Shinnosuke Abe, one of the best Japanese baseball players of his generation, resigned from his high-profile job as Yomiuri Giants manager on Tuesday, May 26.
Abe was arrested on Monday for the alleged assault of his 18-year-old daughter at their Tokyo home.
On Tuesday morning, Abe was released from Shibuya Police Station. Hours later, he resigned as manager and offered an apology to Giants owner Toshikazu Yamaguchi.
Abe, 47, held a Tuesday news conference to formally announce his resignation.
“My family’s troubles have caused great concern and inconvenience to many baseball fans, professional baseball officials and the company,” Abe said, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun. “I sincerely apologize.”
Shinnosuke Abe wipes away tears during a news conference on May 26 in Tokyo. (©SANKEI)
He also expressed regret about the incident.
“I have tarnished the title of manager of the proud and storied Giants club,” Abe was quoted as saying by NHK.
Abe was in his third season as the manager. A standout catcher during his playing days, he retired in 2019 after hitting 406 career home runs. He was a nine-time selection to the Central League Best Nine Team. And he was the 2009 Japan Series MVP.
Offensive coach Hideki Hashigami, 60, has taken over as interim manager.
Since Abe’s resignation, the Giants (27-24) have won three of five NPB games, including back-to-back road victories over the Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters on Friday and Saturday.
Shinnosuke Abe (©SANKEI)
Domestic Dispute at Abe’s Home
According to published reports, Shinnosuke Abe attempted to stop a fight between his 15- and 18-year-old daughters at the family’s home on Monday.
The Mainichi Shimbun reported that Abe is “suspected of grabbing his daughter by the collar with his hands and shoving her to the floor at their home.”
In the same article, published on Tuesday, it quoted Abe as reportedly telling police, “I lost my temper as she talked back to me.”
The Associated Press issued an update on the family troubles, providing comments from Abe’s eldest daughter, whose name was not released.
“I broke down in tears seeing my father apprehended,” she said, according to The Associated Press. The 18-year-old also said she wasn’t hurt by her father, who reportedly told his daughters to be quiet and was angered when they answered back to him.
“My father and I have already reconciled, so please don’t worry,” the eldest daughter said, according to Kyodo News.
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Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami grabs his right hamstring as team personnel look on during the third inning of a May 29 game against the Detroit Tigers in Chicago. (©KYODO)
Murakami Injures Right Hamstring, Placed on Injured List
Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami returned to the dugout in the third inning after limping off the field with a right hamstring injury during a game against the visiting Detroit Tigers on Friday, May 29.
Murakami was injured while running to first base after he hit a grounder. He sat out the rest of the game.
On Saturday, Murakami was placed on the 10-day injured list.
White Sox manager Will Venable also announced that Murakami has a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. He’s expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks.
“It’s tough, obviously,” Venable said, according to The Associated Press. “He makes a massive impact on our group, on and off the field.”
A leading candidate for the American League Rookie of the Year award, he has 20 home runs and 41 RBIs in 57 games for the White Sox.
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Kazuma Ueda of the Kobelco Kobe Steelers scores a first-half try against the Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath in the Japan Rugby League One semifinals on May 30 in Tokyo. (©SANKEI)
Rugby
Steelers Rout Sungoliath to Reach League One Final
The Kobelco Kobe Steelers overwhelmed the Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath in the second half to earn a 69-23 victory in a Japan Rugby League One semifinal match on Saturday, May 30.
Entering the second half, Kobelco led 24-16. From that point on, the Steelers hammered the Sungoliath, starting with Itsuki Kamimura‘s try three minutes after the break at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground.
After that, the Steelers ran roughshod over the Sungoliath.
Ten minutes later, a Gerald Cowley-Tuioti try increased the lead to 41-16.
Kobelco scored seven tries in the second half.
“We delivered a high-quality performance in the second half,” Steelers coach Dave Rennie said, according to Sankei Sports.
The Steelers will play the winner of the Saitama Wild Knights-Kubota Spears semifinal, which is on Sunday, in the League One final.
On June 7, the League One final will be held at Tokyo’s MUFG Stadium.
Dai Oketani (©SANKEI)
Basketball
Oketani Leaves Ryukyu After Exceptional 5-Year Run
During Dai Oketani‘s second stint as Ryukyu Golden Kings head coach (2021-26), the B.League team made five consecutive appearances in the championship series.
His contract has now expired and Oketani is leaving the Okinawan team, it was announced on Friday, May 29.
The Golden Kings captured the 2022-23 title and had four runner-up finishes in the B.League Finals under Oketani.
Ryukyu won 76.3% of their regular-season games in these five seasons, going 226-70.
The 48-year-old bench boss also coached Ryukyu for four seasons during the bj-league era (2008-12). His first stint in charge included two championship seasons.
Okteani became the Japan men’s national team coach in February 2026, replacing Tom Hovasse.
“In addition to winning the B.League championship and the Emperor’s Cup, as well as setting a league-record 20-game winning streak at the time, he consistently demonstrated — through the daily efforts of five seasons — a high standard of team unity, discipline, and a winning mindset that cannot be fully captured by statistics,” stated a team-issued press release.
“This attitude extended beyond the team, bringing great joy to our fans while literally evolving the Kings’ winning culture and laying the foundation for the franchise’s future. We express our heartfelt gratitude for his immense contributions and pledge to uphold the high standards and culture he has left behind, using them to drive the team’s continued growth.”
Oketani Reflects on 2nd Tenure with Ryukyu
In looking back at the past five seasons, Oketani expressed gratitude to the team’s fans and the organization for making it a rewarding experience.
“To everyone, thank you for your tremendous support of the Kings,” Oketani said in a statement. “Thank you also for fighting alongside us all the way to the Finals this season. And thank you for being with the Kings throughout these past five years.
“For the past five years, I have dedicated myself to making the Kings culture — passed down by those who came before me — even better, even if just a little. Sharing victories in the Finals and the Emperor’s Cup with all of you are happy memories, but the time we spent together in the arena, every single moment, will remain my greatest treasure.”
Ryukyu Announces Additional Coaching Changes
Associated head coach Norio Sassa is also leaving the Golden Kings after two seasons in that role.
On Friday, the team also announced that assistants Anthony McHenry and Kensuke Hosaka will be named associate head coaches for the 2026-27 season, with McHenry effectively in charge.
Due to the wait for a Japan Basketball Association Class S coaching license, a prerequisite to be a head coach in the B.League, McHenry will not have the head coaching title until he acquires the license. During that waiting period, Hosaka will be officially listed as the head coach.
McHenry, 43, played for the Golden Kings from 2008-17 and was a franchise cornerstone in the bj-league and B.League eras. He returned to Okinawa as an assistant coach in 2023.
Hosaka, 41, began his coaching career as an Iwate Big Bulls assistant in 2011. He spent the past three seasons as a Golden Kings assistant.
Ryuichi Kishimoto competed for the Ryukyu Golden Kings from 2012-26. (©KYODO)
Floor Leader Kishimoto Leaves the Golden Kings
As part of Ryukyu’s post-Finals personnel changes, longtime starting point guard Ryuichi Kishimoto is also leaving the franchise.
Kishimoto, 36, made his pro debut for the Golden Kings in 2012. An Okinawa native, he was synonymous with the team’s winning culture and perennial playoff appearances.
DJ Newbill poses with the 2025-26 B.League MVP trophy on May 29 in Tokyo. (©SANKEI)
Newbill Joins the Altiri
Point guard DJ Newbill, who received his third consecutive B.League regular-season MVP trophy at an awards banquet on Friday, May 29, will wear a new uniform in the 2026-27 season.
Newbill has signed a contract to play for the Altiri Chiba, it was announced on May 21.
In his third and final season with the Utsunomiya Brex, Newbill averaged 19.0 points and a league-best 6.4 assists.
After being promoted from B2 to B1 for the 2025-26 season, the Altiri finished with a 19-41 record.
Now, they are retooling their roster for the start of a new era, with the B.League top flight being rebranded B.Premier.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone at Altiri Chiba for welcoming me to the organization and this community,” Newbill said in a statement. “I’m truly excited for this next chapter and ready to embrace the culture, the fans, and everything that comes with wearing this jersey.”
He added, “I can’t wait to get to work, compete for wins, and build something special together with the fans behind us. See you soon.”
Naomi Osaka hits a return to Iva Jovic in a French Open women’s singles third-round match on May 30 in Paris. (©Stephane Mahe/REUTERS)
Tennis
Osaka Books Spot in French Open 4th Round
Naomi Osaka reached the third round of the French Open for the first time since 2019 on Thursday, May 28.
In the second round, Osaka defeated Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 in Paris.
Two days later, world No 16 Osaka returned to action in the clay-court tournament with a third-round clash against 17th-ranked Iva Jovic of the United States. In the hard-fought match, Osaka triumphed 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 6-4.
As a result, Osaka, who has struggled on clay throughout her career, advanced to the French Open round of 16 for the first time.
“Today I was a lot calmer than my first few matches,” Osaka said after beating Jovic. “I think in [Grand] Slams the further I get the calmer I am, because it’s such a privilege to be here.”
Quotes of the Week
“We sincerely apologize to all those who were looking forward to watching and taking photographs, but our top priority is to maintain an environment where the competing athletes can concentrate on their performance with peace of mind.”
―The Japan Volleyball Association explains that it has banned spectators from taking photos and videos at a pro beach volleyball tournament in Nagoya on May 30-31. According to an Agence France-Presse report, the JVA cited “malicious” photos of players in past tournaments as the reason.
“Dreams start in your imagination. But if your dream involves a big stage, you gotta step on one to really get a feel for it. I wanna provide that environment for them.”
―NBA forward Rui Hachimura, on his hopes for youth basketball players who’ll participate in hia Black Samurai summer camp (August 4-5) in Kobe.
“We were the only team with the chance to win a double, so I’m glad we’ve achieved that. The kind of support we get isn’t something I take for granted, and it’s a pleasure as a player to be able to play under such an environment.”
―Celtic FC forward Daizen Maeda, on winning the Scottish Cup final, a game in which he scored the first goal, on May 23, Kyodo News reported. Maeda’s team also captured the Scottish Premiership title in mid-May.
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Author: Ed Odeven
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