US Maia Weintraub (L) and Japan's Sera Azuma compete during the Women's Team Foil event Bronze medal match, as part of the FIE Fencing World Championships at the Fair Allianz MI.CO (Milano Convegni) in Milan, on July 29, 2023. (Photo by Andreas Solaro/AFP Photo)

Japan's Mei Tsuruta competes in the rhythmic gymnastics individual qualification and individual team final event during the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, in China's eastern Zhejiang province on October 6, 2023. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP Photo)

Kaori Sakamoto, of Japan, performs her women's short program during the Skate Canada International figure skating competition in Vancouver, British Columbia, Friday, October 27, 2023. (Photo by Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP Photo)

Tomoka Miyazaki of Japan hits a return against Lin Hsiang-Ti of Taiwan in their women's singles quarter-final match during the Hong Kong Open badminton tournament in Hong Kong on September 12, 2025. (Photo by Peter Parks/AFP Photo)

Kazakhstan, Belgium and Japan compete in the men’s 5000m relay final B during the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships at the Ahoy Arena on 17 March 2024 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/International Skating Union/Siena awards festival 2025)

“Sepak takraw or kick volleyball, is a sport native to the Malay-Thai Peninsula. Sepak takraw differs from the similar sport of volleyball in its use of a rattan ball and only allowing players to use their feet, knee, chest and head to touch the ball. It is a popular sport in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Philippines”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Hyun Ju Kim of Korea kicks over the net against Yukie Sato of Japan during the round robin match between Korea and Japan during day one of the ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup at Titiwangsa Stadium on July 21, 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images for UFA Sports)

Women wearing "Shiroshozoku" or the traditional white robe pray as they bathe in ice-cold water at the Teppozu Inari shrine in Tokyo, Japan, January 10, 2016. About 100 participants took part in the Shinto ceremony to purify their souls and wish for good health in the new year. (Photo by Yuya Shino/Reuters)

Soldiers from Japan's Ground Self Defense Force come ashore in amphibious assault vehicle as they train alongside U.S. Marines during the bilateral annual Iron Fist military training exercise in Camp Pendleton, California February 26, 2016. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)