The Japan national rugby union team, also known as the Cherry Blossoms, Brave Blossoms, or simply Sakura, is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia and has enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and previously in the Asia Rugby Championship. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987.
The Tonga national rugby union team represents the Tonga Rugby Union in men's international rugby union. The team is nicknamed ʻIkale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a traditional challenge – the Sipi Tau. They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Samoa. The Ikale Tahi achieved a historic 19–14 victory over France in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but having lost to New Zealand and Canada, were unable to achieve what would have been their first-ever presence at the quarter-finals.
The United States men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States of America Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States, and is a member of Rugby Americas North, one of six regional governing bodies under World Rugby. Until rugby returned to Olympic competition, with sevens at the 2016 Rio Games, the United States was the reigning Olympic rugby champion, having won gold at the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics.
The Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka is the oldest rugby union stadium in Japan specifically dedicated to rugby. Its location is next to Hanazono Central Park. Owned by the City of Higashiosaka, it opened in 1929 with a capacity of 27,346. It is the stage for the annual National High School Rugby Tournament held every year at the end of December and has hosted important international, Top League games.
The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between three Pacific states.
Rodger Siaosi Toutai Kefu is a Tongan-Australian professional rugby union coach and former player who has been coaching the Tonga national team since 2016.
The V.League1 is the top-level professional volleyball league for both men and women in Japan. The league started in 1994.
The Miss Nippon Contest is a Japanese beauty pageant. In the past 57 competitions, the total number of applications is 118,794 people and the Grand Prix is 55 people. It started in 1950 by the Yomiuri Shimbun and is held every year by the "Miss Nippon Association".
Emperor's Cup and Empress' Cup All Japan Volleyball Championship is a Japanese volleyball competition that was established in 2007. It is organized by the Japan Volleyball Association.
Stephen Betham is the former head coach of the Samoa national rugby union team, that regularly participated in the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup. Betham, who played for Samoa U-20's at a young age, has spent most his rugby career as a coach.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup was the tenth men's Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national rugby union teams. It took place in France from 8 September to 28 October 2023 in nine venues across the country. The opening game and final took place at the Stade de France, north of Paris. The tournament was held in the bicentenary year of the purported invention of the sport by William Webb Ellis.
The 2015 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup was the tenth edition of the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup, an annual international rugby union tournament. The 2015 title was contested between the Tier 2 nations of Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and the United States.
Kumagaya Rugby Stadium (熊谷ラグビー場), is a rugby stadium in Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches. The stadium was built in 1991 and renovated between 2016 and 2018. Its capacity expanded from 20,000 to 24,000 people.
Yuji Nishida is a Japanese left-handed volleyball player. As of July 2024, Nishida plays for Panasonic Panthers at club level.
The 2019 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup was the 14th Pacific Nations Cup, an annual international rugby union competition contested by the men's national teams of the Tier 2 rugby nations located around the Pacific: Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and the United States. Japan won their second outright Pacific Nations Cup, winning all three of their matches with try-scoring bonus points to finish top of the standings with 15 points.
Masahiro Sekita is a Japanese male professional volleyball player from Tokyo. He currently plays in V.League Division 1 for JTEKT Stings and Japan men's national volleyball team. He used to be the captain of Japan U-21 national team in 2012 Asian Junior Men's Volleyball Championship and 2013 FIVB Volleyball Men's U21 World Championship.
Japan is competing at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris from 26 July to 11 August 2024. Japanese athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games from 1912 onwards, except for two occasions: the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, to which they were not invited because of the nation's role in World War II, and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, due to their participation in the United States-led boycott.
Taiki Sawatani is a Japanese kickboxer, currently competing in the super featherweight division of RISE.
The 2026 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2026) is a collection of world cups in the sport of rugby league and is a replacement tournament for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup.
Chihiro Sawada is a Japanese mixed martial artist and former wrestler, competing in the atomweight divisions of Shooto, Combate Global and ONE Championship. She is the reigning Shooto Women's Atomeweight champion. She is ranked #3 in the ONE Championship Women's Atomweight rankings.
