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June 30, 2026
 

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Jason Coskrey

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Jason Coskrey
Jason Coskrey is a sports writer for The Japan Times. His primary focus is Japanese baseball, but he has also covered soccer, American football, boxing and basketball. He previously worked for the Marietta Daily Journal in Marietta, Ga. A native of Detroit, he is a graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
A matcha whisking gesture Samurai Japan players are using to celebrate hits this year has been credited to pitcher Koki Kitayama — but it was prompted by Shohei Ohtani.
BASEBALL
Mar 4, 2026
Japan hopes the tea leaves prove auspicious ahead of the WBC
“We’re communicating more, little by little,” Shohei Ohtani said of the Japan team at Tokyo Dome on Wednesday.
Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana rounds the bases after a home run against the Dodgers in Phoenix on Feb. 24.
BASEBALL
Mar 4, 2026
Former No. 1 MLB draft pick Travis Bazzana ready for first taste of WBC
The Cleveland Guardian will play to open the tournament Thursday in Australia’s match against Taiwan.
Shohei Ohtani (center) and Suzuki (left) celebrate with Ukyo Shuto after Japan's win against the Tigers on Tuesday.
BASEBALL
Mar 4, 2026
Samurai Japan’s path to a WBC repeat starts with Pool C in Tokyo
The sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic is set to kick off on Thursday, with Japan facing Australia, the Czech Republic, South Korea and Taiwan in the first round.
The Tigers' Teruaki Sato (left) speaks with Japanese Baseball Hall of Famer Hideki Matsui during Samurai Japan's training camp in Miyazaki on Feb. 14.
BASEBALL
Mar 3, 2026
The Japanese talent to watch out for during the 2026 WBC
The tournament often serves as a showcase for players from outside MLB to put themselves on the radar of fans outside their home nations.
Shohei Ohtani is back with Samurai Japan for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Ohtani was the MVP of the 2023 tournament.
BASEBALL / Sac Bunts
Mar 2, 2026
Shohei Ohtani returns to Japan as the center of attention ahead of WBC
​Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar, arrived last week to join the rest of his Samurai Japan teammates ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Australia manager David Nilsson is excited to watch his team compete at the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
BASEBALL
Mar 1, 2026
At WBC, Aussies eye another strong showing — and no self-inflicted wounds
The Australian team nearly made it to the semifinals in 2023, losing in a tight one-run contest against Cuba in the quarterfinals.
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks pitcher Livan Moinelo was named to Cuba's team for the World Baseball Classic.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Feb 9, 2026
Japan will not be only team with NPB talent at World Baseball Classic
Though Samurai Japan will have a good roster of NPB stars to help bolster its ranks ahead of the World Baseball Classic, they won’t be the only team.
Japan starter Shohei Ohtani pitches against Italy during the WBC quarterfinals at Tokyo Dome on March 16, 2023.
BASEBALL
Feb 1, 2026
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani will not pitch for Japan at 2026 World Baseball Classic
Ohtani played in a two-way role as he lead Japan to the 2023 WBC title.
Carp infielder Kaito Kozono was named to Japan's World Baseball Classic roster on Monday.
BASEBALL
Jan 29, 2026
Kaito Kozono and Shota Morishita provide air of familiarity for Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata
Kozono and Morishita have played in five of Japan’s last six tournaments and exhibitions.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto reacts after the sixth inning against the Reds during Game 2 of the NL Wild Card series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct. 1.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 26, 2026
Samurai Japan adds MLB stars as it prepares for WBC title defense
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto headlines the new additions.
Former Giants star Warren Cromartie worked with Kazuma Okamoto during his stint as a guest hitting instructor for Yomiuri.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 22, 2026
At peace with baseball and refusing to be benched by surgeries, Warren Cromartie mulls legacy
Former baseball star who came to Japan in 1984 and played seven seasons with the Yomiuri Giants dreams of reviving the Montreal Expos, who moved to Washington for the 2005 season.
Former Orioles pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano was named to Japan's team for the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Friday.
BASEBALL
Jan 16, 2026
Tomoyuki Sugano among new additions to Samurai Japan squad for 2026 WBC
Japan added Sugano and 10 NPB stars to its roster for the tournament, which begins in March.
Griffin Johnson, seen with Sandman, has used his social media following to attract a new audience to horse racing.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 23, 2025
How one influencer is bringing new energy to horse racing
Griffin Johnson, a social media star with millions of followers across several platforms, is quickly becoming a key figure in the industry.
Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal will play for the U.S. during the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
BASEBALL / Sac Bunts
Dec 22, 2025
WBC teams bulk up in bid to take Samurai Japan’s throne
Team USA’s roster is an embarrassment of pitching riches, but the more immediate threat to Japan’s reign might be the Dominican Republic.
Munetaka Murakami hit 22 home runs for the Swallows in 56 games in 2025.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 22, 2025
Slugger Munetaka Murakami joins White Sox on two-year deal
​Murakami was hindered by injuries in 2025, though he still managed to finish third in the Central League with 22 home runs in 56 games.
The Swallows' Munetaka Murakami has 246 career home runs in eight NPB seasons.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 20, 2025
Munetaka Murakami headlines quartet looking to move to MLB via posting system
Tokyo Yakult Swallows’ elite power hitter will be only 26 when he celebrates his next birthday on Feb. 2.
Japan's Ryuhei Sotani pitches against South Korea at Tokyo Dome on Saturday night.
BASEBALL
Nov 17, 2025
Japan uses series against South Korea to prep for World Baseball Classic title defense
The chance to play with the pitch clock and PitchCom — neither of which is used in NPB — was the main takeaway for Japan.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani was named National League MVP for the second straight season on Thursday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 14, 2025
Shohei Ohtani collects fourth MVP Award with 2025 NL honor
Ohtani joined Barry Bonds as the only players to win at least four MVP awards.
Hawks players celebrate winning the Japan Series at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on Thursday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 31, 2025
Hawks lay demons to rest with Japan Series win
Loss in the series last year has haunted the team and its fans, but the hardship has paid off.
The Hawks players throw manager Hiroki Kokubo into the air as they celebrate after defeating the Tigers in Game 5 of the Japan Series to clinch the title.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 30, 2025
Hawks rally past Tigers in 11th to win Japan Series
The Hawks won the final four games of the series after losing Game 1.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
LGBTQ+ families are building lives Japanese lawmakers still struggle to see
Haru Ono founded Nijiiro Kazoku in 2010 after forming a same-sex stepfamily. She said the impetus for founding the organization was that she couldn’t find much reliable information out there for families such as hers in Japan.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

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