Tokyo, 5 September, /AJMEDIA/
Ad company may have paid arrested ex-Tokyo Olympic exec for favor
TOKYO – Haruyuki Takahashi, a former Tokyo Olympic organizing committee executive arrested in a bribery case, may have been paid by an advertising company seeking favor for one of its client companies during the sponsorship selection process, sources close to the matter said Sunday.
The latest revelation comes on the heels of suspicions that clothing retailer Aoki Holdings Inc. and publishing company Kadokawa Corp. sent payments to Takahashi in exchange for preferential treatment in the process of selection as an Olympic sponsor
———-
Kishida eyes attending event on Japan-China ties’ 50th anniversary
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering attending a business event to be held on the 50th anniversary of the normalization of ties between Japan and China late this month, in an apparent effort to foster momentum for a summit by the two neighbors, sources close to the matter said Sunday.
The Japan Business Federation, the country’s most powerful business lobby better known as Keidanren, and groups dedicated to promoting Japan-China friendship will organize the event on Sept. 29 at a Tokyo hotel.
———-
Powerful typhoon Hinnamnor may approach southwestern Japan Tues.
TOKYO – Powerful typhoon Hinnamnor may approach Japan’s southwestern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday, the weather agency said, while warning of high waves, strong wind gusts and mudslides.
The season’s 11th typhoon was moving slowly north over the East China Sea after passing between Ishigaki and Miyako islands in Okinawa Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said Sunday.
———-
IPEF ministers to declare start of economic rules-making talks
TOKYO – Ministers from 14 member states of the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific economic framework are expected to declare the start of formal negotiations this week in Los Angeles, informed sources say, as they work to codify a rules-based economic order in the fast-growing region.
The two-day meeting from Thursday in Los Angeles will be the first in-person ministerial gathering of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, known as the IPEF, which U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has created as a vehicle to counter China’s ascendance in the region.
———-
Baseball: Ohtani throws 8 strong innings as Angels walk off with win
ANAHEIM, California – Shohei Ohtani pitched eight innings of one-run ball as the Los Angeles Angels walked off with a 2-1 win against the Houston Astros in 12 innings on Saturday.
The two-way star threw 81 of his 111 pitches for strikes, fanning five, while allowing six hits and no walks in a commanding performance at Angel Stadium.
———-
Number of female university teachers in Japan at record high
TOKYO – The number of women teaching at universities in Japan hit a record high this May, a more than fourfold increase from 30 years ago, recently released preliminary government data showed.
There were 50,975 women in teaching positions at public and private universities as of May 1, up 738 from the previous year and making up an unprecedented 26.7 percent of the total number of university educators, according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
———-
Badminton: Yamaguchi, Nishimoto win singles title at Japan Open
OSAKA – Japan’s two-time reigning badminton world champion Akane Yamaguchi captured her third Japan Open women’s singles title Sunday, while compatriot Kenta Nishimoto won the men’s singles.
World No. 2 Yamaguchi, who won her second straight world championship last Sunday in Tokyo, cruised past South Korea’s fourth-ranked An Se Young 21-9, 21-15 at Maruzen Intec Arena Osaka.
———-
Baseball: Enns, Lions roar back to beat Hawks ace Senga
FUKUOKA – Dietrich Enns threw six shutout innings to outpitch MLB hopeful Kodai Senga in the Seibu Lions’ 4-1 win over the SoftBank Hawks, salvaging the final game of a three-game series between the Pacific League’s top two teams on Sunday.
The Lions win created a logjam at the top of the standings, with the Hawks leading the second-place Lions and third-place Orix Buffaloes on winning percentage.
