The Shiga Lakestars pro basketball team in Japan’s bj league played well enough this 2009-2010 season to make the playoffs in the Western Conference for the first time in only their second year in the league. Coming in 4th place in the seven-team Western Conference with 29 wins and 23 losses, they qualified to advance [...]
Posts under ‘Sports in Shiga’
My Lakestars photos in Japan Times
My photos of Shiga Lakestars player JOHO Masashi were published on The Japan Times Web site on March 21, 2010 (Sun.). The article was written by Edward Odeven who writes a basketball column called “Hoop Scoop.” I recently met him at a Lakestars game. This online article is not found in the paper edition. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sp20100321eo.html [...]
Ito Miki places 12th in freestyle moguls
ITO Miki, native of Hino, Shiga Prefecture, placed 12th in the finals of the women’s freestyle moguls competition at the Vancouver Winter Olympics on Feb. 14, 2010. She looked quite happy after doing her run down the moguls hill. Obviously she did her best. (Didn’t fall or anything like Satoya Tae who placed 19th.) All [...]
Shiga Olympians off to Vancouver
Among Japan’s athletes competing in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, two are from Shiga Prefecture. ITO Miki (伊藤みき) hails from Hino, Shiga and Vancouver is her second Winter Olympics after Torino. She will compete in the freestyle skiing mogul event along with media darling Uemura Aiko. Born in 1987, Miki attended elementary and junior high [...]
Shiga Lakestars lead Western Conference
After one month into the 2009-2010 season, the Shiga Lakestars lead the Western Conference in the bj-league with 7 wins and 3 losses as of November 1, 2009. They won five home games in a row until November 1 when they lost to Takamatsu Five Arrows. I went to see a game this past two [...]
Shiga Lakestars crush Takamatsu Five Arrows in 1st home games
Oct. 10-11, 2009 was a great weekend for the Shiga Lakestars who played their first home games for the 2009-2010 season in Yasu, Shiga Prefecture. Playing against the Takamatsu Five Arrows, they not only achieved back-to-back consecutive wins, but won by a wide margin. For the first home game, they won by a whopping 48 points, [...]
Shiga Lakestars beat newcomer Kyoto Hannaryz in 2009-2010 season opener
Congratulations to the Shiga Lakestars pro basketball team for winning its opening game of the 2009-2010 season on October 3, 2009 against the Kyoto Hannaryz. The score was 82-73 witnessed by a reported 1,888 spectators in an almost full Kyoto City Gymnasium. Photos here. Also congratulations to the Kyoto Hannaryz (led by head coach David Benoit) [...]
Bobby Nash returning to Shiga Lakestars
After reaching a basic agreement for the 2009-10 season, Bobby Nash is set to return to the Shiga Lakestars basketball team in Japan’s bj-league for the 2009-10 season. He plans to join up with the team in late Aug. and the official contract will be signed after he passes a medical exam. He is the [...]
Using mobile phones while bicycling prohibited
Be aware that from July 1, 2009, it is illegal to use a mobile phone while riding a bicycle. Using a cell phone while driving is already illegal, but now it is also illegal while riding a bicycle. According to the police, there were eighteen bicycling accidents in Shiga caused by the rider using a [...]
Rowing lessons for 5th graders at Nagahama
From June 2 to late Oct. 2009, Nagahama will host about 7,500 fifth graders from 147 elementary schools in Shiga for rowing lessons as part of the Lake Biwa hands-on experience program (体験学習). This is the first time rowing has been added to the program. They are using a 5-meter boat seating 8 people to [...]
Shiga LakeStars end 2008-09 season in 5th place
I enjoyed watching Shiga LakeStars games even though they didn’t do so well during their debut 2008-09 season ending up in 5th place with a record of 19 wins and 33 losses. The bj-league emphasizes the entertainment aspects of the game, so that added a lot to the games. And Shiga did have a good number [...]
Shiga LakeStars vs. Tokyo Apache
Just uploaded photos of Shiga LakeStars vs. Tokyo Apache held on March 6, 2009 at Komazawa Gymnasium in Tokyo. They wear white uniforms for away games. Very exciting game that went into overtime. LakeStars won. Photos: http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=731 JT article here: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sk20090307b1.html
Shiga LakeStars players’ blogs
The Shiga LakeStars’ four American players have been writing a blog in English. It’s nice to see that they are enjoying their stay in Shiga and doing some local sightseeing. Bobby Nash and Brayden Billbe recently visited the Ninja house in Koka. This first season is ending soon, so go and see them play when you [...]
Hino’s Miki Ito going to Vancouver Winter Olympics
Miki Ito (伊藤みき) from Hino town snagged the silver medal (Uemura Aiko got the gold) for the women’s dual moguls of the FIS Freestyle World Championships in Inawashiro, Fukushima Prefecture on March 8, 2009. This has assured her a spot on Japan’s winter Olympic team for Vancouver in 2010. Born in 1987, Ito graduated from [...]
Kyaffee (Caffee) now Shiga’s official mascot
Caffee (キャッフィー) has been called back to duty. The mascot character used for Sports Recreation Shiga 2008 has been sworn in by Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko on March 4, 2009 as one of Shiga’s official mascots, especially for sports events. I saw an awful lot of Caffee mascot costumes last year at Spo-rec [...]
Major sponsor exits Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon
Held annually for 64 times since 1946, the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon is losing a major sponsor after March 1, 2009. Kyoto-based electronic parts maker ROHM Co., Ltd. has stated that it will no longer be a sponsor of the marathon after the 64th race on March 1, 2009. The company had shouldered about half the cost [...]
Spo-rec Shiga 2008
Jamie and Megan Thompson sang “Lake Biwa Rowing Song” (Biwako Shuko no Uta) at Spo-Rec Shiga on Oct. 18, 2008 at Kibogaoka Park in Yasu, Shiga Prefecture. The performance was part of the side entertainment on the opening day of the sports festival. The MC was Chiho Ono, radio personality at e-radio (FM Shiga) which [...]
Shiga LakeStars debut game
On Oct. 11, 2008, I went to see the pro debut game of the Shiga LakeStars pro basketball team in Otsu’s 滋賀県立体育館. As you may know, the LakeStars is Shiga’s first professional sports team. I enjoyed the game, and the fans were cheering loudly. But unfortunately, the LakeStars lost the game to Osaka by only [...]
Rowing with Imazu Jr. High School Rowing Club
On Aug. 8, 2007, I went rowing on Biwako (琵琶湖周航) with the Imazu Jr. High School Rowing Club from Nagahama to Imazu. It was a very hot and sunny day with little wind. Almost 50 club members and three teachers went on this rowing trip. I was allowed to join them. Every Aug., they row [...]