japan running news

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20161216/ath16121617340001-n1.html

translated by Brett Larner

The Shiseido corporate women's team announced on Dec. 16 that Manabu Kawagoe, 54, will return to his former position as head coach in January next year.  "I want to bring the team together to target winning the National Corporate Women's Ekiden Championships and to inspire women everywhere through their running," Kawagoe commented.

Currently leading the Edion corporate women's team, Kawagoe was head coach of Shiseido for three years beginning in 2004.  A native of Kagoshima, in 2007 he resigned from Shiseido to found the club team Second Wind AC.  In 2011 he moved again to become head coach at Edion.  Kawagoe will leave Edion to return to Shiseido.  In March this year Shiseido head coach Toshitaka Anyoji resigned to take over the top position at the Panasonic corporate women's team.  Shiseido assistant coach Masahiro Inoguchi has been serving as interim team leader …

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20130117/ath13011720530000-n1.html

translated by Brett Larner

The Shiseido corporation has announced that women's long distance team head coach Tsutomu Hiroyama, 46, will retire from the team at the end of March.  The announcement comes partly as a consequence of the Shiseido team's 13th place finish at December's National Corporate Women's Ekiden, the latest in a series of increasingly shaky results in recent years.  Hiroyama's wife Harumi Hiroyama, 44, who beginning with the 1996 Atlanta Olympics made three straight Olympic teams in track distance events, has been serving as an assistant coach and according to the announcement will also retire from the team.  Following their departure current coaching staff member Toshitaka Andoji, 47, will be promoted.

Tsutomu joined Shiseido in 1989, switching the focus of his own career as an athlete to coaching and helping to develop Harumi and others.  The couple's stoic character and una…