Japan

The Japanese Football Association (JFA) has confirmed it will not bid for the 2013 and 2014 FIFA Club World Cups, leaving the path clear for Morocco to stage the tournaments.

Tokyo has followed the example of fellow 2020 Olympics applicant city Madrid in announcing its bid for the Games will cost significantly less than its failed attempt to secure the hosting rights for the 2016 Olympics.

The Tokyo team attempting to bring the 2020 Olympics to Japan has underlined the political support for its efforts by naming the country’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as a top adviser to a panel supporting the bid.

Jim Small, the head of Major League Baseball’s Tokyo office, has insisted that Japan would still be welcome in the 2013 World Baseball Classic even though the country did not confirm its participation by the September 30 deadline.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White confirmed on Tuesday that his series would return to Japan in 2012 after a 12-year hiatus as part of a planned expansion into Asia.

The Japanese capital of Tokyo officially entered the race to host the 2020 Olympics on Saturday with the country’s National Olympic Committee insisting the bid could drive recovery efforts following the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this year.

Tokyo would provide a “very strong” bid to stage the 2020 Olympics, according to International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge.

Tokyo is set to enter the running to host the 2020 Olympics after Tsunekazu Takeda, the head of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), confirmed that the national body had asked the city to lodge an official bid for the Games.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has approved Japan’s budget plans for the 2019 World Cup, after receiving financial guarantees from the country’s government.

The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) has stated that Tokyo remains focused on a bid for the 2020 Olympic Games following Hiroshima’s decision to scrap its candidacy earlier this week.

The Japanese city of Hiroshima has scrapped plans to bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics due to a lack of funding and public support.

Japan confirmed on Tuesday that it would not participate in this year’s Copa America football tournament in Argentina, ending two months of speculation after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March.

Japan has been confirmed as the sole host country of the 2019 Rugby World Cup after Hong Kong and Singapore withdrew as potential destinations for matches.

The Japanese capital of Tokyo has been awarded the hosting rights to the 2014 World Team Table Tennis Championships.

The Japan Football Association (JFA) confirmed on Thursday that it had performed a u-turn on its decision to withdraw from this year’s Copa America.

FIFA could help negotiate the release of Japanese players from European clubs for the Copa America in July if the country’s national team takes part in the tournament, the head of the country’s football body has revealed.