Overview

• Nanako Fujii took bronze in the women’s 20 km racewalk in Tokyo in 1:26:18, a Japanese record and the first Worlds or Olympic podium for Japanese women in the event.
• J1 club Vissel Kobe announced the permanent signing of 36-year-old former Japan goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda after his June exit from Hungary’s Debreceni.
• Takefusa Kubo played until the 66th minute as Real Sociedad lost 1–3 at Real Betis, their third straight defeat and a winless run through five league matches.
• The Chunichi Dragons snapped a four-game skid with a 3–0 win over Yakult, combining five scoreless pitchers including Okada and Sobue in retirement games.
• Hokkaido secured J1 summer training camps, with Abashiri to host Kashiwa Reysol and Higashikawa to host Cerezo Osaka as clubs target cooler preseason bases.