Metropolis Magazine

Articles by: Fred Varcoe

Fashion and music are often seen as natural bedfellows, but you need talented people in both fields to make a collaboration work. Local promoters Street Level have been attempting to perfect the fusion with their Tokyo Fashion Fuse events, which pair stunning models—many of them Miss Universe Japan entrants—with internationally renowned DJs. Tokyo Fashion Fuse ...

Twice As Nice

The Bella Twins bring ''Broadway with body slams''

Games On!

Putting their poor showing in Turin behind them, Japan’s Olympians have high hopes for Vancouver

Gold Standard

As all eyes turn to Beijing, Japan’s Olympians Look to repeat their Athens Success

Road to Brazil

Japan looking to clinch World Cup spot against Australia

JSoccer

The fledgling football magazine tackles a new audience

Cue Action

Japan’s world champ ladies’ billiards player shoots some stick

Size doesn’t count

...at least as far as American football's concerned

The Women who Lifted Japan

The Nadeshiko Japan's World Cup win is not just a game of football

Tokyo Fashion Fuse 5

As the weather heats up, so does one really steamy waterfront club night

Women’s Volleyball—World Grand Prix

Watch on primetime as the Nihon ladies spike their way to victory

Ryo Ishikawa

The Japanese prodigy gets set to take on the world at The British Open

Foreign movement

As soccer shuts down in Japan, local players take to the pitch overseas

Rookie hype

It’s rookie-hyping time again in Japan, at least in the world of baseball, where these things have assumed an inflated significance. The season starts on March 25, with all six teams in both leagues—Central and Pacific—in action. Japan’s media circus will be encamped at the Sapporo Dome to witness Yuki Saito (a.k.a. the “Handkerchief Prince”) ...

Ai Fukuhara

The former teen table-tennis star has grown up—and got better

52nd Japan Short-Course Championships

After winning gold medals No. 3 and 4 at the Beijing Olympics, swimmer Kosuke Kitajima seemed to drop off the map. He quit his management company, Sunny Side Up, and headed for the US for some thinking time, taking his SSU handler with him. In reality, though, he only had one thing to think about: ...

Soccer Roundup

2011 is shaping up to be a busy year for Japan’s footballers

Top League

While the J. League and NPB take a winter break, the hardy boys of rugby play on through the snow, rain and cold of winter. The Top League playoff semifinals are held on January 22 and 23 (Toshiba vs. Suntory and Toyota vs. Sanyo, respectively), with the final taking place on the 30th. All matches ...

Emperor’s Cup

While Kashima Antlers’ hopes of winning the J. League Championship four years in a row are over, Gamba Osaka are still in the hunt for a third straight Emperor’s Cup title. They shouldn’t have any problem overcoming the stuttering Urawa Reds at home in the quarterfinals on December 25, after which they will face Shimizu ...

Festive Fights

Three sporting events that guarantee a thumping New Year

All-Japan Full-Contact Taekwondo Championships

If K-1 and MMA events are a little too glitzy for you, there’s an alternative—what might be called “real” martial arts. Taekwondo is one of the most popular fighting styles in the world, and has been an Olympic sport since 2000. Even its non-contact form can be dangerous, but the full-contact version is spectacular, and ...

Misaki Kobayashi

The squash star gets ready to defend her All-Japan title

Test Matches

Japan may have nine years to go before it hosts its own Rugby World Cup, but national team coach John Kirwan has less than a year to create a side that won’t get humiliated in next year’s event, to be held in New Zealand. As Japan will be up against the All Blacks and France ...

Women’s Volleyball World Championship

Get ready for spike-happy gals in Tokyo

Refugees International Charity Golf Tournament

Looking for an excuse to play golf? You can hit the course at two upcoming amateur events which are open to all-comers. First up is the Refugees International Charity Golf Tournament on September 25, at the excellent Jack Nicklaus-designed Harunanomori Golf Club in Gunma Prefecture. Refugees International is a well-known Tokyo-based organization that offers assistance ...

Time for Tennis

Star players descend on Tokyo for a pair of major tournaments

Japan Basketball League

Local ballers struggle to stand tall

Legend Ultimate Basketball Championship

The Legend Ultimate Basketball Championship was featured in these pages back in April, but just in case you haven’t been paying attention, the finale will be taking place at Studio Coast in Shin-Kiba at the end of this month. Legend is a street basketball competition played 3-on-3 with one hoop, accompanied by music, an MC, ...

Tokyo Metropolis League

The seventh season ends with Tokyo Hibernian FC on top

Street2Elite

Bad-boy basketball star Dennis Rodman slam dunks into Tokyo

Golfjin

Because we’re all ''golf people''

Fedor Emilianenko

Watch the MMA legend kick ass via webcast!

FIFA World Cup

They think it’s all over—and for Japan, it probably is

Baruto

The Estonian wrestler might just be the nicest guy in sumo

Streetball

The Legend Ultimate Basketball Championship keeps it real

J. League

Japan’s prodigal sons return

Baseball’s Back

...and it’s brought some familiar old faces with it

K-1 World Max

What do you do when your Golden Boy quits? Well, hopefully you find a new one. That’s the task facing the organizers of K-1 after the retirement of “Silver Wolf” Masato, who finished his impressive career with a win over archrival Andy Souwer on New Year’s Eve. Souwer was the runner-up in last year’s 70kg ...

Taekwondo

Retired champion Hwang Su-Il explains the art of fighting

Fuji Xerox Super Cup

The J. League kicks off on March 6 of this World Cup year, and Japan’s fans will be hoping that the club coaches can teach their players how to play before sending them off to perform on the world stage in June. To be fair, there is a lot of talent here, but there are ...

Tokyo Marathon

Amateurs and pros line up for the big race

FIS World Cup

Will Aiko Uemura win gold in the moguls at the Vancouver Olympics? If she (or teammate Miki Ito) does, then the FIS World Cup event at Inawashiro in Fukushima Prefecture next month will be party central. Well, it will certainly give Japan’s freestyle fans an opportunity to come out and support their local heroes. After ...