Since Tiger Woods abdicated his throne as No. 1 golfer in the world in 2013, that spot has been held by Adam Scott , Rory McIlroy , Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, who starts this year at the top.
Hideki Matsuyama might take his turn in the not-to-distant future.
The 24-year-old Japanese star begins 2017 this week in the SBS Tournament of Champions at Kapulua in Hawaii, where he tied for third last year, at No. 6 in the Official World Golf Rankings after a torrid finish last year.
Matsuyama, who leads the FedExCup standings, won four of the last five tournaments he played in 2016, including the WGC-HSBC Champions in China, and the only time he didn’t win he was second in the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.
His run started at home in the Japan Open and he also claimed his eighth victory in his homeland by winning the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters for the second time.
To close out the year early last month, Matsuyama captured the Hero World Challenge for the 12th victory of his pro career and impressed tournament host Woods in the process.
» … It’s going to give him a boatload of confidence going into next year and he’s going to be one of the top guys to beat for a very long time,» Woods said after his event at Albany Resort in the Bahamas.
«Look at his swing, look at his game and look at the body that he has. It’s built to handle the test of time. »
Matsuyama might not yet be a household name in the United States, but he had quite an amateur resume, winning the 2010 and 2011 Asian Amateur Championship, the 2011 and 2012 Japanese Collegiate Championship and the 2011 World University Games.
Those victories lifted him to No. 1 in the World Amateur Rankings in 2012, and when he came to the U. S. for the first time, he finished in a tie for 27th to earn low amateur honors at the Masters.
Despite his success, Matsuyama remains humble.
«I’m not even close to being mentioned in the same sentence as Tiger,» he said after winning the Hero. «But I am working hard, and hopefully, little by little, I’ll get better and better.
«I’m really speechless (about his recent surge), but I’m really happy and thrilled that the World Ranking is going to go up. I know there’s a lot of guys, great players ahead of me. It just gives me more incentive to work harder. »
Matsuyama became the first Asian to claim a World Golf Championships title and did it by a whopping seven strokes over Daniel Berger and Henrik Stenson of Sweden.
It was his third PGA Tour victory after he beat Kevin Na with a par on the first playoff hole in the 2014 Memorial Tournament, and turned back Rickie Fowler with a par on the fourth extra hole in the 2016 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
His third victory on the U. S. circuit tied Shigeki Marayama for the most by a Japanese player and he figures to join Y. E. Yang of South Korea, who outplayed Woods two win the 2009 PGA Championship and become the only Asian make to capture a major title.
» Shigeki Maruyama is a good friend of mine and he always said that I was going to pass his records,» said Matsuyama, who has finished in the top five in his last six tournaments, dating to a solo fifth in the Tour Championship in September. «But at least I’ve tied him now. That was a great honor, because I have great respect for him.
«Winning (the WGC-HSBC Champions) I feel has got me closer to being able to compete a lot better in the major tournaments, and so my next goal is, of course, to win a major. And I’m going to do all that I can to prepare well for that. »
Matsuyama has shown he’s got what it takes in the majors by finishing in the top 10 five times in them since 2013.
And he has at least one high finish in each of the Big Four, including solo fifth in the 2015 Masters, a tie for 10th in the 2013 U. S. Open at Merion, a tie for sixth in the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield and a tie for fourth in the PGA Championship last year at Baltusrol.
«It’s awesome to see him tearing it up,» Spieth said when Matsuyama was on his run late last year. «… I think he’ll be a major champion within the next couple of years. »
And Matsuyama doesn’t figure to stop at one.

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If you don’t like tight spaces, you might want to look away now.
Otonamaki, which directly translates to «adult wrapping», is a Japanese therapeutic method meant to alleviate posture problems and stiffness and it is gaining traction around the country.
The idea for Otonamaki comes from the practice of Ohinamaki, which sees babies wrapped up in cloth in a similar fashion. This is meant to help with their physical development.
Each session lasts around 20 minutes.
«The reason why Otonamaki was invented was because some people were worried about babies struggling or feeling claustrophobic while being wrapped up,» says Orie Matsuo of Kyoko Proportion, one of several companies that offer Otonamaki to its customers.
«We thought if adults were rolled up like them, they could experience how good it feels. »
And if customer feedback is anything to go by, Otonamaki is certainly proving successful.
«It looks cramped but it doesn’t feel tight at all,» said a 40-year-old customer of Kyoko Proportion. «It’s the opposite of that. Afterwards I felt an improvement in my shoulders and back. »
«It felt so good I almost fell asleep. My neck and lower back were relaxed, » said another customer. «I want my husband to learn [how to do] it. »
But not everyone is convinced.
«This looks so creepy,» said one user on Twitter. Another compared it to something out of a horror film.
Otonamaki was first invented by famous Japanese midwife Nobuko Watanabe, who also invented a popular maternity belt used commonly in Japan.
The massage is offered mainly to women, some of whom come to see it as an alternative to massage or physical therapy.
Ms Matsuo says Otonamaki allows users to make their hip, leg and shoulder muscles more flexible.
«By pushing your shoulders and legs together, your body gets straightened and removes the pain of your back, lower back and hip joint,» she tells the BBC. «Some of our clients come to treat their pelvis after childbirth, or others to fix bow legs. »
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The company first introduced the practice in 2015, and so far, some 70 people have experienced Otonamaki with them.
But it might take a while for the practice to catch on, it’s certainly not mainstream yet.
«I’ve never heard of Otonamaki or tried it myself», said Director of the Fukumoto Japanese Holistic Clinic, Shimpei Fukumoto. «I understand what they are trying to do but it’s not traditional physiotherapy. »
As an anti-stress technique many of those who have experienced it, testify to its effectiveness. However, it still feels some way from being part of established physical therapy procedure.
«I totally disagree with the treatment method,» said Mr Visvanathan Ravi, Senior Physiotherapist at Hallmark Physiotherapy. «They way they were wrapped up may lead to muscle strains if not in the short term, but the long term.
«If a person stays in the position for 30 minutes, I’m sure there will be spine problems. It’s not advisable to do this treatment. »
Reporting by Mariko Oi and Yvette Tan.

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© Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38441166
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Japan’s Emperor Akihito delivered his traditional New Year address Monday with tens of thousands of people flocking to the Imperial Palace for what could be his last such appearance after he expressed his desire to abdicate.
It was his first New Year message since he announced in August that his advancing age and weakening health mean he may no longer be able to carry out his duties, setting the stage for Japan to prepare for an historic abdication.
The Imperial Palace said some 58,600 people attended his address in fine weather, many waving small Japanese flags and shouting «Banzai» or «Long live».
«At the start of this year, I wish for happiness and tranquillity of people in the world and our country,» the emperor said in a televised address from a glass-covered balcony at the palace, where he was flanked by other members of the royal family.
Deliberations over his retirement wish are under way in an advisory panel set up by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in September to study a possible legal mechanism for a royal departure, which currently does not exist.
Any eventual move by Akihito to step down, which would see him replaced by his eldest son Crown Prince Naruhito, appears to have wide support, according to recent opinion polls.
Akihito has had surgery for prostate cancer and heart problems, both of which he alluded to in his August announcement, though he stressed that he currently enjoys good health.
Speculation about Akihito’s future emerged last year with reports he had told confidantes that he would like to step down in a few years, in what would be the first abdication from the Chrysanthemum Throne in two centuries.
Akihito has keenly embraced the role of symbol of the state imposed after World War II ended. Previous emperors including his father, Hirohito, had been treated as semi-divine.
Akihito is credited with seeking reconciliation both at home and abroad over the legacy of the war fought in his father’s name, venturing to a number of locales that saw intense fighting, including Okinawa in Japan and Saipan, Palau and the Philippines overseas, offering prayers for the souls of all the dead.

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Every year, Japan’s national police and emergency response services issue public warnings to be careful when eating mochi rice cakes , the sticky, sweet traditional delicacy served to celebrate the new year. And every year people die anyway.
This year, according to Japan Today , at least two people have died and 12 more were hospitalized from eating mochi cakes, a glutinous speciality made from pounded steamed rice that Japanese eat specifically to mark the beginning of the new year.
Officials advise cutting the cakes into small pieces before chewing because of their density and stickiness, which is why their negative effects disproportionately affect the elderly. This year, Japan Today, citing the Tokyo Fire Department, reports “the two fatalities were a 60-year-old man from Kita Ward and an 81-year-old man from Itabashi Ward.”
In this Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014 photo, a boy eats a freshly pounded rice cake, or “mochi,” wrapped in a sheet of seasoned laver, or “nori,” at a park during a rice pounding gathering, part of the annual preparation for the New Year’s celebration at a park in Yokohama, near Tokyo.
The other injuries from the cakes were with people ranging in age from 28 to 90, the newspaper reported. All have since been discharged from the hospital.
Last year, a woman in her eighties died from choking on the cakes. In 2015, nine people were believed to have been killed taking part in the annual culinary tradition.

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FEELING CONFIDENT: SA’s Toyota Gazoo Racing team is ready for the toughest race in the world which kicks off on Jan 2. Image: Quickpic>
Asuncion, Paraguay — The final day of 2016 saw Toyota Gazoo Racing SA complete the all-important administrative checks and pre-race scrutineering, the final hurdle to clear before the start of Dakar 2017.
The comprehensive administrative and safety checks had to be done by all team members, including the race crews. It also included the minute scrutineering of the Toyota Hilux race vehicles.
Ceremonial start
Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Team Principal, Glyn Hall, from the Paraguayan capital of Asunción said after the team completed their checks: «The good news is that the entire team cleared all the checks without any major problems.
«Essentially this is the final rubber stamp we needed before we could go racing. Now all that remains is the ceremonial start on January 1st — and then we’re off. »
Toyota Gazoo South Africa came through the scrutineering process unscathed. The next milestone is today’s ceremonial start in Asunción Paraguay????. #Dakar2017 #ToyotaGazooSA
A photo posted by Wheels24 (@wheels24_sa) on Jan 1, 2017 at 3:30am PST
For 2017, Toyota Gazoo Racing SA has entered two Toyota Hilux race vehicles. And with the technical checks done, both cars number 301 and 302 are officially allowed to start Dakar 2017.
This year sees double former winner, Nasser Al-Attiyah and his navigator, Mathieu Baumel, join the team. They will be campaigning Toyota Hilux #301, while Toyota stalwarts Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz will be in #302.
The race gets under way with a ceremonial podium start in downtown Asunción on January 1, while Stage 1 — which takes the Dakar from Paraguay into Argentina — kicks off early on January 2.
«It has taken countless man-hours and immense effort to bring us this far,» concluded Hall. «Not only for Dakar 2017, but in the overall evolution of the team. Now we are nearing the start of one of the greatest races on the planet, and we are more motivated and excited than ever before. »
WATCH: 2009 Dakar winner Giniel de Villiers puts his Toyota Gazoo South Africa Hilux through its paces during shakedown ahead of the 2017 Dakar. The South African driver said: «Roll out done for the day! Hilux feeling good and ready for Dakar2017». #Motorsport #Dakar2017 #ToyotaGazooSA
A video posted by Wheels24 (@wheels24_sa) on Dec 31, 2016 at 11:59am PST

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