japan running news

http://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sports/0003563550.shtml

translated by Brett Larner

On Oct. 27 the organizers of the final Kobe National Women's Half Marathon, scheduled for Nov. 21, announced the names of the athletes in this year's elite field. Headlining the race is 2005 and 2007 World Championships marathoner Mari Ozaki (Team Noritz). Also on board are Barcelona Olympian Yumi Matsunaga (nee Kokamo), Misato Horie (Team Noritz), Chihiro Tanaka (AthleC RC), Miki Oka (Team Kojima Press), Eri Okubo (Second Wind AC) and Satoko Uetani (Kobe Gakuin Univ. AC). Making a special appearance as guest runner is 1997 World Championships marathon gold medalist Hiromi Ito (nee Suzuki).

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/p-sp-tp0-20090401-477581.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner and Mika Tokairin

Master craftsman Hitoshi Mimura (60), the man who made custom shoes for the likes of baseball's Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners) and Olympic marathon gold medalists Naoko Takahashi and Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex), retired from Asics on Mar. 31 after 42 years with the company. Mimura now plans to launch his own new brand, Mimura Shoes, from a workshop in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture. Certified as a 'modern artisan,' Mimura wants to continue helping support athletes from the ground up.

Even on his last day with Asics, Mimura was to be found hard at work matching careful measurements of each individual athlete's feet as he hand-crafts all his shoes. Mimura joined Asics in 1967 and began to make his customized shoes in 1974. Seko, the Soh brothers, Nakayama, Taniguchi, Arimori, Suzuki, Takahashi, Noguchi....the list of Mimura's clients over the year…