Hirotoki Onozawa is a rugby union player who plays at Wing or occasionally Fullback for Canon Eagles. He previously played for Suntory Sungoliath and the Japan national rugby union team. Nicknamed "the eel" for his sharp sidestepping ability, Onozawa is the second most capped Japanese rugby player of all time, and fifth highest try scorer in international rugby. Despite spending much of his career in the shadow of Daisuke Ohata he is considered an all-time great of Japanese rugby in his own right.
Japan Rugby League One, formerly known as the Top League, is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the Japan Company Rugby Football Championship. The chief architect of the league was Hiroaki Shukuzawa who strongly felt the urgency of improving Japanese domestic company rugby to a professional level which would allow Japan to compete more convincingly at Rugby World Cups.
The Kobelco Kobe Steelers are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kobe Steel, and based in Kobe. They were the first ever Top League champions when the League started in the 2003-2004 season. The team rebranded as Kobelco Kobe Steelers ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022.
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium is a rugby union stadium located in the Aoyama district of central Tokyo, Japan. It is the spiritual home of Japanese rugby union and the headquarters of the Japan Rugby Football Union. Named for Prince Chichibu, the late brother of Emperor Hirohito, the venue is used mostly for rugby sevens and rugby union matches.
Tokyo Sungoliath is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus. The team rebranded as Tokyo Sungoliath ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022.
Kyoko Iwasaki is a Japanese swimming coach and retired Olympic swimmer from Numazu, Shizuoka. She won the gold medal in the 200 metres breaststroke at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. She was 14 years and 6 days old, making her, as of prior to the 2024 games, the youngest Olympic gold medalist of all time in the discipline of swimming.
Petrus Fourie du Preez is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played as a scrum half for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup competition and the Bulls in Super Rugby between 2002 and 2011, and for Japanese Top League side Suntory Sungoliath between 2011 and 2016. He represented South Africa between 2004 and 2015, winning 76 caps, playing in three Rugby World Cup tournaments, and winning the 2007 competition.
Ryan Tamarua Nicholas is an Australian-born Japanese rugby union player who plays for Suntory Sungoliath of the Top League in Japan. In July 2011, he received Japanese citizenship. Although he is of Cook Island Maori heritage, he has played internationally for Japan since 2008.
Tafai Ioasa is a New Zealand rugby union player who has played for the New Zealand national rugby sevens team. He played rugby in Japan for Fukuoka Sanix Blues and is currently head coach of the Whanganui Collegiate School First XV. The team were crowned national champions in 2019
Yusuke Aoki is a Japanese rugby union player. Aoki has played 28 matches for the Japan national rugby union team. Aoki was a member of the Japan team at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, where he played one match. Aoki currently plays for Top League team Suntory Sungoliath. He started with the club in 2006.
Atsushi Hiwasa is a Japanese rugby union player. Hiwasa has played 28 international matches for the Japan national rugby union team.
Hendrik Tui is a Japanese international rugby union player who currently plays as a loose forward for Suntory Sungoliath in the Top League. From 2015 he will represent the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby. He also plays the position of Wing.
Kenki Fukuoka is a Japanese former rugby union player. He was named in Japan's squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He was selected for Japan's 2016 Olympic sevens squad and included in the squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, held in Japan for the first time. Fukuoka won the man of the match award in Japan's victory against Scotland in the 2019 World Cup on 13 October 2019; a victory that saw Japan reach the competition's knockout stage for the first time. In 2021, he entered the Medical school of Juntendo University for professional doctor career.
Shinnosuke Kakinaga is a Japanese professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Japan Rugby League One club Tokyo Sungoliath and the Japan national team.
Ryōto Nakamura is a Japanese professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Japan Rugby League One club Tokyo Sungoliath and the Japan national team.
Toshiro Yoshino is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as a wing or as centre.
Masaaki Sakata, is a Japanese former rugby union player who played as hooker.
Shin Hasegawa is a Japanese former rugby union player who played as prop and hooker. Currently forwards coach of Yamaha Júbilo.
Junichi Hojo is a Japanese former rugby union player who played as wing.
The Japan men's national artistic gymnastics team is a sport group governed by Japan Gymnastics Association and represents Japan in international gymnastics competitions and multi-sports events. Followed the establishment of All Japan Gymnastics Federation in 1930, the team first appeared at the 1932 Summer Olympics and gradually became the major force till this day. For nearly two decades, from 1960 to 1978, Japanese men was dominant and won every gold medal at the Olympics and World Championships.
