COVID-19

Like in the rest of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, anything that attracts large numbers of people together for hours on end has been postponed or canceled in Japan, including Major League sports. The situation remains fluid, however as some sports leagues are finding ways to deal with the job despite it all. Here’s a brief rundown of what the different sports teams and organizations around Japan are doing in the “new normal”: Japan Major League Baseball (NPB) The season was shortened after play got underway three months later than planned on June 19 and only in empty stadiums. The shortened season will go on through November. There are tentative plans to welcome fans back into stadiums sometime July 10, starting at a very low 5000 spectators per game, depending on government guidelines by then. Summer Sumo Tournament Japan’s national sport has already had to hold its March spring tourney sans-spectators, totally canceled the May meets, and moved the summer bouts in July from Nagoya to Tokyo, also with no plans for fans in the stands. It remains unclear what happens beyond that point, but you can bet they will be extra cautious to keep both grapplers and fans healthy;…