Overview

• Shinjiro Koizumi formally entered the LDP leadership race, laying out pledges on wage growth, an income tax review, and political funding transparency ahead of a Sept. 22 filing and Oct. 4 vote.
• Chunichi fell to DeNA on Sept. 18 as the pitching staff unraveled, extending a three-game skid and dropping the club to a season-worst 16 games under .500 with second place no longer attainable.
• Japan’s U18 baseball team lost the World Cup final to the United States on Sept. 14, ending its bid for consecutive titles.
• In European football on Sept. 19, Takefusa Kubo played until the 66th minute in Real Sociedad’s 1–3 loss at Betis to remain winless through five league matches, and Joel Chima Fujita went the distance in St. Pauli’s 0–2 defeat at Stuttgart.
• Vissel Kobe announced the signing of former Japan goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda, 36.