Japan's soccer squad faces a crucial World Cup opener against four-time champions Germany. The Group E match is set for Wednesday in Qatar.

The Samurai Blue has a history of relying on first match results in the tournament.

Japanese animation film "Kimetsu no Yaiba," or "Demon Slayer," has shattered the country's all-time box office record. It earned more than 32.4 billion yen, or about 314 million dollars, in 73 days.

The film broke the previous record of 31.6 billion yen set by the 2001 animation fantasy "Spirited Away," directed by Miyazaki Hayao.

Earlier in 2020, Toyota tantalized us with images and videos of a Supra equipped with a removable roof panel. It finally unveiled the model, which it originally planned to introduce at SEMA 2020. For enthusiasts who would rather go off the pavement, it also revealed an overlanding trailer that started life as a Tacoma cargo box.

Toyota explained building the Supra Sport Top was more challenging than simply chopping off the roof. After removing the sheetmetal, its engineers reinforced large sections of the car's structure to preserve its rigidity. They filled the gap above the front passengers with a pair of composite panels that can be stored in the trunk when the sun is out. Don't call it a T-top, though; there's no T-shaped bar running down the middle of the roof.

Japanese rugby star Goromaru Ayumu is set to retire after the coming season that starts in January. He spoke about the sport and his legacy.

Goromaru said, "It is sad that I'll finish my rugby career as a player, which I started when I was 3 years old. But I have been running with all my might for 32 years."

There was one glaring problem with the Lexus LS 500 prior to this year's refresh: the Remote Touch infotainment system. To put it simply, it was a nightmare to use and a potential deal breaker. As it does in other Lexus products, Remote Touch featured a large display controlled by a laptop-like touchpad that was difficult and distracting to use. Lexus has surely tired of hearing the complaints from reviewers and customers alike, and for 2021, there's a touchscreen. Hurrah!

That's clearly the biggest update for the 2021 Lexus LS 500, but the four-door flagship is treated to a number of other improvements for its mid-cycle freshening as well. Considering the totally new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is bearing down in the Lexus' rearview mirror, it's smart timing. Lexus allowed us to live with both the 2020 and 2021 LS 500s for a couple days to ensure we'd notice every last difference between them.

More than 30 percent of respondents to an NHK opinion poll have said next year's Olympics and Paralympics should be canceled.

The telephone survey was conducted over the weekend. More than 1,200 people answered the questions.

More than 30 percent of respondents to an NHK opinion poll have said next year's Olympics and Paralympics should be canceled.

The telephone survey was conducted over the weekend. More than 1,200 people answered the questions.

Nissan is preparing to release a new Rogue Sport for the 2022 model year. Developed in England, the crossover will wear a sharper-looking exterior design, and it will offer a completely overhauled interior with a lot more tech.

While the Japanese firm has no luxury ambitions, it explained it's gradually pushing the Rogue Sport upmarket with nicer materials and cutting-edge features that are trickling down from bigger, more expensive cars. Motorists will be able to order a type of Nappa leather that takes 25 days to produce and more than an hour to embroider with a diamond-like design, for example. Massaging front seats and a wireless device charger are new, too.

Lexus has launched a new version of the UX 250h in the United Kingdom, dubbed the Premium Sport Edition.

Toyota has popped its GR Sport cherry in Australia by launching the new C-HR sports-flavored small crossover. Similar to Hyundai’s new ‘N Line’ as well as a swath of German proposals in all categories such as Audi‘s ‘S Line’, GR Sport focuses on sporty aesthetics and chassis improvements without touching the powertrain.

The president of the International Olympic Committee says foreign athletes and visitors to the Tokyo Games next year should be vaccinated for the coronavirus before entering Japan if a vaccine is available.

IOC President Thomas Bach made the remark during a meeting with Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko at the Office of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Monday. He arrived in Tokyo on Sunday for the first time since the decision was made in March to postpone the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics to next year.

We concluded the new 2021 Nissan Rogue is better in every way than its predecessor, which bodes well for its smaller sibling. Known as the Qashqai globally, the Rogue Sport is preparing to return for a second generation, and cross-referencing the images of fully camouflaged prototypes released by Nissan with the changes recently made to the bigger Rogue gives us an accurate idea of what to expect from the popular crossover when it lands.

Built on a new modular platform shared with the aforementioned Rogue, the Rogue Sport remains largely a European product. It was designed in Nissan's studio in central London, and it was engineered at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe which, as the British spelling for center indicates, is also located in the United Kingdom. It's lighter than the outgoing model thanks to a number of weight-saving measures like doors, fenders, and a hood made with aluminum and a rear hatch manufactured using a composite material. It's 41% stiffer, too.

Toyota is teasing an overlanding trailer for the Tacoma called the Sport Trailer. You might notice that it bears a striking resemblance to the Tacoma itself, or at least the back half of it. Toyota has shown us one overlanding concept for SEMA already, but what if you want even more first-world amenities when you're out in the wilderness?

The Sport Trailer appears to approximately double the hauling capacity of the Tacoma, and the project managers rattle off a laundry list of mod cons the Sport Trailer affords them: propane, running hot water, toilet, stove, freezer, and more (though probably not a hot dog roller). The term "glamping" is used without shame.

Way, way back in 2019 when SEMA was still a physical show, Toyota showed us a concept called the Supra Heritage Edition. The goal was to evoke the look of the beloved fourth-generation 1994-98 Supra on the fifth-gen 2020 GR Supra with the addition of a body kit, hoop spoiler, and iconic quad-element taillights. For the virtual SEMA 360 show of 2020, Toyota is modifying the Heritage Edition yet again, this time with an open roof.

Called the Sport Roof, the name recalls the removable top option on some fourth-gen Supras. Unlike the more typical T-tops of the era, the entire center section of the roof could be removed with no center spine connecting the front and rear sections. It's basically a Targa top, except Porsche holds the trademark to the Targa name.