• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

  • Photowalks
  • Portfolio
  • Book and Prints
  • Newsletter
  • About/Contact
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • RSS

Sports

Mar 12 2004 3 Comments

The J-League

The J-League season kicks-off tomorrow, and seeing as my local team FC Tokyo are playing at home, I shall be participating in the first-game-of-the-season festivities.

I’ll be the first to admit that the J-League can’t compete with the excitement of say the English Premier League (there’s no Bolton Wanderers to start with!), but it’s live football nonetheless.

And get this, they have pretty young ladies moving around the stadium dispensing alcoholic beverages. Yes, smiling beauties walking about with packs on their backs containing beer. A quick call and they will happily come over and satisfy your needs. So even a dull game is guaranteed a few highlights. If it’s a particularly warm day, maybe they will look like this.

kirin.jpg

Or more than likely not, but there’s no harm in dreaming. It’s obviously a great sales ploy, as losers like myself will happily keep on ordering more beer, but it’s something I can quite happily live with.

Anyway, back to the football. Like any team worth its salt, FC Tokyo has a nickname, although it has to be said that the gasmen isn’t one of the best. There is a (reasonably) good reason, as their sponsor is Tokyo Gas. But still…

There again, with a stadium packed full of blokes furiously gulping down beer, it’s perhaps quite appropriate.

Categorized: Sports

Feb 20 2004 8 Comments

Step aside Tiger

Due to the history between the two nations, and the more recent worries of nuclear weapons, you wont be surprised to know that Kim Jong-Il is a popular topic on Japanese TV. And with North Korea’s illustrious leader celebrating his 62nd birthday just recently, the bouffanted one was treated to something akin to a TV special.

We were shown the usual pictures of mass celebrations, but more intriguing were a few biographical details that the presenter mentioned. Now we all know that Kim Jong-Il is prone to the occasional fib, but nobody is perfect. I think we’ve all been guilty of embellishing our CV now and again, or talking up a past performance.

Yet one so called fact was a little too hard to swallow. According to government sources, Kim Jong-Il’s best round of golf was a mind boggling 34. That’s 38-under-par. And in the same round he managed 5 hole-in-ones! If that wasn’t enough, supposedly it was his first ever game too.

The thing is, if it is actually true, what on earth is he doing troubling himself with all the problems involved in running a poverty stricken country? With a talent like that, he could make an absolute fortune on the PGA Tour. He’d certainly give that young upstart Tiger Woods a run for his money.

Kim-Jong-Il.jpg
No silly golfing slacks for Kim “hot shot” Jong-Il

Categorized: Current Affairs, Sports, Television

Feb 19 2004 4 Comments

Zero Zico

The result from last night’s World Cup qualifying game.

Japan 1 Oman 0

As bad as that result looks (although admittedly Japan did secure the 3 points), it was even worse as the goal came in the final minute of injury time. And against a team of young amateurs. That’s hardly acceptable.

The performance was dire even compared to recent games. And that’s saying something, believe me. It would seem that Brazilian coach Zico is trying to implement some kind of year zero policy. He has already managed to dismantle everything built up by the previous coach, and arguably the team is now at a pre-France ’98 level. How far he will be allowed to take this bizarre policy remains to be seen, but somebody needs to stop him. And quickly.

nyzico.jpg
Zico gleefully waving goodbye to success yesterday

Categorized: Sports

Feb 18 2004 4 Comments

The road to Germany

Japan’s World Cup 2006 campaign kicks-off tonight with a potentially tricky game against the mighty Oman. Ok, I might be being a little sarcastic, but with the legendary Zico in charge, every game is fraught with danger. Sadly the old cliche of a great player not making a great coach rings very true for the dour Brazilian.

No doubt tonight’s game will be sold-out, with the fans as supportive and vociferous as ever. But one thing I can never understand is how this passion is seemingly turned on and off. On a day the national team plays, the game is talked about and people strut around in their replica shirts. Yet the rest of the time it’s sometimes hard to believe Japan actually has a national team. I don’t get it.

Although that’s not to say that Japan doesn’t have a core of die hard footie fanatics. Just take a look at this fan during the 2002 World Cup.

soccerfan.jpg

Ok, he looks incredibly silly, but you can’t say he’s not passionate. The only problem is he’s supporting England, and not Japan.

Categorized: General, Sports

Feb 16 2004 Leave a Comment

Mildly amusing Japanese-English #6

Nice on!

There are lots of English words (or variations of them) used on the golf course, but nice on! is my personal favourite. It can be heard all over the course, as any shot that results in the ball finishing on the green is met with a hearty cry of nice on!.

This is ok if you’ve just nailed a 4 iron into the heart of the green, but it does have a tendency to wear a little thin. Especially when your fluffed chip shot just about manages to trundle onto the putting surface, miles away from the flag, and is met with an enthusiastic bellow of nice on! from your playing partners.

Categorized: Language, Sports

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Footer

Copyright © 2026 · Tokyo Times