“There is no need to participate in WBC” - Japanese media tycoon

Yomiuri group's top executive Tsuneo Watanabe

   Japanese biggest newspaper company Yomiuri’s president Tsuneo Watanabe hinted at defaulting 2013 World Baseball Classic.

   While the negotiation on the amount of the earnings shared between Japanese baseball association and the MLB and other US promoters remains at a deadlock, the Japanese media tycoon criticized the US baseball circle as “imperialistic”.

  Watanabe called for a get-tough approach and said: “there is no need to deal with the counterpart if they have any compromise. We should not make an offer to split the difference right from the beginning.”

   The MLB and US promoters refuse firmly a request from Japan to offer part of sponsorship deals and distributorship of items for the event.

Korean soccer club made an apology for the larky banner issue

Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Football Club apologized to Japanese citizens on a statement released on its website one day after the troubled banner reading; “We celebrate Japanese earthquake hit” was displayed during the match with Japan’s Cerezo Osaka in South Korea.

   The statement said: “'We extend our sincere apology to Japanese people and football fans”. And it also revealed the team is now identifying who exactly conducted the act through CCTV footage
   Japan’s major broadcaster Fuji TV reported the team staff said they were considering a request for police investigation and a criminal complaint against people who were responsible for the act.
   South Korean media also criticized this act as “disgraced the whole nation”.

Korean supporters: Happy with quake and tsunami hit in Japan

   Japanese soccer player Ryuji Bando said with his regretful look: “felt very pathetic rather than regrettable” when he answered a question from media reporters having waited at the airport for the Cerezo Osaka team members, which played yesterday for AFC Champions league in South Korea.   

   The Cerezo Osaka’s striker did not comment on the match result but on Korean supporters’ harsh message for Japanese citizens and people worldwide sympathized with massive earthquakes and its aftermath of tsunamis hit on March.

   The supporters showed up the banner written in Japanese: “congratulate on the major earthquake”.

FujiTV captured the banner - "we celebrate Japan's quake damage"

    The message – they are very happy with the unmitigated earthquake and tsunami attack being hit in the northeastern Japan and killed more than 15,000 people – was seen during the soccer match.

   South Korean government and major media have given no response to this event so far.