Set meals are a ubiquitous aspect of Japan’s dining culture ― delicious combinations of food to enjoy. With that in mind, this installment of Odds and Evens will dish out insights on several sports topics, providing food for thought.
Let’s feast on baseball to kick off the article. Specifically, a quick look at the Saitama Seibu Lions‘ impressive start to the 2026 NPB season.
Through Tuesday, May 19, the Lions owned the best record (25-18-1) in NPB’s Pacific League, putting them a half-game ahead of the Orix Buffaloes.
In the previous three seasons, Seibu was one of NPB’s worst teams, starting with a fifth-place finish in 2023 (65-77-1). The Lions slipped to 49-91-3 in 2024, placing last in the Pacific League.
They finished below .500 once again in 2025, going 63-77-3 and ending up in fifth place in the PL.
Now, as baseball savants from Saitama to San Diego can tell you, the Lions’ success in 2026 begins with dominant pitching.
Taira, Takahashi Among PL’s Top Pitchers in 2026
Starting pitchers Kaima Taira and Kona Takahashi have been instrumental in the Lions’ turnaround.
Taira and Takahashi are 1-2 in the PL in ERA at 0.80 and 0.87, respectively.
So far, so good for both starters.
Taira is 3-1. He’s allowed 22 hits and struck out 43 batters in 45 innings.
Takahashi has worked 52 innings to date, giving up just 27 hits while fanning 41.
Hakua Iwaki (©KYODO)
Seibu has also received stellar pitching from rookie southpaw closer Hakua Iwaki, the PL leader in saves (14).
The Lions have won eight of 11 games against the reigning Japan Series champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Seibu also has the second-worst batting average (.251) among NPB’s 12 teams.
Look for Seibu manager Fumiya Nishiguchi, who’s in his second season at the helm, to continue challenging his hitters to boost their productivity.
Hideki Matsuyama putts on the fifth green duriing the final round of the PGA Championship on May 17 in Newton Square, Pennsylvania. (©KYODO)
Matsuyama Struggles in PGA Championship Final Round
Golfer Hideki Matsuyama carded a 2-over 72 in the final round of the PGA Championship on Sunday, May 17. He finished tied for 26th with an even-par 280 in Newton Square, Pennsylvania.
Matsuyama had six of his seven bogeys in the final round during a nine-hole stretch of play, starting with the par-four 7th hole.
Putting proved to be the difference between a satisfying round and a frustrating round for the veteran golfer.
“It was a disappointing day,” Matsuyama was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. “There was a clear distinction between good and bad putts. Things just didn’t go well. I think if I can find some connection between my shots, I can be more competitive.”
Still, it was an improvement from the previous PGA Tour event. He finished with an 11-over 295 at the Truist Championship on May 10, placing 71st.
Matsuyama had his best round at the PGA Championship on the first day, shooting a 3-under 67.
And what was his best tournament performance of the year? He placed second in a playoff at February’s WM Phoenix Open.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo’s Jone Naikabula is seen carrying the ball in the Japan Rugby League One final in May 2024 in Tokyo. (©SANKEI)
Brave Lupus Chasing Another Title
After back-to-back Japan Rugby League One title-winning campaigns, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo placed sixth in the standings during the 2025-26 season.
With an 8-10 record, it was a big drop in victories after posting a league-best 15-1-2 record in 2024-25.
But Toshiba is still in the hunt for another title, getting just enough wins to secure the final playoff spot.
Head coach Todd Blackadder‘s squad faces the Kubota Spears (14-4) in the playoff quarterfinals on Sunday, May 24. It will be a rematch of the championship final from June 2025, when Brave Lupus star Richie Mo’unga and his teammates posted an 18-13 victory at National Stadium.
Sunday’s match is set to kick off at 2:30 PM at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo.
The Kobelco Kobe Steelers and the Saitama Wild Knights tied for the best record (16-2) in the 12-team League One first division this season. As a result, both squads earned byes into the playoff semifinals during the final weekend of May. The matches will also be held at the iconic Tokyo venue.
Also in the hunt for the title are Tokyo Sungoliath (9-9) and BlackRams Tokyo (9-9), who will square off in the other quarterfinal on Saturday.
NHK Cup women’s all-around champion Misa Nishiyama holds the winner’s trophy on May 16 in Tokyo. (©SANKEI)
Nishiyama Wins NHK Trophy to Earn Asian Games Berth
Gymnnast Misa Nishiyama, 15, has raised her profile in recent weeks by claiming a pair of notable victories.
Nishiyama placed first in the women’s all-around event at the All-Japan Artistic Gymnastics Championships on April 18, a surprising victory over 2025 titlist Rina Kishi by 0.101 points in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture.
She added a win in the NHK Trophy, amassing 164.897 points to secure the all-around title on May 16 in Tokyo.
As Olympics.com reported, Nishiyama’s excellence on the uneven bars and balance beam paved the way for her narrow triumph over runner-up Kishi (163.512).
“I was able to perform my routine,” Nishiyama said, according to Sports Hochi. She added, “I was nervous, but I enjoyed it.”
Nishiyama, who won the floor exercise gold medal at the 2025 Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships in Manila, will represent Japan in the upcoming Asian Games (September 19-October 4) in Nagoya.
Misa Nishiyama performs on the balance beam in the NHK Cup final. (©KYODO)
She’s also scheduled to participate in October’s world championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2026 is shaping up as a monumental year in Nishiyama’s gymnastics career, as she continues to test her skills in top competitions.
Looking ahead, Nishiyama has clearly outlined her goals for this year’s biggest meet.
“I want to fine-tune the elements I couldn’t quite nail in this competition (the NHK Trophy) so that I can deliver a perfect performance at the world championships,” the 2028 Olympic hopeful commented, according to the Japanese-language sports website The Answer.
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama grabs a rebound in the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA’s Western Conference finals on May 18 in Oklahoma City. (©Brett Rojo/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS)
Incredible Openers in NBA’s Conference Finals
Moving from the Japanese capital to the US, this week’s column wraps up with a few thoughts on the series-opening games in the NBA‘s Western and Eastern Conference finals.
On back-to-back days, arenas in Oklahoma City and New York featured incredible moments and a plethora of highlights.
In a titillating clash between the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, French wunderkind Victor Wembanyama had a game for the ages in the series opener on Monday, May 18. The 22-year-old paced the Spurs with 41 points and 24 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots and sensational rim-protecting defense.
The Spurs triumphed 122-115 in double overtime.
“It was a war of wills,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after Game 1, according to The Associated Press.
Johnson marveled at the “levels of mental toughness exuded by both teams.”
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson runs the offense as Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden defends during overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 19 in New York. (©Brad Penner/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS)
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals was quite memorable, too.
The Knicks overcame a 22-point deficit (93-71) with 7:52 to play in the fourth quarter on Tuesday, May 19.
And the Cavaliers’ dominance disappeared as the Knicks seized control.
Led by star guard Jalen Brunson, New York used an 18-1 scoring spurt to make it 101-101 with 19 seconds to play in the fourth. Brunson had 15 of his 38 points in the fourth.
The game went into overtime.
Starting in the fourth quarter and continuing in overtime, New York had a jaw-dropping 44-11 game-closing run against the Cavaliers. The Knicks earned a 115-104 triumph.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed’s [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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