On Sept. 20 the JAAF announced that three members of Japan's team for the Sept. 29-Oct. 5 Hangzhou Asian Games have withdrawn due to injury. According to the announcement, Arisa Kimishima, the only Japanese woman scheduled to run the 100 m and 200 m, is out with plantar fasciitis. Haruka Kokai, one of two women in the 10000 m, has sustained a stress fracture in one of her feet. Kazuto Iizawa, one of two entrants in the men's 1500 m, is suffering from lower back pain.
April 1 is the start of Japan's new academic and fiscal year, and there's always a wave of transfer announcements to go with it. Some notable ones yesterday: 800 m NR holder Rin Kubo skipped university to go straight to 2023 Queens Ekiden national champion Sekisui Kagaku after her graduation from Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S. Multiple NR holder Nozomi Tanaka rejoined the Toyota Jidoshokki women's team after having left it to pursue a solo pro career as a New Balance athlete. Already on the team for this fall's Nagoya Asian Games in the 10000 m, Ririka Hironaka announced a switch from her longtime home at Japan Post to the Uniqlo women's team. Collegiate marathon record holder Asahi Kuroda joined the 2026 national champion GMO corporate team after graduating from 2026 Hakone Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University last week. Hakone Ekdien First Stage CR holder Rui Aoki joins the Sumitomo Denko corporate team after running his final race for 2025 Izumo Ekiden w...


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