The Chiba Thoroughbred Sale of 2-Year-Olds will be conducted at Funabashi Racecourse May 26 is going to offer 46 ready-to-run horses there Their appeal could rise with strong performances during the under tack show that precedes the sale who last year won the Victoria Mile (G1) and finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) was bought at this sale in 2020 for ¥20.4 million (approx Sign up for BloodHorse Daily Cover Hearty Japanese food that hits the spot in Chuo Ward Chiba (Photo: Unsplash) Hearty Japanese food that hits the spot in Chuo Ward While often overshadowed by the more famous Tokyo with districts–like Asakusa, Shibuya Ginza and more–renowned for their array of food the coastal city of Chiba has cultivated a distinct identity in Chiba Prefecture and a key part of the Greater Tokyo Area Nestled approximately 40 kilometres east of Tokyo, Chuo Ward in the southwestern part of Chiba City offers more than governmental buildings and commercial developments. Thanks to its prime location on Tokyo Bay while its urban character attracts a diverse range of dining establishments Read more: Food lover’s guide to Beijing: 5 culinary highlights worth the hype Whether you’re craving ramen, pancakes, doughnuts or coffee, these nine establishments reflect the area’s culinary vibrancy and offer compelling reasons to explore this unassuming central district of Chiba City Above Musashi no Mori Coffee’s acclaimed souffle pancakes Musashi no Mori Coffee’s acclaimed souffle pancakes Operated by the Skylark Group, Musashi no Mori Coffee offers a sophisticated yet welcoming atmosphere ideal for any time of day–from breakfast to dinner Its fluffy souffle pancakes have earned acclaim, but the menu extends well beyond desserts. Seasonal items like strawberry Mont Blanc appeal to those with a sweet tooth while savoury offerings include fluffy melting omelette rice plates with beef stew sauce In addition to excellent coffee, the café offers seasonal craft beers and fresh fruit teas making it a suitable spot for solo visitors or groups alike See also: Where to eat in Damansara Heights: The best brunch spots for coffee, pastries, and hearty plates Above Sugitaya specialises in Iekei-style ramen with rich shoyu broth that originates in Yokohama Sugitaya specialises in Iekei-style ramen with rich shoyu broth that originates in Yokohama Ranked an impressive 148 out of over 4,000 restaurants in Chiba, Sugitaya is a mid-range ramen shop specialising in Iekei-style ramen that originates in Yokohama, with its rich shoyu broth thick straight noodles and toppings such as pork chashu With its casual, authentic atmosphere, Sugitaya is a favourite among both locals and visitors–which would explain why the queues during peak hours are not uncommon Don’t miss: What goes into delicious ramen, according to Chihiro Miyazaki of the newly opened Ramen Minamo Above Deep-fried beef and salmon cutlets served rare and diners may cook them to their preferred doneness Deep-fried beef and salmon cutlets served rare and diners may cook them to their preferred doneness For both locals and visitors seeking something beyond the ordinary, Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu specialises in deep-fried beef cutlets (gyukatsu) served rare, which originated during the Meiji era and gained popularity in Tokyo during the mid-2010s Available in various cuts and grades of beef, and presented as set meals with rice, miso soup, shredded cabbage and dipping sauces, diners complete the cooking process to their preferred doneness using personal hot stones at the table Read more: 5 things to know about MiGyeongSan Hanwoo beef, which is now available in Malaysia Above A delectable selection of doughnuts to savour at Mister Donut A delectable selection of doughnuts to savour at Mister Donut Although Mister Donut operates internationally, it is also Japan’s most recognised doughnut chain with a distinctive identity tailored to local preferences While the signature Pon de Ring–a chewy, mochi-like doughnut with a unique shape and texture–is a must-try, classic options such as glazed doughnuts, French crullers and seasonal limited-edition flavours are still favourite go-to’s for a quick treat or relaxed break from sightseeing See also: 5 things you might not know about doughnuts Above Kintoun is famous for its chicken paitan (white broth) ramen Kintoun is famous for its chicken paitan (white broth) ramen Located in the MIO shopping complex near Chibachuo Station, Kintoun has become a standout ramen destination since its opening in 2021 due to its specialised chicken paitan (white broth) ramen–an additive-free, creamy soup often likened to corn potage Beyond ramen, the menu includes horse meat dishes and donburi (rice bowls)–all available in a cosy establishment with counter seating that accommodates both solo diners and families Don’t miss: The most underrated Malaysian dishes, according to chefs Above Sanuki-style udon noodles at Hanamaru Udon Sanuki-style udon noodles at Hanamaru Udon This popular fast-food chain offers Sanuki-style udon noodles in a convenient, cafeteria-style setting where customers order at the counter from a menu that includes kake udon (plain broth) Also available are side dishes such as tempura and rice balls to round out a hearty Read more: 10 must-try Asian noodles for armchair travellers Above TakoTako uses Osaka-imported flour to create batter that is crisp on the outside and creamy within TakoTako uses Osaka-imported flour to create batter that is crisp on the outside and creamy within The bold red signage of this little takoyaki stall tucked in the rather barren street corner in Chiba definitely captures the attention of passers-by Located a 10-minute walk from JR Chiba Station, TakoTako Sakaechyo serves authentic Osaka-style takoyaki (octopus balls), using flour imported from Osaka to create batter that is crisp on the outside and creamy within A highlight is the Negi-mori takoyaki, generously topped with Kyoto Kujo green onions. Other available options range from sauce to ponzu and cheese, and in portions of six, eight or 15 pieces–a popular choice for takeaway or a casual snack on the go See also: Kanpai! Read why Japan is the newest “it” region for wines Above Kimizuka specialises in Japan’s beloved tonkatsu curry rice Kimizuka specialises in Japan’s beloved tonkatsu curry rice Located above a Daily Yamazaki konbini store, this unassuming tonkatsu restaurant specialises in Japan’s beloved tonkatsu curry–a combination of savoury Japanese curry and a crisp, deep-fried pork cutlet Amidst a cosy atmosphere and attentive service and a rotating selection of rice and noodle dishes with an emphasis on fresh Don’t miss: These are the 6 best curry restaurants in Tokyo, according to Tabelog refined long black to keep you fuelled throughout the day A simple refined long black to keep you fuelled throughout the day mamenakano is a specialty coffee stand located just steps from JR Chiba Station’s North Exit, where owner Kei Nakano serves on-site or takeaway quality drip coffee in a minimalist space of concrete and wood Inside 7 romantically designed restaurants around the world Understanding alkaline noodles, a taste that time almost forgot 10 new restaurants, cafés, and bars in Malaysia to visit in May 2025 Picture by ReutersBy Shintaro KanoChiba Mone was annoyed Annoyed that she fell on the second jump of her free skate at the Japan Figure Skating Championships in December Annoyed that she under-rotated three more jumps later in the program Annoyed that it resulted in her finishing fourth overall and missing the podium at the Japanese nationals - despite producing an unofficial personal best of 74.72 in the short “The worst thing that can happen is getting hurt and missing a chunk of the season so I need to make sure I don’t injure myself in practise. “I’ll work on quads but I need to be fit at a high level. By staying fit I’ll have the ability to maintain a high GOE on triples and other jumps so that is the bar for me.” possessing an objective understanding of what she needs to do There were growing pains during the 2023-24 campaign as she relocated her training base from her hometown Sendai to Kyoto where she works under renowned coach Hamada Mie at the Kinoshita Academy After placing sixth at Skate America and ninth at Grand Prix de France, Chiba was diagnosed with a case of exercise-induced asthma. Despite that, she was runner-up to three-time world champion Sakamoto Kaori at the Japan nationals punching her ticket to the world championships Chiba won the Four Continents over Kim Chaeyeon of the Republic of Korea for her first major international title she overcame a far-from-stellar short program (13th place) to rebound to seventh helping Japan retain their quota for next month’s competition in Boston As soon as her maiden senior season was over Chiba knew exactly what she had to do for her 2024-25 - toughen up she often uses the word 'strong' and it doesn't appear to be a coincidence “Last off-season is when I began working on my body and I’ve been feeling the effects of it during the season,” said Chiba “I do need to get stronger from here but I have to make sure I don’t overwork myself since too much strength training could work against me maintaining a high level of fitness is key for me I think I’ve been able to build on things from my first senior season and it really showed in some competitions there was some frustration as well - which I’m sure I’ll continue to have next year and beyond “But I believe I can come out of it stronger each time and I’ll strive to become even better in 2025.” Picture by ReutersChiba Mone is catching on in the figure skating world - at home and abroad Chiba has elevated her skating this season as she vowed to do evidenced by three Grand Prix silver medals from three competitions (NHK Trophy Cup of China and the GP Final) and another silver from the World University Games in Torino Chiba will try to defend her Four Continents title in Seoul The upcoming world championships are crucial for each National Olympic Committee with quota spots for Milano Cortina at stake what would be her first Games is starting to become more tangible with each passing day a childhood dream is morphing into reality Yet first thing first - a strong finish to what’s left of the season “Our quota for the Olympics are at stake at these world championships “But you never know what can happen in the year ahead I’m sure a lot will change with some things “I want to always keep an open mind but I’m not entirely confident I can qualify - yet I’m taking it one competition at a time and the Olympics is an extension of that I’m absolutely convinced you can’t skip steps “The Milano Olympics will be the biggest event of my skating career and I want to be there no matter what And I’m going to work like crazy to realise that dream.” As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games athletes' participation at the Milano Cortina Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Milano Cortina 2026 "The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will be the biggest event of my skating career and I want to be there no matter what," said the 2024 Four Continents champion Watch for more from the young Japanese figure skater in this exclusive interview Join us for a celebration of Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™! As part of our ongoing Spotlight Series we're thrilled to announce our first Spotlight Series event in Japan we're celebrating the excitement of competitive Magic and the impact of the FINAL FANTASY series With a high-stakes main event and an assortment of engaging side events Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY is a three-day event running from June 27–29 in Chiba, Japan. In collaboration with our partners at BIG MAGIC Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY will offer a wide variety of Magic events The largest attraction is the two-day open field tournament where competitors will face off in Standard Constructed for epic prizes however there is a maximum capacity in the venue so please check with specific information about access to the venue as we get closer to the event The website for Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY goes live on April 16 The Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY main event requires paid registration and has a limited number of spots available Each participant in Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY's main event will receive a non-foil Japanese-language borderless promo card the Top 128 competitors in the event will receive traditional foil copies of that promo card This card is from Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY and will be revealed at a later date competitors will also be playing for their share of a $50,000 USD prize pool The Top 8 from the event will receive invitations to Pro Tour Edge of Eternities at MagicCon: Atlanta Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY will host multiple side events with a variety of formats on display there will be more exciting FINAL FANTASY-themed promo cards that we'll reveal following the set's debut Join us for this celebration of Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY. Whether you're a brand-new Magic fan or a seasoned competitive player, there's something for you at Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY. For more information on this event, check out BIG MAGIC's website Now a fourth-year doctoral candidate in applied mathematics and computational science in the School of Arts & Sciences and a master’s student in statistics and data science at the Wharton School Hiroaki (Hiro) Chiba-Okabe came from a very different background: working in international law in Japan Chiba-Okabe enjoyed an introductory law course in high school and majored in law at Keio University He took Japan’s preliminary bar examination at age 19 allowing him to take the bar without going to law school But Chiba-Okabe says he only knew he was a good law student from doing well on exams and that’s because the real world is complicated and there are many different stakeholders,” he says focusing on business law and international law where he dealt with disputes between Japan and other countries along with international rule-making processes Chiba-Okabe now mostly works in two lines of research. One is with biologist Joshua B. Plotkin, using theoretical models to study questions about social norms Chiba-Okabe was the lead author on a theoretical study published earlier this year examining whether different types of institutions with different goals could promote cooperation through wealth redistribution He and Plotkin found that even an institution that does not share the interests of its population can promote cooperation if it is sufficiently forward-looking because it could get a future benefit from taxation Chiba-Okabe’s second area of work, with Wharton’s Weijie Su He came up with a quantitative metric and algorithm to modify the outputs of generative AI models so they’re less likely to infringe copyright of existing works He is also working on using probability theory to analyze the core elements of copyright infringement disputes “I think the common thread is that I used quantitative or mathematical reasoning to try to extract the fundamental elements or aspects of these rules or norms,” Chiba-Okabe says He says he can pursue a broad range of interests and approaches because Penn faculty work in diverse fields and are open to collaboration even with people from different backgrounds and disciplines He hopes to continue doing research beyond his Ph.D Chiba-Okabe says it’s difficult to pin down a single reason he decided to pursue this Ph.D. but he traces his interest in using mathematical modeling for studying social behavior to reading books on game theory in college “I was kind of amazed by how you can use math to study something as complicated as human behavior,” he says A seminar on antitrust law and international economic law where quantitative reasoning plays a notable role also made him wonder about broader connections between law and mathematical modeling “I think what math can do is really bring clarity into this chaotic world If you just try to tackle these problems head-on there are just too many factors and too many different values and a lot of complexity,” Chiba-Okabe says “I think what math can do is help you think about what these core elements are and apply these logical the ambitious Dakar Greenbelt project seeks to create an extensive network of ecological infrastructure in and around the city to sustainably address environmental concerns and enhance urban life With support from David Gouverneur and Ellen Neises candidate Rob Levinthal in the Weitzman School of Design led two courses that included a field trip to Dakar that culminated in students presenting their visions for parts of the Greenbelt The new Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology boasts adaptable laboratory spaces to support the dynamic needs of pioneering research we present our projects and business activities in each country and region to show how they contribute to local communities and the world as a whole View More Enriching+ is Sumitomo Corporation's official owned media bringing you the real thoughts of employees and the stories behind the projects Sumitomo Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku President and Chief Executive Officer: Shingo Ueno) and Seino Holdings (Head Office: Ogaki City Gifu Prefecture; President and Chief Executive Officer: Yoshitaka Taguchi; hereinafter "Seino HD") conducted a logistics demonstration of Advanced Air Mobility (hereinafter "AAM") utilizing a helicopter for both regular and emergency logistics in Chiba Prefecture on February 20 The demonstration aims to evaluate the potential of AAM for improving logistics efficiency addressing labor shortages and testing emergency transportation capabilities in disaster situations It will clarify the technical and business challenges for the social implementation of AAM logistics advancing efforts towards its practical use Japan's logistics industry is facing challenges such as driver shortages and increased transportation costs due to the so-called "2024 problem," with a particular need for improved efficiency in remote areas and long-distance transportation during natural disasters like earthquakes or heavy rains securing rapid transportation of goods is crucial Sumitomo Corporation and Seino HD have been working on a logistics business combining eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) large drones and trucks for transportation A simulation using delivery data from Seino HD's subsidiary demonstrated approximately 100 million yen in annual cost benefits and efficiency improvements including the labor cost equivalent of five drivers This demonstration was conducted to identify operational challenges that cannot be addressed in theoretical simulations It involved the transportation of goods via helicopter (virtual AAM) for both regular logistics and emergency relief distribution This business concept envisions building a new logistics network combining AAM transportation with truck transport for the first and last mile AAM will replace inefficient long-distance truck transportation shortening delivery times and reducing the burden on personnel AAM takeoff and landing sites will be utilized as logistics hubs improving delivery efficiency during normal operations and serving as emergency supply transportation hubs for disaster relief Future developments include introducing quantum technology for real-time control of multiple AAM vehicles (*1) and automating loading operations (*2) aiming to create a more efficient and sustainable logistics network Operational verification of AAM logistics using a helicopter two routes were set up to transport goods from the Kisarazu branch of Seino Transportation to Katsuura and Kamogawa The demonstration involved transferring goods from a truck to a helicopter (virtual AAM) flying the goods and unloading and distributing them The regular route to Katsuura tested transporting store products (equivalent one pallet/ 200 kg) evaluating the potential for AAM to replace truck transport in areas where it is inefficient The emergency route to Kamogawa involved transporting emergency relief supplies such as food to test the use of AAM for disaster response Local government officials and partner company representatives observed the transportation operations and shared practical images of the potential for AAM logistics in real-world applications We will continue to deepen cooperation with stakeholders and promote efforts toward the social implementation of AAM logistics Sumitomo Corporation is advancing business development in the AAM sector The company has previously supported the development of UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) systems demonstrated real-time control of air mobility using quantum technology and conducted drone delivery service demonstrations in Japan and overseas established an eVTOL operating company named "Soracle Corporation " (*3) and is preparing for demonstration flights at Expo 2025 Osaka followed by the start of commercial operations Sumitomo Corporation will continue to address social issues with AAM to create innovative transportation and logistics services through a new air transportation network Seino Holdings centers its business around logistics providing one-stop value across related fields such as finance Our goal is to connect beyond logistics to enrich lives contributing to the prosperity of customers and delivering smiles and happiness to everyone under the slogan "Team Green Logistics," the company is pursuing an overarching strategy of developing an Open-Public Platform (OPP) that transcends industry and corporate boundaries This initiative aims to address the social issues facing Japan including the declining birthrate and aging population and environmental concerns by co-creating "Green Logistics" and optimizing sustainable logistics networks Seino HD focuses on collaboration between stakeholders in the middle-mile segment as well as the development of regional infrastructure working with diverse companies and regions to spur new logistics forward The Chiba Lotte Marines announced Saturday that they will begin the process of posting Roki Sasaki the Japanese right-hander considered one of the most talented pitchers in the world paving the way for the 23-year-old to join Major League Baseball in 2025 The posting system is the method of transfer between MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball that makes him available to all 30 teams "I am very grateful to the team for officially allowing me to post," Sasaki said in a statement posted by the Marines on X "There were many things that did not go well during my five years with the Marines but I was able to get to this point by concentrating only on baseball I will do my best to work my way up from my minor contract to become the best player in the world so that I will have no regrets in my one and only baseball career and live up to the expectations of everyone who has supported me." nicknamed "The Monster of the Reiwa Era," throws a fastball that regularly reaches triple digits and complements it with a frontline split-fingered fastball and a slider Sasaki is considered an international amateur free agent and can sign only a minor league contract which drastically limits how much teams can pay him -- and how much Lotte reaps through the associated 20% posting fee Players who are at least 25 with six years played in a foreign league can sign major league contracts when posted The timing of Sasaki's posting -- which has yet to be set sources said -- will determine whether he falls into the 2024 or 2025 international amateur class he has a 45-day window to sign with a major league team Though Sasaki would join an organization on a minor league deal a team can add him to its major league roster before the 2025 season International amateur bonus pools are capped with the top teams this year able to spend just over $7.1 million higher-spending teams at $4.6 million and the rest in between Teams can add up to 60% of their allotted pools by trading for other teams' bonus-pool money Most teams have spent the majority of their 2024 bonus pools already with the signing period for international free agents running from Jan If the official posting is delayed until mid-December -- it typically takes weeks to complete the process -- Sasaki could sign when the 2025 international period opens Jan Though most teams have commitments lined up for players in that period -- the top bonus pools are around $7.5 million and the bottom around $5.1 million -- they could trade for international bonus space or free up money by not honoring nonbinding commitments they have made to teenagers from Latin American countries an infrequent but not unheard of occurrence a 23-year-old right-hander who plays for Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines is considered one of the most talented pitchers in the world. AP Photo/Eugene HoshikoFor a player of Sasaki's talent teams are likely to do whatever they can to convince him to sign Sasaki emerged as a national star in Japan five years ago during Koshien the national high school baseball tournament that is one of the country's biggest annual sporting events Sasaki threw a 19-strikeout perfect game for Lotte and followed in his next start a week later with eight more perfect innings before being pulled Sasaki's immense fastball velocity shown during the 2023 World Baseball Classic -- he averaged 100.5 mph in Japan's semifinal start against Mexico -- introduced him to an international audience and though his request to join MLB after the 2023 season went unmet by Lotte the inevitability of his departure only grew Sasaki did not sign his 2024 contract until January Rarely do players hold out from signing their deals until then and the episode wound up a precursor for what would come after a 10-5 season in which Sasaki posted a 2.35 ERA walked 32 and gave up two home runs in 111 innings Often players are posted when Japanese teams regard them as having "earned" the privilege Though Sasaki has shown flashes of brilliance over his 394⅔ innings -- going 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts against 88 walks in 64 starts over four seasons -- he would not arrive in MLB with the same sort of résumé as his predecessors MLB teams had braced for the possibility that Lotte would hold on to Sasaki for at least two more years allowing him to reach 25 and for the organization to experience the full financial benefit of the posting NPB teams control players' rights for nine seasons before they reach free agency and can operate outside of the posting system Had Lotte waited until after the 2026 season it could have received tens of millions of dollars via the posting fee paid by the acquiring team The Dodgers paid the Orix Blue Wave more than $50 million after signing Yamamoto Los Angeles will be linked strongly to Sasaki but assuming he will go to the Dodgers is premature While the presence of Sasaki's Samurai Japan teammates Ohtani and Yamamoto in Los Angeles is advantageous the attention they bring -- and the media horde that follows them -- adds a different element than other teams Plenty of other franchises can -- and will -- make strong appeals to Sasaki once he is posted even as his average fastball velocity this season dropped by two ticks Sasaki showed plenty of ability to ramp it up to triple digits when desired and he could soon develop into the hardest-throwing starter in MLB even in an MLB where the splitter has come back into vogue in recent seasons Durability is the biggest question with Sasaki he made 18 starts after a torn oblique and right arm soreness caused him to sit out about a quarter of his outings The Associated Press contributed to this report In this insightful ION Influencers Fireside Chat to discuss key investment opportunities in Japan’s evolving market landscape The discussion covers topics ranging from Japan’s unique challenges and advantages in private equity Here’s a comprehensive summary of the major themes discussed: Background on Longreach Group & Japan’s Buyout Market: Mark Chiba shares his personal journey from Australia to investment banking in London and Asia eventually co-founding Longreach Group in 2003 The firm’s focus has been on Japan-related buyouts particularly in sectors like business services A standout feature of Longreach’s strategy is its success in corporate carve-outs including acquisitions from major companies like Hitachi The firm’s niche lies in handling cross-border deals helping Japanese companies expand into Asia while also bringing foreign businesses into Japan Japan’s Evolving Business Landscape: Chiba emphasizes Japan’s ongoing transition towards a more Western-style buyout model faces challenges like the shortage of skilled labor and the need for cultural adaptation there are clear growth opportunities for businesses that embrace globalization and its balancing act between US and China spheres are critical factors influencing the market Japan’s Globalization Challenges & Opportunities: Chiba discusses the cultural and operational hurdles that Japanese companies face in becoming more globalized particularly in terms of language barriers He points out that Japan will need to evolve by allowing more foreign professionals into top roles and by expanding its market reach beyond domestic borders Increased Competition in Japan’s Market: As foreign capital floods into Japan Chiba notes that the larger-cap market is becoming more competitive with many global players vying for major deals Longreach Group remains confident in its position within the mid-market segment where there is still significant room for growth The firm’s cross-border capabilities set it apart from other domestic firms giving it a competitive edge in the Japanese market Exit Strategies & Market Trends: Chiba forecasts an uptick in exits in 2025 with an estimated 20-30% growth in comparison to 2024 The market tone for exits remains positive despite volatility in global public markets as funds that increased significantly in size over the past five years will likely require liquidity solutions These secondary deals offer opportunities for investment firms like Longreach to tap into underperforming assets and generate substantial returns Focus on Secondary Opportunities: Mark Chiba highlights the growing trend of secondary opportunities in Japan particularly as some funds with larger portfolios seek to liquidate positions While secondary deals are not the firm’s primary focus they present a niche for Longreach to explore providing access to assets with untapped value creation potential Explore unlimited content like this, available only in the platform.Already a client? Sign in By submitting this form, you consent to allow ION to store and process the personal information submitted. For more information, please review our Privacy Policy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information (Opt-Out) ("Sumitomo Chemical") and Maruzen Petrochemical Co. Maruzen Petrochemical and Sumitomo Chemical have been exploring ways to optimize ethylene production Maruzen Petrochemical has now decided to shut down its in-house ethylene production facilities by fiscal 2026 and consolidate production at Keiyo Ethylene This decision aims to further enhance the operating rate and competitiveness of Keiyo Ethylene the severe business environment caused by the global oversupply of ethylene due to the construction and expansion of large-scale facilities in China and the decline in domestic ethylene demand has led to continued low operation rates for ethylene production facilities in Japan there is a demand for companies to actively participate in and contribute to green transformation (GX) to achieve net zero carbon emissions Maruzen Petrochemical and Sumitomo Chemical are working on optimizing ethylene production in the Chiba area based on the fundamental principle of reasonably sharing necessary costs between the two companies By improving the operating rate of Keiyo Ethylene which is the most advanced and largest ethylene production facility in Japan the two parties will strive to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of the petrochemical complex they are part of while advancing GX initiatives Image of Ethylene Production Optimization in the Chiba Area Joint Press Release issued by Cosmo Energy Holdings and Maruzen Petrochemical on October 28, 2024, "Maruzen Petrochemical to Start Exploring Ways to Optimize Ethylene Production”https://www.cosmo-energy.co.jp/en/information/press/2024/241028-01.html Press release issued by Sumitomo Chemical on October 28, 2024, "Sumitomo Chemical Begins Study for Measures to Substantially Optimize the Operations of the Joint Venture Keiyo Ethylene, Including Changes to Offtake Ratio"https://www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp/english/news/detail/20241028e.html News Releases schedule and how to watch liveThe X Games are back in Japan for the third consecutive year Find out who's who and what's what as the world's best action sports athletes flock to Chiba this weekend X Games Chiba 2024 steps up to bat from 22-24 September when approximately 85 of the world’s cream-of-the-crop action sports athletes gather at the Makuhari Messe convention centre While there will be something for everyone with 11 disciplines across three sports to be on show most of the eyes will undoubtedly be on the skateboarders it’s looking like another buffet of medals for the host country in the three other events which will field all seven of the Japanese finalists from the World Skate Games this past weekend Picture by 2024 Getty ImagesFourteen-year-old Onodera Ginwoo will look to defend the men's street title this weekend. View this post on Instagram A post shared by X Games (@xgames) ExclusiveSkateboarding - The Review | Olympic Games Paris 2024Don't miss this review and relive Skateboarding's best moments Please upgrade to a more modern version to fully experience JapanToday site and for security reasons believed to have been born just a few days ago was found in an apartment in Chiba City on Tuesday a 25-year-old woman who lives in the apartment was rushed to a hospital late on Monday night the hospital contacted police after doctors discovered the woman had just given birth "I gave birth to the baby at home a few days ago and hid it in the closet.”  on Tuesday and found the baby’s body in the closet There were no visible external injuries on the body Police said they are questioning the woman and the man who lived with her Join the leading Asian tourist attraction to assist our diverse range of customers Single Mom affordability/inflation crisis continues full-stop and this tragic story becoming all too common sadly "Police said they are questioning the woman and the man who lived with her." Who was the guy on here yesterday saying this kind of thing is not a daily occurence here Perhaps mom should try other activities - you know @HopeSpringsEternal What makes you think she was a single mother The article did say "Police said they are questioning the woman and the man who lived with her" Don't make generalization so quickly until you have all the facts!!! at least this woman remembers what she did (unlike the teenage girl of few days ago who didn't even "remember" what happened after she gave birth ...) Mark: "unlike the teenage girl of few days ago who didn't even "remember" what happened after she gave birth" to the baby they mother can burn in hell for what she did like booking them for murder or at the very least The article does not say why the baby died and the police do not know without further investigation Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts A mix of what's trending on our other sites on Sunday (22 September) - 11 years after winning his first rode to a 90.66 on his second attempt that gave him the edge over Australia’s Kieran Woolley who closed in with a 88.33 on his third and final run but just missed out on the top spot Schaar’s American compatriot Gavin Bottger took bronze (86.33) Schaar also won bronze in the vert a day earlier as part of what has been a successful summer haul with his vert gold at X Games Ventura silver in Paris and the two medals in Chiba Picture by Julian Finney/Getty ImagesBy Sam PeeneFor the third consecutive year the X Games are returning to Japan and skateboarding fans from around the globe will turn their attention to the piping-hot action that is set to go down in Chiba from 22-24 September After skateboarding saw major success at it’s second ever Olympic Games - Paris 2024 - the excitement only builds as many of the best skaters in the world return to the international stage to fight for another world-class title BMX park and moto X will go down alongside skateboarding’s street, park and vert action in Chiba, but here are just five of skateboarding’s stars to watch through the 2024 X Games, Chiba. Picture by Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesKeegan Palmer of Team Australia warms up prior to the Men's Skateboarding Park Preliminary Heat at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on August 05 Fresh off winning an Olympic gold medal as the youngest Australian to ever do so 14-year-old Arisa Trew will be in Chiba attempting to accomplish an X Games three-peat after taking the park and vert crown in 2023 That victorious run also marked the most successful X Games finish for any 13-year-old … ever Congrats.” The trick came just one year after she was the first woman to land the 720 at just 13 years old so if Trew makes more history this week in Chiba Picture by Julian Finney/Getty ImagesArisa Trew competes during the Women's Park Prelims at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Place de la Concorde on August 06 lightning speed and stacking multiple 540s in one run 21-year-old Keegan Palmer is another Australian powerhouse stepping into Chiba after winning an Olympic gold medal in Paris That gold was his second Olympic crown and it continued his undefeated Olympic streak as the only man to ever clinch park skateboarding gold having won it at the sport’s debut in Tokyo as well Palmer will attempt to extend his X Games reign and add a third to his total collection after clinching the 2024 X Games Ventura and 2023 X Games Japan titles When she clinched the crown at her sport’s inaugural Games it was made all the more sweet in front of a home crowd as the youngest ever Japanese woman to ever win an Olympic medal at just 13 years old she won her first ever X Games gold medal in the street competition and today she boasts a total of four pieces of hardware from the Games as 2024 Olympic street champion and Japanese teammate Yoshizawa Coco will be amongst her ultra-competitive field of competition Picture by Patrick Smith/Getty ImagesMomiji Nishiya of Team Japan poses with her gold medal after the Women's Street Finals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 26 four silver and two bronze medals in the street competition at the X Games already to his name The 29-year-old wore the Stars and Stripes at the Olympics in Paris and tasted both victory and defeat taking the bronze medal after maintaining a first-place standing through most of the final round Huston will be hungry to land back on top of a podium and where better than where is regarded as the best of the best With two park gold medals already under her belt from the X Games in 2021 and 2022 this will be the first time that Brown is taking the stage in Chiba it has been almost a decade since she began quickly climbing up the ranks in the world of skateboarding and before her back-to-back gold medals in 2021 and 2022 she became the first woman to ever land a frontside 540 in competition - an aerial skill where she rotates one and a half times in the air record on holdThe Paris 2024 bronze medallist finishes behind Ike Keyaki and Cordano Russell as the American stays on 15 X Games golds still needing one more to set a new all-time record The American finished third in the men’s street best trick at X Games Chiba 2024 on Saturday (21 September), behind Japan’s Ike Keyaki and Cordano Russell of Canada qualified first this morning for the men’s street final on Sunday when he has another chance to take the all-time record for golds Gui Khury netted the first gold medal of X Games Chiba 2024 by winning the men’s skateboarding vert title with a run of 93.33, a first for the Brazilian. Khury, still only 15, tied the X Games record for most medals won by a teenager (10) and was followed by Inomata Soya of Japan (90.00) after four runs, with Paris 2024 Olympic men’s park silver medallist Tom Schaar filling out the podium with 89.00. Schaar has also qualified first for Sunday's park final. Ten-year-old Japanese wonder Kawakami Ema was last in the 10-man field (34.66) in just his second X Games apperance, his first on home soil. View this post on Instagram A post shared by X Games (@xgames) and medals - complete listFind out the results of every final from the X Games at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Picture by Brett Wilhelm/X GamesBy Shintaro KanoThe X Games is back in Chiba The results of all the finals at the 20-22 September action sports competition are below. 🥇","event":null,"destination_url":"","entry_point_tag":"base","entry_point_type":"instory_campaign"}" data-tracking="click" href="https://www.olympics.com/en/sign-in?entry_point_type=instory_campaign&entry_point_tag=base&template=base&origin=https%3A%2F%2Folympics.com%2Fen%2Folympic-channel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Olympic Membership - Free Live Stream Sports & Original Series - join now Chiba Mone stepping towards Milano Cortina 2026The 19-year-old is about to wrap up her breakthrough campaign at the World Team Trophy in Tokyo A potential Olympic debut in February has never seemed closer Picture by The Yomiuri ShimbunBy Shintaro KanoChiba Mone can smell her first Olympic appearance “For all this to come to a reality has been beyond anything I ever imagined. But there’s not an incredible feel or sense of accomplishment. “I’m doing in competitions what I’ve been doing all long in practise. It’s rewarding but everything feels very real - and I get a lot of joy out of that.” Picture by Imagn ImagesChiba Mone in the kiss and cry with her coach Hamada Mie Chiba was seventh at the 2024 world championships She was sixth at Skate America and ninth at Grand Prix de France failing to qualify for the Grand Prix Final - yet had been battling exercise-induced asthma but was only scratching the surface of her upside Chiba - who in 2023-24 also joined the Kinoshita Academy in Kyoto where she trains under heralded coach Hamada Mie alongside fellow future stars Shimada Mao and Yoshida Hana - put a lot of work in over the off-season hiring a trainer to strengthen her body to withstand the rigours of a season of figure skating She won silver at all three 2024-25 Grand Prix events she entered - NHK Trophy and as fatigue set in she was sixth at the Four Continents despite being defending champion But she found a way to bounce back at the world championships 2025 finishing with bronze in a two-three for Japan with Sakamoto I managed to do well during the Grand Prix Series and at the Final which gave me a lot of confidence I was not so good and that was frustrating,” Chiba said “I really wanted a good result at worlds so this bronze makes me really happy along with three-time world champion Sakamoto Kaori will be looking to spearhead the Japanese women at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 Chiba looks to have figured out a thing or two in her sophomore senior campaign the likes of Sakamoto and Higuchi seemed worlds away to Chiba But after a hard-fought season with results to show for Chiba feels like she is amongst their company the skaters who will all be gunning for medals at the Winter Olympic Games next February no longer seem superhuman They are just like Chiba - who now knows she belongs and that she stands a chance looking ahead to Milano Cortina “It was extremely encouraging to be with the two of them,” Chiba said of Sakamoto and Higuchi “All three of us were in the final group in the free which helped me settle and to try to win Olympic quota with them was an absolute experience seeing their strength and watching how they prepare for competition There’s so much I took away from them mentally Being around them and their experience at the world championships gave me opportunities to grow I was looking up at people and everyone above me seemed glittery and shiny I’ve come to realise everyone gets nervous I think the difficult battles will only continue And I need to be tough to find a way through it.” American Alysa Liu chats with fellow Olympic medallist and Olympics.com contributor Gracie Gold on how she's digesting the moment - and explains how her comeback season unfolded Picture by Atsushi Tomura/Getty ImagesBy Lena SmirnovaChiba Mone has been stellar in the 2024-25 figure skating season so far, but as the 19-year-old showed with her performance at the Torino 2025 World University Games, she can still keep getting better. The Japanese skater, who finished second at the ISU Grand Prix Final and both of her Grand Prix assignments this season, set a personal best of 72.00 points to take a dominant lead in the women's short program on Friday, 17 January. Bringing Donna Summer's energetic disco classic "Last Dance" to the ice, Chiba was nearly flawless as she landed jump after jump and blazed through a complex step sequence. The young skater opened with a clean triple Lutz-triple toe combination, following that up with a double Axel and triple flip. As her score flashed up on the board, Chiba whistled in delighted surprise at realising that she had exceeded her previous personal best of 71.69, set at the 2024 NHK Trophy. The score put her ahead of the other Japanese skaters who had led the rankings thus far, Sumiyoshi Rion and Yoshida Hana. Sumiyoshi landed an effortless double Axel to start her skate and picked up more points with a clean triple flip-triple toe combination. A step out on a triple Lutz, however, cost her valuable points and there were no celebrations in sight as the Japanese skater received her score of 65.89, enough to take an early lead but well short of her 70.48 personal best. This season's Finlandia Trophy winner Yoshida launched off with a strong double Axel and triple Lutz-triple toe, but stepped out on her triple loop landing, almost touching the ice with her knee. The 60.48 she earned for the skate put her behind Sumiyoshi, and she was bumped further down, off the podium places, after Kazakhstan's Sofia Samodelkina took to the ice. The Kazakh national champion had picked up two second places at the ISU Challenger Series events earlier in the season and made an impressive statement in her return to inernational ice with a moody libertango routine and signature jumping style. Samodelkina landed a triple Lutz-triple toe, double Axel and triple flip, all with her hands above her head. She picked up points for the added difficulty and earned 66.43 points to finish in second place. Home favourite Lara Naki Gutmann sits in fourth place after the short program with 61.31 points. The Olympic Winter Games are just a TICKET away 🏂❄️🎿 Sign-up to get a reminder of when the next tickets go live and all the latest news of your favourite national Olympic teams and athletes trying to qualify Read the full story on SportsLook - Yuta Watanabe Becoming a Vocal Leader for the Chiba Jets Beyond the box score, Yuta Watanabe is making a big impact for the Chiba Jets and the B.League Watanabe is an inspiration to aspiring pro basketball players in his homeland in the eyes of fans and the national media a must-see attraction at basketball arenas throughout the country.  From general observations on fan chatter and media coverage there's been a palpable buzz about Watanabe playing in Japan Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns in six NBA seasons (2018-24) is an emerging leader for the Jets (more on that below) The 2024-25 B.League season is nearing its midway points and the Jets (17-9 third place in the Eastern Conference) are coping with injuries putting perhaps an even bigger focus on Watanabe's leadership skills He missed nearly two full months after sustaining a sprained left ankle joint in the second game of the 2024-25 season on October 6 But his return to the lineup on November 30 gave the team a boost in the frontcourt Jets star John Mooney, the league's top rebounder in 2023-24, was placed on the injured list on December 6 with a bruised right heel bone. Forward DJ Hogg is out with a sprained left ankle and hasn't played since December 1 The Jets have struggled of late without Mooney and Hogg. They lost for the fourth time in five games on Sunday, December 29, dropping an 86-78 decision to the visiting Shimane Susanoo Magic at LaLa area TOKYO-Bay.  Chiba small forward Ren Kanechika came off the bench and scored a game-high and career-best 27 points five rebounds and four assists in the series finale in nearly 28 minutes.  Watanabe was one of four Jets players to log more than 40 minutes in their 85-81 defeat in double overtime to the Susanoo Magic Watanabe canned a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in OT to make it 66-66, forcing a second bonus period. Shimane closed out the game with 19 points to Chiba's 15 in 2OT, with Seiya Ando and Nick Kay combining for 15 points in the 5-minute period for the victors Watanabe said the Jets were reminded of the importance of maintaining their focus after Saturday's defeat "At the end of the fourth quarter and at the end of the first overtime period we lost concentration and could have lost the game as it was," Watanabe told reporters at the new arena in Funabashi "But we were able to catch up and take it to double overtime." The Susanoo Magic had a 21-14 advantage in offensive rebounds and also outscored the hosts 27-9 in second-chance opportunities "I think that if we had a higher awareness of the need to box out and grab rebounds we would not have given up as many as we did." Chiba head coach Trevor Gleeson is in his first season in charge of the B.League squad His coaching career also overlapped with Watanabe's NBA career when he served as an assistant for Toronto from 2021-23 Watanabe suited up for the Raptors from 2020-22 this reporter asked Gleeson about Watanabe's impact as a hero to Japanese youth as a basketball ambassador in his homeland and as a role model/mentor for Jets teammates I probably have an advantage because I've seen Yuta in Toronto and I coached him for a couple of years And it's amazing just to see the fans react off the court like at the train station and he gets followed through and everyone there is taking a photo He's like a little rock star out there and probably more so in America he's unknown until he gets to the bigger cities." How does Watanabe handle his fame in Japan "It's a part that he takes well in his stride," the Australian-born coach observed He's always there for a smile or a camera and it's an added burden and it's good for these young guys to see how he conducts himself as a professional And then he turns up the next day and he's one of the hardest workers out on the court." Continue reading the full story on SportsLook Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.  You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " the 19-year-old hopes to continue her climb - all the way to Milano Cortina 2026 “You can only debut once at a Grand Prix Final,” Chiba told reporters after qualifying for the 5-8 December competition in Grenoble, France. “I’m going all in. “I’m working so hard in practise. It would be an absolute shame if I can’t show it in competition.” Picture by International Skating UnionChiba Mone is set to make her Grand Prix Final debut in Grenoble Chiba booked one of six spots at the 2024 Final after placing second at both the NHK Trophy and Cup of China She is one of five Japanese skaters who will be appearing in Grenoble which is the largest women’s singles turnout from any one country at a GP Final “I thought there might be a few of us but I didn’t think there’d be five,” Chiba said The 19-year-old Chiba is only in her second senior campaign she belies her age with a maturity and composure beyond her years she relocated to Kyoto to join the famed Kinoshita Academy to work under noted guru Hamada Mie where fellow Grand Prix Finalist Yoshida Hana and Youth Olympic champion Shimada Mao also train Chiba won her first major international title at the Four Continents with a personal best of 214.98 she failed to execute a couple of jumps in the short and free programs to end up seventh Her success through the halfway point of 2024-25 should come as no surprise “There were a lot of good skaters and I wasn’t sure how I’d fare against them but I did everything I could,” Chiba said upon returning home from the Cup of China with a shiny silver medal “(The GP Final) was one of my goals for the season and getting there has given me confidence.” Chiba has thrown her hat into the ring for one of Japan’s three places at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics yet she is not getting ahead of herself And that groundedness could prove to be a point of difference with the nationals coming up - and the Olympic campaign after that “I still have a lot more I can improve on with my programs “Technically I need to be more accurate like my free leg position for example - the finer points But to do that I need to pay attention to the details and keep working “It’s now only a year and a bit away (to Milano Cortina) and I just want to keep getting better.” We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at web-support@chronicle-tribune.com or call us at 765-664-5111 Please log in or subscribe to access all of Books+Publishing's premium content Purchase a subscription to access Books+Publishing‘s premium content We now offer a pay-by-the-month subscription Click here to see our range of subscription options Subscribe By clicking LOGIN, you are accepting terms and conditions and allowing cookies to identify your browser and keep you logged in. (See the privacy policy.) please click the button below to activate your service Check IP access Category: Daily newsletter Feature Features Local news Yuki Chiba’s first album STAR was released on Thursday who collaborated on the track “Mamushi (feat Yuki Chiba)” with Megan Thee Stallion who has worked on tracks such as Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” and Cardi B’s “Money” and is a Grammy Award winner The mastering engineer for the album is Colin Leonard from SING Mastering the music video for the track “Imaga” has been released on YouTube Yuki Chiba has revealed that he will hold his first solo concert at the iconic Nippon Budokan in Kudanshita This major milestone comes alongside the release of his debut album STAR pre-sale tickets are now available through the newly established fan club “Team Chiba,” with a lottery system open until December 19 with the sale period ending on December 19 2024 Listen and download: https://linkco.re/v9ETmgvd Songs included in the album01.一秒02.イマガ03.新品無地T04.重てえ05.止まれん06.ありのまま07.目立つ08.人の気09.ハート絵文字10.踊りたくなる11.パンパンなフロア12.やりたきゃ13.わかんない All lyrics by Yuki ChibaAll songs produced by KoshyMixing by Leslie BrathwaiteMastering by Colin Leonard (SING Mastering) 2025 (Thursday)Nippon BudokanDoors Open: 17:30 / Show Starts: 19:00All Seats ReservedTicket Price: ¥10,000 (tax included) ▶︎ Fan Club Pre-Sale (Lottery System) [Registration Period: 12/12 (Thu) 00:00 – 12/19 (Thu) 23:59]Registration URL: https://fanicon.net/ticket/5145Available to “Team Chiba” fan club members only NiEW Best Music is a playlist featuring artists leading the music scene and offering alternative styles in our rapidly evolving society the NiEW editorial team proudly curates outstanding music that transcends size 2024For the second day of X Games Chiba 2024 one elimination and a musical performance by IMP with rookie Keyaki Ike earning Japan’s only gold of the day Men’s Skateboard Street Elimination X Games newcomer Toa Sasaki from Yokkaichi was sitting in the first qualification spot after the first round of runs but American Nyjah Huston used the final run of the elimination to jump into the top spot With seven Japanese athletes competing in the 12-man elimination Toa led five Japanese athletes in qualifying spots two through six In a stacked field of previous X Games Vert gold medalists nine-time medalist Gui Khury earned his first Vert gold medal with the two highest-scoring runs of the session With a third run that included a body varial 900 a trick that has never been landed in a full Vert contest run Gui bettered his third run score to increase his lead who earned X Games Ventura 2024 Vert Best Trick silver Paris Olympic silver medalist Tom Schaar jumped up to take the final podium spot in his first competition of three this weekend Top qualifier Chloe Covell handily earned her fourth X Games medal ahead of a stacked field of Japanese talent The Australian landed a first run that included a kickflip down the 12-stair set frontside feeble grind pop over on bonsai rail backside Smith grind on 12-stair rail and a 50-50 180 out Miyu Ito earned her second medal - first was a gold in Ventura in June - and Liz Akama earned her sixth consecutive X Games medal with a bronze.  Men’s Skateboard Street Best Trick Final Osaka’s Keyaki Ike took the gold in Skateboard Street Best Trick with a nollie bigspin heelflip backside tailside to fakie Cordano Russell earned a silver medal with a frontside Cab to frontside tailside Nyjah Huston’s bronze medal is his 24th X Games medal tying him with BMX athlete Dave Mirra for second-most medals in X Games history.  Sagamihara’s Sora Shirai earned his first X Games gold medal with a dramatic final run that included a full Cab to backside tailslide to fakie on the 12-stair handrail Although Kairai Netsuke made a late run to launch into first it was Sora’s ender that could not be beaten X Games Japan 2023 gold medalist Ginwoo Onodera completed the Japanese podium sweep with bronze Tom Schaar showed why he has been dubbed the world’s best transition skater with his first Park gold medal Kieran Woolley used his final run to nab silver pushing Gavin Bottger into the bronze medal position In one of the most electrifying Vert Best Trick competitions Gui Khury and Moto Shibata landed back-to-back contest firsts to take gold and silver Moto landed a front foot impossible Lien 540 Then Gui followed with a kickflip body varial 900 to take his second gold of the weekend Chigasaki’s Soya Inomata took bronze for his second medal of the weekend The unstoppable Arisa Trew became the first athlete to win five gold medals before turning 15 with her third consecutive Women’s Skateboard Park win Returning to X Games for the first time in two years Sky Brown sat in the lead for much of the competition The youngest athlete in women’s park X Games rookie Heili Sirvio earned her first medal with bronze.  By Blair Alley is the Content Director for TransWorld SKATEboarding Picture by Brett Wilhelm/X GamesBy Shintaro KanoIt may not be an Olympic medal. But Shirai Sora will more than happily take it Shirai overtook Netsuke Kairi on his final run of 94.66 for the win as X Games Chiba 2024 came to an end “I wouldn’t say I was burned out after the Olympics but I didn’t have a great result there and it was frustrating,” Shirai said. “I was exhausted, though, and couldn’t find the time to get ready for this so I wasn’t sure about my chances. But I somehow managed to land all my tricks and I don’t know what’s what anymore. “This was a contest I’ve wanted to ever since I was a kid so I couldn’t be happier.” Shirai wasn’t sure if he could or even wanted to compete this weekend and as Netsuke cooked up the pressure on him by throwing down a 93.00 to wrest the lead from him He was the only finalist to clear 90 twice on this night “It was sort of a payback competition for me I was tired and a month wasn’t enough to recover I felt good yesterday which gave me some confidence but one could tell it was already at the back of his mind “I can’t think about what lies four years down the road But if I approach each and every one of these contests the way I did this time Ikeda Daiki was third (86.00) while Japanese Olympians Shirai Sora (85.66) and Onodera Ginwoo (84.33) moved on fourth and fifth, respectively. Rounding out the field were Netsuke Kairi (82.00), last year’s world silver medallist who narrowly missed out on qualification for Paris, Kelvin Hoefler (81.66) and Cordano Russell (80.66). MLB Trade Rumors By | December 13 Sammons made his big league debut as a 29-year-old rookie this past season pitching 27 1/3 innings of 3.62 ERA ball for the Tigers during their Cinderella push to the playoffs The 6’4″ southpaw averaged 91.5 mph on his heater fanned 17.3% of his opponents and logged a 8.7% walk rate Sammons spent the bulk of his 2024 season in Triple-A Toledo where he pitched 102 innings with a 4.15 ERA Detroit outrighted Sammons off the 40-man roster after the season The move to Japan is the latest step in the type of baseball odyssey for which all fans love to cheer. The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen penned a fantastic look at Sammons’ journey from under-recruited high schooler to an eighth-round pick of the Twins who wound up being released both by Minnesota and by Houston (Readers are highly encouraged to check out Stavenhagen’s piece in full.) Sammons who graduated from Western Carolina with an engineering degree contemplated giving up baseball entirely to pursue a more traditional career before taking one last shot and pitching in the Atlantic League Detroit Tigers Nippon Professional Baseball Transactions Maybe he can pitch well and come back to MLB A bit surprising and disappointing when Sammons was not kept by the Tigers Log in Register MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball Register This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page X Games has another contest coming later this week Below is all the info you'll need to watch from anywhere in the world.  DAZN and Twitch (Not available in Japan)  Women’s Skateboard Street Elimination10 p.m Men’s Skateboard Park Elimination11:30 p.m Women’s Skateboard Park Elimination Friday Men’s Skateboard Street Elimination8 p.m Men’s Skateboard Street Best Trick12 a.m By Blair Alley is the Content Director for TransWorld SKATEboarding Asian Banking & Finance website works best with Javascript enabled Please enable your javascript and reload the page Its NPL ratio is lower than the average of large regional banks in the country Chiba Bank is expected to maintain its strong loan quality and stronger-than-peers’ profitability in 2025 The Japanese bank’s strong loan quality is demonstrated by its better nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio of 0.92% as of December 2024 much lower than the 1.6% average of large regional banks in Japan Chiba Bank originates most of its loans—96% as of the end of December 2024—in the domestic market with a strong focus on its home market of Chiba Prefecture and the eastern part of the Greater Tokyo metropolitan area Moody’s said in its latest ratings report on the bank where it affirmed the bank’s A1 long-term domestic and foreign currency deposit ratings Its loan portfolio is adjudged diverse with 83% of its unconsolidated total domestic loans being residential mortgage loans and loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as of December 2024 Whilst Chiba Bank does have loan concentration to the domestic real estate sector (27.6% of its total loans as of September 2024) the problem loan ratio for the property sector loans remained low at 0.66% as of the same date while the bank has concentration risk related to loans originated in Chiba Prefecture this risk is mitigated by the prefecture's favorable location in the affluent Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area,” the ratings agency said as measured by its net income/tangible assets was 0.34% in the first six months of fiscal year ended March 2025 This level of profitability is stronger than that of most other regional banks Profitability was attributed to the bank's relatively large and vibrant home market economy as well as the bank's cost-control efforts including forming alliances with other regional banks Chiba Bank also had steady net fee and commission income through sales of investment-type financial products and corporate-related services Follow along with all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. and Sumiyoshi Rion all scored over 70 points in a tightly contested women's short program in Chongqing with just over three points between Chiba and Kimmy Repond in sixth Picture by REUTERS/Tyrone SiuBy ZK GohThe women's event at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Cup of China 2024 is anyone's to win. After the short program on Friday afternoon (22 November), Japan's Chiba Mone is the nominal leader – but just 0.38 points separate her and teammate Sumiyoshi Rion in third, and only 3.15 points between her and Switzerland's Kimmy Repond in sixth. In a session where every single skater received at least one negative grade of execution score from a judge, the difference was made in artistry and program components rather than true technical element skill. Chiba, skating to Donna Summer, topped the scores with 70.86 points despite being called for an unclear edge on her opening triple Lutz, which was also marked a quarter under-rotated. While her total elements score was the lowest of the top three, her program components helped eke her past U.S. skater Amber Glenn, who was just 0.02 points behind in second place. Glenn performed to Janet Jackson's This Time and would probably have placed first, if not for a wild second element. After landing her opening triple Axel – the only woman of the 12 to attempt a triple instead of double – a quarter under, the 25-year-old lost her balance on landing the triple flip part of her triple flip-triple toeloop combination, stepping out and putting a hand down on the ice to prevent a total fall. Sumiyoshi, meanwhile, had the cleanest skate of anyone on Friday, only receiving a single negative mark from one judge on her flying camel spin. Unsurprisingly, her clean double Axel, triple Lutz-triple toe combination, and triple flip led her to the highest technical marks of the entire field. However, the 21-year-old's program components score was noticeably lower than both Chiba's and Glenn's, giving her a total of 70.48 points. Kim Chaeyeon of Republic of Korea (69.27) sits fourth, having had high hopes of cracking the top three. Skating last in the second warm-up group, Kim was undone by a quarter under-rotation on a triple Lutz. Another Japanese skater, Watanabe Rinka, is fifth on 69.08 with Repond sixth on 67.71. Originals3 SeasonsOn EdgeFollow the personal and emotional journeys of the world’s best ice dancing teams as they train for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.Watch now Italy's Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri took a three-point lead in the ice dance competition scoring 84.84 points to top the rhythm dance They sit ahead of Canadians Marjorie Lajoie / Zachary Lagha (81.53) on the back of stronger grade of execution scores for their elements duo Christina Carreira / Anthony Ponomarenko (79.22) are over two points further back in third having dropped points on their pattern dance type step sequence which received only a level two compared to level threes for the top two teams Pre-sale tickets for Yuki Chiba’s STAR LIVE concert Chiba released his first album STAR on December 12 the music video for “Panpan na Floor,” one of the tracks from the album a renowned filmmaker and photographer who has worked on music videos for artists such as Bad Bunny and Katy Perry Chiba will appear on the special program in a colloboration with Matsuko Deluxe on January 4 The show is available for streaming on Hulu with a “Director’s Cut” version currently available on Netflix STAR LIVE will be Chiba’s first solo concert since he began performing under his real name Since the surprise release of his hit single “Team Tomodachi” in February 2024 The Nippon Budokan performance is expected to be a highly anticipated event The general pre-sale tickets are available through a lottery system with the application period running until January 19 (Monday) at 23:59 2025 (Thursday)Nippon BudokanDoors Open: 17:30 / Show Starts: 19:00All Seats ReservedAdvance Ticket Price: ¥10,000 (Tax Included) ▶︎ Official First Pre-Sale (Lottery) Application URLhttps://l-tike.com/yukichiba/Application Period: January 4 (Saturday) 19:00 – January 19 (Sunday) 23:59 Inquiries:HOT STUFF PROMOTION https://www.red-hot.ne.jpSMASH https://www.smash-jpn.com 2024Listen and download: https://linkco.re/v9ETmgvdIncluded songs01.一秒02.イマガ03.新品無地T04.重てえ05.止まれん06.ありのまま07.目立つ08.人の気09.ハート絵文字10.踊りたくなる11.パンパンなフロア12.やりたきゃ13.わかんない the dual sport threat is back in Japan for the X Games Find out how to watch her live in action this weekend The two-time Olympic bronze medallist was born and bred in Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture although she competes for Britain after debuting at the X Games when she was 11 in 2019 The British skateboard park teen sensation claimed a bronze medal at Paris 2024 despite suffering a shoulder injury in the days prior: "I take the injury always and make it the best I can and use it in the best way possible," the 16-year-old said in this exclusive interview She then added: "And there were a lot of ups and downs for sure I do feel I'm just going to get stronger from this." Watch for more including her plans to win gold at the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 on course for season hat-trickAfter Paris and Rome the newly crowned Olympic champion now has Chiba square on target after topping the elimination round The half-Japanese rider enjoyed skating in front of a semi-home crowd and is looking for more of the same in two days’ time “I just want to land some really good runs and just be happy with how I do “I made it to the finals which is what I wanted to do so I'm just excited to put out some other things in my run “It's really cool to be back in Japan and skating because Japan's super cool I guess it’s my home even though it’s not my home View this post on Instagram A post shared by X Games (@xgames) 1) 0ms;transition:background-color 150ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:fill 120ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;font-size:inherit;}.css-v4v4rs{-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;fill:currentColor;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;-webkit-transition:fill 120ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;font-size:inherit;}@media (min-width:0px){.css-v4v4rs{display:block;}}@media (min-width:1100px){.css-v4v4rs{display:none;}}.css-mps3fk{-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;fill:currentColor;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;-webkit-transition:fill 120ms cubic-bezier(0.4 the Chiba Lotte Marines announced on Friday they will begin the process of posting Sasaki in a move that will pave the way for him to pitch in MLB next season Even though Sasaki made it known in the past that he wanted to pitch in MLB, it wasn't clear if the Marines would honor his wishes. Coming to MLB now when Sasaki will be limited to signing a minor-league deal but in theory all 30 teams will be able to get in on the bidding because his bonus money will be a bargain value relative to what he could earn as a true free agent It's the same reason that Shohei Ohtani's original deal with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2017 cost them just $2.3 million in a signing bonus he could be the most sought-after pitcher this offseason in a market that also includes Corbin Burnes .css-1xiyrl{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;aspect-ratio:unset;}One key factor in all of this It has yet to be determined when that will happen but the timing will determine if he falls into the 2024 or 2025 international amateur class Teams can make trades for bonus money to add to their spending total The teams with most bonus money include the Oakland Athletics Even though the Los Angeles Dodgers have been cited as one of the heavy favorites to sign Sasaki Passan pointed out any assumption he will end up there is considered "premature." Toronto Blue Jays and Rangers were cited by Passan as potential landing spots but all 30 teams "will" make strong appeals to Sasaki when he is officially posted A look back at the life and career of one of Japan’s most revered actors Clarence: How ‘bout you go to the movies with me tonight the greatest actor working in martial arts movies today Lucy: You wanna take me to a kung fu movie These lines are taken from the opening scene of Tony Scott’s cult classic True Romance (1993) as Christian Slater’s Elvis Presley-obsessed character an introduction to the cinematic world of Sonny Chiba Born Sadaho Maeda in Fukuoka on January 23 His father was a pilot and his mother had been a track and field athlete during her younger days She clearly passed on her athletic genes to her son who played various sports during his school days and was particularly strong at artistic gymnastics Inspired by Japanese gymnasts at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki he dreamed of one day appearing at the Games himself and while he was a student at Nippon Sports Science University He practiced along with several future medalists but injuries ended his hopes of pursuing a career in gymnastics When one door closes, another invariably opens, and that’s what happened to Chiba. In his early 20s, he was discovered during Toei Studios’ New Faces competition and made his television debut as the titular character in the tokusatsu superhero show Seven Color Mask in 1960 including Drifting Detective: Tragedy in the Red Valley the directorial debut of legendary Japanese filmmaker Kinji Fukasaku The pair collaborated on several projects after that including Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Hiroshima Death Match (1973) Doberman Cop (1977) and Shogun’s Samurai (1978) the former gymnast became a prolific actor but he still had to find time to develop his martial arts skills he received a first-degree black belt in karate He also went on to earn black belts in various other disciplines Chiba began studying martial arts during his university days under the tutelage of Mas Oyama a Zainichi Korean karate master who founded Kyokushin karate He later played Oyama in the trilogy of films based on the manga Karate Master: Champion of Death (1975) Karate Bearfighter (1975) and Karate for Life (1977) a training school for aspiring martial arts actors and stunt performers One of his most famous students was Hiroyuki Sanada Sanada had made his movie debut as a child actor in the 1966 yakuza film Game of Chance The pair reprised the roles for two sequels the following year Chiba’s first martial arts film was The Bodyguard (also known as Karate Kiba) in 1973 though it was his starring role a year later that elevated his status globally a mercenary and anti-hero who takes on yakuza thugs in Shigehiro Ozawa’s classic he goes for the throat before showing off his adversary’s vocal cords to the camera was the first movie to earn an X rating in the United States because of its violent scenes the man born Sadaho Maeda was now known as Sonny Chiba — a name given to him by New Line Cinema founder Robert Shaye He continued to enhance his reputation as an action star thanks to movies like the supernatural cult classic Wolf Guy and the high-octane thriller The Bullet Train which inspired the action film Speed (1994) Chiba plays a conductor on a shinkansen that will blow up if it goes below 80 kilometers per hour The bomb has been planted by a group of misfits led by Ken Takakura’s character One of Chiba’s most famous roles during the 1970s was as the titular character in Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977) Based on Takao Saito’s record-breaking manga Golgo 13 — currently the oldest manga still in publication — the story centers around sniper Duke Togo (code-named Golgo 13) who’s hired by an American crime syndicate to take out a Hong Kong drug lord Another famous role for Chiba was a cameo appearance as Hattori Hanzo (who was a real-life samurai) in Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Volume 2 in 2003 The character was named in tribute to the part Chiba played in the jidaigeki series Shadow Warriors from the early 1980s It was reportedly Tarantino’s favorite Japanese TV show He was particularly interested in the way the ninjas delivered sermons about human morality to their targets before killing them “The guy who had to listen to the speech was sure to die in the end,” said Tarantino in an interview with Michel Ciment and Hubert Niogret in 1994 “My friends and I were always fascinated by these endings It was in this spirit that I put the quotation from Ezekiel in Jules’ mouth.” Jackson’s character from Pulp Fiction (1994) while the quotation is the famous Ezekiel 25:17 speech it’s taken from the prologue of Chiba’s earlier movie When the Japanese man visited the set of Pulp Fiction, Jackson was allegedly lost for words, but he did manage to ask him for an autograph. Another Hollywood star who bowed down in his presence was Keanu Reeves. Chiba gatecrashed a promotional interview he was doing for John Wick and Reeves was clearly taken aback to be meeting the man he called “Maestro.”  His final posthumous role was in Bond of Justice: Kizuna Part 1 with Juri appearing alongside her father in Kill Bill: Volume 1 Mackenyu is most well-known for playing Roronoa Zoro in last year’s live-action adaptation of the manga series One Piece Gordon’s most famous role thus far was as Takashi Mitsuya in Tokyo Revengers (2021) Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp Translation is mostly solitary, computer-based work, so it’s always nice to get out and go places or experience things that bring you closer to whatever you’re translating. Happily, both location and food play a big part in my most recent translation, Yuta Takahashi’s The Chibineko Kitchen providing plenty of opportunities to engage with the story (or an excuse to skive off work and eat things) The Chibineko Kitchen is set in a seaside restaurant – a rather magical place where visitors have the chance to order food from their fondest memories and meet their lost loved ones for one last time the area in which it’s set is real: the town of Kimitsu in Chiba Prefecture having never been to Chiba before (not counting Narita airport) I thought I’d take a day trip from Tokyo to visit some of the locations that appear in the story We left Tokyo early and took the Sobu line to Kimitsu which is on the Boso peninsula on the other side of Tokyo Bay and in fact the station guard was quite bemused when we asked for tourist information although there is a beach at Futtsu further round – perhaps the inspiration for the one in the story the first thing we did was take a bus to Hitomi Shrine visited by elderly couple Yoshio and Setsu in chapter four It’s a short steep walk up a wooded hill for a good view of Kimitsu and the Koitogawa river and further inland the houses give way to farmland and forested hills At the top we got talking to a local man and asked where we could find namero the fish dish Yuito makes in chapter one – and we ended up not only with a recommendation for a local restaurant The restaurant was Kutta in nearby Kisarazu which is right next to a fish market that opens at around four in the mornings We got to the restaurant at about half eleven which was lucky because by the time we left people were queuing up outside they must have decided it was good enough for customers too Before heading back down to Kimitsu we took a detour to climb the windy Nakanoshima Ohashi bridge for a view of Tokyo Bay. The skyscrapers of Tokyo were just visible in the haze on the far side, and looking back in the direction of Kimitsu we could see the huge steel works, which feature in The Chibineko Kitchen as the place where Kai’s father gets a job after he gives up fishing and where Yoshio finds employment at the behest of his parents instead of taking over the family peanut farm After taking the train one stop back to Kimitsu we headed up Kanozan in a taxi to see the Kujukutani view another of the places visited by Yoshio and Setsu Kanozan is just a tiddler as Japanese mountains go but it affords a wonderful view of the Boso hills you might be able to see the hills poking out of the sea of cloud as the mist rises up from the land a bakery that sells various peanutty snacks (and which gets a brief mention in chapter three) …and then headed back to Kimitsu station via the path that runs alongside the Koitogawa river Kotoko and Kai walk this path on a moonlit winter’s evening but we strolled along it on a beautiful sunny spring afternoon The cherry trees lining the path were about a week past full bloom and starting to show green leaves and there were lots of other lovely flowers around including plenty of bright yellow rapeseed (nanohana) As you’ve probably gathered, especially if you’ve read The Chibineko Kitchen Kimitsu feels like a quiet town – and for the characters coming from Tokyo to visit the restaurant it’s a place where they can find a little space to breathe Having the story as a guide made this laid-back trip an enjoyable one and there are plenty more things I’d like to see: Kujukutani at dawn the huge Kannon statue facing out to Tokyo Bay Where will the staff and customers of the Chibineko Kitchen find themselves next The Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takashi is out now, available to order here Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages Arisa Trew | Photo: Brett Wilhelm / X Games Women’s Skateboard Street Elimination The youngest women’s skateboard street gold medalist Chloe Covell earned the top qualifying position in the Women’s Skateboard Street Elimination One of only two riders not hailing from home country of Japan Covell was sitting comfortably in the top spot after the first round of runs X Games Ventura 2024 gold medalist Miyu Ito from Yamagata qualified in the second spot five-time X Games medalist Liz Akama from Aomori took third and Olympic gold medalist Coco Yoshizawa of Sagamihara in fourth The Women’s Skateboard Street final kicks off tomorrow at 1 p.m American Tom Schaar qualified in the top spot en route to his quest to become the first athlete in 18 years to win three gold in one event The Olympic silver medalist secured the top position with his first run to overtake Australian Kieran Woolley Hakuba’s Yuro Nagahara finished in the third position and Australian back-to-back Olympic gold medalist in fourth The Men’s Skateboard Park final airs Sunday at 11:50 a.m Women’s Skateboard Park Elimination Back-to-back double X Games gold medalist Arisa Trew once again showed her dominance with a first run that held her in the top position throughout the elimination Her run was highlighted by a McTwist off the volcano feature She narrowly beat out Miyazaki’s Sky Brown in her first X Games since her 2022 gold Wakayama’s Sakura Yosozumi was close behind in third Women’s Skateboard Park Final is Sunday at 1:50 p.m Please log in and check your service registration status.To cancel your subscription 1) === '|') document.write("&#"+unescape(l[i].substring(1))+";");else document.write(unescape(l[i]));} Yuki Chiba has taken a bold step with his latest track his first since February’s viral hit ‘Team Tomodachi’ Named after the classic cocktail of Jameson Irish Whiskey and ginger ale ‘Jameson Ginger’ isn’t the next high-energy hip-hop celebration of friendship and community it’s an effortlessly cool enka ballad for the Reiwa era intimate moments in familiar settings and evoking nostalgia with the ephemeral beauty of memory The music video, directed by STILLZ—known for his work with Bad Bunny, Lil Nas X, Rosalia, and Coldplay—was shot at BAR martha in Ebisu BAR martha is famous for its strict no-talking creating an environment where music takes center stage With over 6,000 vinyl records curated by owner Wataru Fukuyama the bar offers the perfect setting for the nostalgic and tranquil elegance displayed on ‘Jameson Ginger’ The tonal shift in ‘Jameson Ginger’ may surprise some listeners as the track reinterprets traditional Showa-era sounds with a modern twist nostalgic ballad that contrasts with his earlier releases Platinum LA-based producer Peyote Beats, who created the track with Yuki, reflected on Instagram: “Made this a year ago when I was in Tokyo with Yuki He had introduced me to the traditional Japanese style of music called Enka and the next day we made Jameson Ginger It’s one of my favorite pieces I’ve worked on and what better than to have done with with my brother of 8 years Additionally, the track also features violins from Lisako Oshima, who previously contributed to KOHH’s (Yuki Chiba’s previous moniker) ‘Ajisai’ from his 2022 album of unreleased tracks Although the song isn’t available as a digital single yet, fans can now pre-order limited-edition merchandise, including a 7-inch vinyl and T-shirts, on Yuki Chiba’s official website Release Date: 13/09/2024Label: Independent Vinyl: 7 inch Release Date: 02/05/2024Label: YC SoundsStream: Spotify | Apple Music and website in this browser for the next time I comment Chiba — A fire broke out at a chemical plant in Ichihara The blaze was brought under control after eight and a half hours please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent there was a report from an employee of a nearby factory that the ethylene dichloride was burning at Keiyo Monomer Co.’s plant Police and the fire department are investigating the cause of the fire The site is part of an industrial area facing Tokyo Bay Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun "The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will be the biggest event of my skating career and I want to be there no matter what," said.. Japan's Shun Sato won the men's competition at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating's Cup of China on Saturday and compatriot Mone Chiba was second among the women as both qualified for the Grand Prix Final for the first time Sato's victory was the first of his career on the circuit while Chiba's finish earned Japan's women a record five berths in the field at December's final in Grenoble The 20-year-old Sato totaled 278.48 points to edge Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov who finished with 276.17 after winning the free skate who bounced back from an early flub on his second jump and then get right back into it (after missing the next jump)." who was also runner-up at this month's NHK Trophy led after Friday's short program before finishing second in the free skate to finish with 211.91 points Amber Glenn of the United States came from second in the short program to pip Chiba on Saturday with 215.54 while Japan's Rion Sumiyoshi and Rinka Watanabe were fourth and fifth Glenn also booked her spot in Grenoble along with Japan's Kaori Sakamoto Figure skating: Chiba, Sato lead Cup of China after SP Figure skating: Hana Yoshida wins Finlandia Trophy, into Grand Prix Final Figure skating: Finland win books Yuma Kagiyama's Grand Prix Final spot To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible BMX freestyle’s Marcus Christopher goes for back-to-back goldsJust over one year after a crash that left him with four plates and 16 screws in his face Christopher is looking for a second consecutive X Games title At the same event in 2023, Christopher suffered a horrific crash that left him with a broken jaw and multiple facial fractures, needing four plates and 16 screws to hold his face together. For weeks, his diet consisted only of things that he could fit through a straw. An injury of that magnitude could have been career ending for so many, but for Christopher, it lit a fire inside of him. By the time the same event came around this year, he had not only built his physical strength back to his peak condition, but also overcame any fear that came along with facing the same course that left him hospitalized just 12 months prior. The day of his comeback in Ventura saw strong winds and tricky conditions, but Christopher sent it hard, putting down a first run score of 94.00, only to top that on his second with a 95.66 to come out nearly five points ahead of silver medallist Kevin Peraza. With that, he clinched his first ever X Games crown and became the third youngest in park history to ever do it. Now, just three months after that, Christopher is looking to repeat the feat and go for back-to-back X Games titles, this time, in Chiba, Japan. Picture by REUTERS/Esa AlexanderMarcus Christopher competes in the men's BMX freestle final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on 31 July it is hard to believe that just over one year ago Marcus Christopher faced what could have been a career-ending crash as he continues to prove time and time again strong winds made for tricky conditions so it seemed as though the 21-year-old had all the reason in the world to take it slow and ease back into competition When he saw his entire family in the crowd who had all made the trip to California from Ohio he knew he wasn’t going to hold anything back And win he did. He put down the massive 95.66 in a triumphant return to the international scene – a powerful statement that he was back. It was the moment he had been waiting for, having taken to Instagram to post a photo of his 2024 invitation back to Ventura, saying, “Here we go again! Excited to be going back to Ventura this summer for @xgames and get redemption from last year.” Since the victory, the 21-year-old represented the United States at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, where he narrowly missed the podium by just 0.65 to take fourth place. Though gut-wrenching, it marked the best result by Team USA in the men’s BMX freestyle competition to date. View this post on Instagram A post shared by X Games (@xgames) Marcus Christopher has been a BMX prodigy since before he even hit double digits in age His career began with BMX racing when he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father but a fateful encounter with BMX freestyle legend and X Games analyst Scotty Cranmer shifted the trajectory of his career pushing him to trade the race track for the freestyle park at 10 years old Ohio mirrored that of many other Midwestern kids with family dinners days spent four-wheeling and fishing for catfish deer hunting and a regular American high school experience But what set him apart from everyone around him was the helmet he wore – instead of one with a caged front that was ready to protect him against other players on a football field Christopher’s was sleek and built to protect him from the concrete ramps and metal rails on which he spent countless hours honing the daring skills he is known for today Picture by Zac Williams/SWpixMarcus Christopher competes in the men's BMX freestyle competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at The Urban Park the teenager rose through the ranks quickly and made it to the X Games stage in 2019 at 16 years old where he became the fifth-youngest person to ever compete in an X Games BMX discipline he proved to the world that he belonged among the best with an 11th place finish before clinching his first major podium with a bronze medal at the X Games Japan in 2023 – just two months before the major slam in Ventura Back from that and proving his position as a top contender for gold amongst the best in the world Christopher has momentum on his side and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon and took her first steps towards those next Olympics with some noise on Saturday (21 September) in Japan Covell managed to ease the disappointment of finishing last in the eight-woman final in Paris in her Olympic debut “Definitely like getting a win after things didn't turn out very well in Paris,” the Australian said not giving up and just get more harder tricks that I can get consistently and pull out in LA.” respectively - competing in Japan is a true test for any skater women's skating has blown out of the park All the girls we're just showing how far it can really be pushed,” Covell said with a far bigger media following now compared to before the Olympics was unable to improve on her first run of 82.66 as she was leapfrogged by Akama for bronze Yoshizawa admitted she was not 100 per cent after contests in consecutive weeks on different continents “I’ve barely had time to rest since coming home,” she said “I just tried to be as well as I could for this “Having a competition as big as the X Games in Japan is special so I wanted to win it and go out with a smile on my face.”