Adidas concludes official partnership contract with Giants

Adidas concludes official partnership contract with Giants

TOKYO, Japan - Yomiuri Giants baseball players wear new uniforms of Adidas in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Jan. 16.

Huge World Cup ad appears in Shibuya

Huge World Cup ad appears in Shibuya

TOKYO, Japan - A 13-meter-long, 8-meter-wide image depicting Japanese midfielder Alex is posted on the front of Shibuya's 109 building in central Tokyo on May 28. A soccer ball measuring 1.5-meters in diameter is placed on a wrecked car in front of the building as if kicked there by Alex as part of an Adidas Japan ad campaign ahead of the World Cup soccer finals due to start May 31. (2002 World Cup)

Balls for World Cup finals arrive in Japan

Balls for World Cup finals arrive in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - Customs officials at Narita airport in Chiba Prefecture on May 17 check ''Fevernova'' official match balls for the World Cup finals. Some 620 balls, made by World Cup sponsor Adidas of Germany, arrived at the airport on May 16 via South Korea. The balls will be delivered to 10 stadiums in Japan in late May.

Platinam-made soccer ball to be auctioned on Internet

Platinam-made soccer ball to be auctioned on Internet

TOKYO, Japan - A woman holds a platinum soccer ball worth 20 million yen March 20 in Tokyo. The ball, made by Adidas Japan, one of the official sponsors of the 2002 World Cup soccer finals, weighs 2.5 kilograms and is the same size and design an official ball for the finals to be co-hosted Japan and South Korea.

Official match ball for 2002 World Cup unveiled

Official match ball for 2002 World Cup unveiled

PUSAN, South Korea - World Cup sponsor Adidas unveils in Pusan on Nov. 30 the official match ball for next year's World Cup to be held in Japan and South Korea. Boasting a newly improved syntactic foam layer consisting of highly compressible and durable gas-filled balloons, the ''Fevernova'' features a golden star symbolizing the energy dedicated by Japan and South Korea to the World Cup that is being held in Asia for the first time.

World Cup volunteers' outfits unveiled

World Cup volunteers' outfits unveiled

TOKYO, Japan - Models in Tokyo on Oct. 16 show off the official uniforms to be worn by volunteers taking part in the 2002 World Cup soccer championship co-hosted by Japan and South Korea. Each outfit, supplied by sportswear maker Adidas, consists of eight items, including a cap, polo shirt and raincoat. The items bear an insignia of eight rings representing the soccer federations of six continents, FIFA and the World Cup.

JFA unveils new 'go-faster' Japan uniform for 2001

JFA unveils new 'go-faster' Japan uniform for 2001

TOKYO, Japan - The Japan Football Association (JFA) on Feb. 5 in Tokyo unveils the new hi-tech national team home strip (L), along with the goalkeeper's strip (C) and the team away strip (R), for the 2001 season, based on a design theme which sponsor Adidas called ''Future Progress.'' The blue home strip, which features less white than the previous edition, is similar to that of France, current world and European football champions.

Official match ball for 2002 World Cup unveiled

Official match ball for 2002 World Cup unveiled

PUSAN, South Korea - World Cup sponsor Adidas unveils in Pusan on Nov. 30 the official match ball for next year's World Cup to be held in Japan and South Korea. Boasting a newly improved syntactic foam layer consisting of highly compressible and durable gas-filled balloons, the ''Fevernova'' features a golden star symbolizing the energy dedicated by Japan and South Korea to the World Cup that is being held in Asia for the first time.

Platinam-made soccer ball to be auctioned on Internet

Platinam-made soccer ball to be auctioned on Internet

TOKYO, Japan - A woman holds a platinum soccer ball worth 20 million yen March 20 in Tokyo. The ball, made by Adidas Japan, one of the official sponsors of the 2002 World Cup soccer finals, weighs 2.5 kilograms and is the same size and design an official ball for the finals to be co-hosted Japan and South Korea.

Japanese soccer star Shunsuke Nakamura

Japanese soccer star Shunsuke Nakamura

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese soccer star Shunsuke Nakamura speaks at a news conference held at the head office of Adidas Co. in Tokyo on Oct. 11. (Kyodo)

Halilhodzic amazed by WBA champ Ioka's body fat rate

Halilhodzic amazed by WBA champ Ioka's body fat rate

Japan soccer coach Vahid Halilhodzic (L) expresses amazement at World Boxing Association flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka's 10 percent body fat rate in a talk show sponsored by Adidas Japan K.K. in Osaka, western Japan, on Oct. 28, 2015. Halilhodzic said the rate is ideal for a soccer player. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Huge World Cup ad appears in Shibuya

Huge World Cup ad appears in Shibuya

TOKYO, Japan - A 13-meter-long, 8-meter-wide image depicting Japanese midfielder Alex is posted on the front of Shibuya's 109 building in central Tokyo on May 28. A soccer ball measuring 1.5-meters in diameter is placed on a wrecked car in front of the building as if kicked there by Alex as part of an Adidas Japan ad campaign ahead of the World Cup soccer finals due to start May 31. (2002 World Cup)

World Cup volunteers' outfits unveiled

World Cup volunteers' outfits unveiled

TOKYO, Japan - Models in Tokyo on Oct. 16 show off the official uniforms to be worn by volunteers taking part in the 2002 World Cup soccer championship co-hosted by Japan and South Korea. Each outfit, supplied by sportswear maker Adidas, consists of eight items, including a cap, polo shirt and raincoat. The items bear an insignia of eight rings representing the soccer federations of six continents, FIFA and the World Cup.

JFA unveils new 'go-faster' Japan uniform for 2001

JFA unveils new 'go-faster' Japan uniform for 2001

TOKYO, Japan - The Japan Football Association (JFA) on Feb. 5 in Tokyo unveils the new hi-tech national team home strip (L), along with the goalkeeper's strip (C) and the team away strip (R), for the 2001 season, based on a design theme which sponsor Adidas called ''Future Progress.'' The blue home strip, which features less white than the previous edition, is similar to that of France, current world and European football champions.

Troussier, Jacquet join forces for 2002 function

Troussier, Jacquet join forces for 2002 function

TOKYO, Japan - Japan coach Philippe Troussier (L) and compatriot Aime Jacquet (R), who led France to a first-ever World Cup triumph in 1998, pose together for pictures at an event organized by official 2002 World Cup sponsor Adidas in Tokyo on Nov. 29. Jacquet, a national hero in France after the national side's historic 3-0 win over Brazil in the World Cup final in Paris two years ago, praised Troussier for guiding Japan to a second Asian Cup title in Lebanon last month.