SPORTS & LEISURE (6)
US Sumo Open
US Sumo Open
The World's Largest Annual Sumo Tournament Outside Japan
Founded by Andrew Freund in 2001, the US Sumo Open is the largest annual sumo tournament in the world outside of Japan, with over 400 sumo wrestlers, including numerous past and present World Sumo Champions. Through his organization, USA Sumo, Freund has arranged for sumo wrestlers to appear in over 20 films, 250 television shows, 300 television commercials, 500 live events and numerous other public appearances. These include such films as Ocean’s Thirteen, Memoirs of a Geisha and 47 Ronin, plus commercials for Nike, Doritos, Ford and other brands. Freund spoke to Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie about his event and how the roots of the US Sumo Open trace back to Tokyo Journal, while four sumo stars shared their thoughts on the sport.
The Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters’ “Buckets” Blakes
Ambassadors of Basketball and Goodwill Celebrating 90 Years
The Harlem Globetrotters are celebrating nine decades of combining basketball with family-friendly comedy and theatrics. Over the years, the team has performed in over 26,000 exhibition games in 122 countries, with around 450 live events every year. Wilt Chamberlain was a Globetrotter before joining the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he became a legend. In the 1970s, not only were Globetrotters like Meadowlark Lemon and Fred “Curly” Neal household names, but they also made guest appearances on TV shows and cartoons, as well as having their own Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon program. In 2013, three Globetrotters, including guard Anthony “Buckets” Blakes, made history by performing in an exhibition game in North Korea in front of the Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim Jong-un, and retired NBA all-star Dennis Rodman. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie talked with “Buckets” about the history of the team, their community outreach and traveling the world for basketball.
Summer 2013 Cool Car Award
Sexy + Sustainability
WHO said being environmentally friendly can’t be sleek and sexy? The Karma consumes no gasoline for the first 50 miles, the interior trim is environmentally responsible and its aluminum skin is finished off with a solar-cell roof. A 260-hp, four-cylinder engine combined with a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and twin AC motors deliver 402 horsepower to the differential. The gasoline engine powers only the generator and the Karma is always electrically driven at the rear wheel. The Karma goes from 0 to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds, or in 5.9 seconds when the gas engine kicks in.
Tokyo Wins 2020 Olympic Bid
Tokyo Wins 2020 Summer Olympic Bid
THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) elected Tokyo as the 2020 host city at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 7, 2013. The IOC was deciding between Madrid, Istanbul and Tokyo. The Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee promoted its delivery (by demonstrating that Tokyo will provide guaranteed quality and maximum benefits), celebration (by advocating that Tokyo will be a great host of a wonderful party) and innovation (by showing that Tokyo will use all the creativity of the world’s most forward-thinking city to benefit sport and the Games.) If you think numbers speak louder than words, than here are statistics that the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee have compiled to support their bid to host the world’s leading international sporting event.
COOL CARS
International Car Show
Tokyo Journal checked out California’s 2013-Model Orange County International Auto Show at Anaheim Convention Center to see the hottest new cars and trucks, exotics, and tricked-out rides. Highlights included:
See the latest tricked-out cars including Industrial Light & Magic (Lucasfilm Division)'s "Vader's Ride", Will.i.am's '59 Corvette, "American Pride", the "Tekken" Ferrari, a Transformers Sports Car, and the lowest low riders around! Photos taken at the October 6, 2012 Orange County International Auto Show in California.
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