, Mamiko, has given birth to the couple's second child.
"We're again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together," Ohtani wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday, June 20.
"Thank you for being born safely."
The post continued: "We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us through this journey."
In April 2025, Mamiko gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter.
On paternity leave on Friday, Ohtani was not in the lineup for the team's series-opening game against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium. He was expected to return to the lineup this weekend, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
The Dodgers (49-27) hold a 9½-game lead over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West through June 19.
Judo
Abe Claims Record-Breaking 12th Grand Slam Title
Five-time world champion judoka Uta Abe captured the 12th International Judo Federation Grand Slam title of her illustrious career on Friday, June 19.
At the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam in the Mongolian capital, Abe triumphed in the women's 52-kilogram division in her first competition of 2026.
Italy's Odette Giuffrida, Abe's scheduled opponent in the championship final, had to withdraw from the competition before their match due to an arm injury.
As a result, Abe clinched her 12th Grand Slam title by default. She had been tied with retired Japan-born Christa Deguchi, who competed for Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, for the most Grand Slam championships among female judoka.
After posting a pair of wins earlier in the day, Abe defeated Germany's Mascha Ballhaus in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she beat Khorloodoi Bishrelt of the United Arab Emirates to book a spot in the title match.
"It had been about half a year since my last match, so I was a little nervous," Abe said, according to the International Judo Federation website. "However, I managed to get my feel for the contest back and it turned out to be a good performance."
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic champion added, "We were able to secure Olympic qualification points while winning the tournament. I think we made a good start towards the [2028] Los Angeles Olympics. My next competition will be the World Judo Championships in Baku [in October] and I will work hard to win there."
Basketball
Nagasaki Hires Vickerman as New Head Coach
Longtime former Melbourne United head coach Dean Vickerman was named the reigning B.League champion Nagasaki Velca's new bench boss on Friday, June 19.
Vickerman, 54, replaces Mody Moar, who left the club after two seasons. Moar has joined the University of Michigan men's basketball team's coaching staff as an assistant.
The Velca improved from 26-34 in Moar's first season at the helm to a league-best 47-13 regular-season record in 2025-26 and captured the title.
"I would like to thank and congratulate Coach Mody and his staff for bringing [the] Velca its first championship," Vickerman said in a statement.
"My job now is to bring sustained success to this club and challenge for more championships."
Vickerman guided the Australian NBL's Melbourne United to titles in 2018 and 2021. He led the club from 2017-26.
The Australian native also steered the New Zealand Breakers to the NBL championship in 2015. He's earned three NBL Coach of the Year accolades in his well-regarded career, most recently in 2024.
"This game always has, for me, been about taking the path that you haven't traveled before and doing something different and going to different places," Vickerman said in a recent interview with basketball.com.au.
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JBA Unveils Training Camp Roster Before Qualifiers
Japan men's national team basketball head coach Dai Oketani's staff is working with a roster of 22 players before the upcoming 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers.
On Thursday, June 18, before the start of Akatsuki Japan's training camp in Tokyo, the Japan Basketball Association announced the roster. Nearly all of the players are from the B.League.
World No 22 Japan's training camp roster includes point guards Seiya Ando, Takumi Saito, Ryusei Sasaki, Kai Toews, Kotetsu Kurokawa and Atsuya Ogawa; and shooting guards Makoto Hiejima, Shuta Hara, Yudai Nishida, Shinji Takashima and Keisei Tominaga.
The centers are Josh Hawkinson, who also plays power forward, Toyoshige Kano, Koya Kawamata and Yuto Yamanouchi (Oral Roberts University).
At small forward, the selections are former NBA player Yuta Watanabe, Yudai Baba, Hirotaka Yoshii, Ren Kanechika, Ibu Yamazaki and Akira Jacobs (Fordham University).
Also chosen was power forward Yuto Kawashima (Seattle University).
Oketani's squad travels to face 26th-ranked China on July 3 in Liaoning, China.
On July 6, Japan visits Goyang, South Korea, to compete against the 56th-ranked Koreans.
Japan leads Group B with a 3-1 record in the first round, followed by South Korea (2-2), China (2-2) and Taiwan (1-3).
Volleyball
Japan Women Continue Winning Ways in Nations League
The Japan women's squad opened the second week of the preliminary phase of the 2026 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League with a pair of impressive victories.
In the first match, Japan overcame Serbia in a hard-fought five-set match, winning 20-25, 26-24, 18-25, 32-30, 15-7 in Pasig City, Philippines, on Wednesday, June 17.
"In the decisive moments of the fourth set, we just wanted to focus on the present and not think about anything else," Japan outside hitter Yoshino Sato said, according to the tournament's official website. "The Filipino fans supported us a lot today, and that gave us a lot of energy in this difficult match."
Two days later, Japan swept the Czech Republic, recording a 25-15, 25-23, 27-25 triumph. And Japan coach Ferhat Akbas' squad improved to 6-0 in the Volleyball Nations League.
Against Serbia, captain Mayu Ishikawa had an influential performance, leading Japan with 24 points (highlighted by 23 kills). Yukiko Wada chipped in with 20 points.
On June 19, Sato paced Japan with 21 points, 18 coming on the attack. Ishikawa added 16 points and two blocks. Wada finished with 13 points, while Maki Yamaguchi also notched two blocks.
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Sumo
Kotozakura Tops Hoshoryu in Paris Tourney Final
Ozeki Kotozakura wrapped up the two-day Paris sumo exhibition tournament on a high note on Sunday, June 14. Deploying a frontal force-out, Kotozakura conquered yokozuna Hoshoryu to win the playoff.
At Accor Arena, Kotozakura said sumo fans provided enthusiastic support for the competitors.
"Sumo has really taken root here, and since everyone called out my ring name, I think I was able to perform freely and comfortably," Kotozakura was quoted as saying by Sports Nippon.
It was the first Japan Sumo Association tournament in Paris since 1995. A prior tourney was staged in the French capital in 1986.
The Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament starts on July 12 and runs through July 26 at IG Arena.
"Winning the championship [in Paris] gives me confidence," Kotozakura said, according to Sports Nippon. "I want to do my best to achieve good results at the Nagoya Basho as well."
Horse Racing
Lemaire Holds Familiar Spot Atop Jockey Rankings
Christophe Lemaire is first among Japan Racing Association jockeys with 89 wins in 2026, according to the latest statistics released on Saturday, June 20.
Mirai Iwata is second with 69 race victories, followed by Kohei Matsuyama (58), Yuga Kawada (53) and Takeshi Yokoyama (51).
Lemaire, an eight-time winner of the JRA season title, owns an impressive 28.3% win ratio (89 wins in 315 races).
Among the top 20 riders in the standings, Kawada joins Lemaire as the only other jockey with a win ratio greater than 20%. Kawada checks in at 23.1%.
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Quote of the Week
"Although I allowed three runs in the third inning, I believed our offense would come back if I kept pitching patiently. I'll continue making adjustments and hope to deliver another solid performance next time."
―Houston Astros starter Tatsuya Imai, on the 10th start of his MLB career, Kyodo News reported. The 28-year-old had an MLB career-high 11-strikeout performance against the visiting Cleveland Guardians on June 19. Imai (4-3), who left the Saitama Seibu Lions after the 2025 season, allowed six hits and three runs in six innings in the Astros' 9-3 win.
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.
