Japan has advanced to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic tournament with a 9-3 win over Italy.

A new TV commercial for Mitsuya Cider, starring Sho Sakurai (41) and Masaki Aiba (40) of Arashi fame, will go on air nationwide on January 17. 　

The TV series "Ranman" (NHK Sogo, etc.), which will start on Monday, April 3, is the first story with a male lead since "Yale" in the first half of 2020.

Actress Suzu Hirose (24) and Sho Sakurai (41) of Arashi fame attended the Japan premiere of "Nemesis: The Mystery of the Golden Spiral" (directed by Yu Irie, in theaters now), a double-starring film adaptation of the drama series that aired on Nippon TV in April 2021.

Sumo's Ozeki champion Takakeisho, who is pursuing promotion to the top rank of yokozuna, has started the March grand tournament with a loss.

The 10th episode of Fuji Television's drama series "Themis no Kyoshitsu: Regal Youth White Paper" (Mondays at 9 p.m.), starring Keiko Kitagawa (36), will be broadcast on March 13. 　

The ninth episode of TV Osaka's midnight drama "My Husband is a Lover of My Daughter," starring actor Rio Yamashita (every Saturday at 1:00 a.m.), was broadcast late at night on January 11.

Major League two-way star Ohtani Shohei says he is thrilled to be the starting pitcher in Japan's first World Baseball Classic game against China on Thursday.

Major League Baseball's two-way sensation Ohtani Shohei will take the mound in Tokyo on Thursday for Samurai Japan's first game against China in the World Baseball Classic tournament.

Japanese judoka Ono Shohei, who won gold medals in two straight Olympics, says he will go to Britain on an instructor training program.

The city of Kawasaki is slated to get a new sports arena for its professional basketball team. The facility will also feature a hotel, restaurant and park.

At the Snowboard World Championships, 19-year-old Tsubaki Miki lost in the first round of the final tournament in the women's parallel slalom and failed to win both parallel giant slalom events.