{
  "id": 7447396,
  "title": "The Japan Times joins the Esports Research Network Conference 2026 (ERNC 2026) as official media partner",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/the-japan-times-joins-the-esports-research-network-conference-2026",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-15T02:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Times",
    "slug": "japan-times",
    "url": "https://www.japantimes.co.jp/press/2026/09/15/ernc-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Japan Times has announced its status as the official media partner for the Esports Research Network Conference 2026 (ERNC 2026), slated to take place from September 15-17 at the University of Tsukuba in Tokyo. This marks the first time the conference, which explores the intersection of gaming heritage and esports futures, will be held in Japan.\n\nThe conference, organized by the global nonprofit Esports Research Network (ERN), will feature a diverse lineup of speakers, including representatives from SEGA Corp. and the Japan Esports Union (JeSU). Notable keynote speaker Hideki Okamura, a special advisor to SEGA, JeSU, and GAKU, will deliver a talk titled \"Esports Journey in Japan: Looking Back, Challenging the Present, and Forging the Future.\"\n\nThe Japan Times, Japan's oldest English-language newspaper founded in 1897, will leverage its media channels to cover the conference and support its global reach. As an official partner, the paper will provide editorial content such as conference reports and interviews with speakers. GAKU, a youth education program based in Singapore and Japan dedicated to esports, gaming, and programming, played a significant role in organizing the event in Japan.",
  "summary": "The Japan Times, Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Chairperson and President: Minako Suematsu) announces its participation as the official media partner for the Esports Research Network Conference 2026 (ERNC 2026), which will be held from Sept. 15 to 17 at the University of Tsukuba.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "SoraNews24",
        "title": "Making the latest social media snack sensation in Japan, Dot Butter",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/making-the-latest-social-media-snack-sensation-in-japan-dot-butter",
        "published": "2026-09-14T17:30:42.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}