Japan NT 2018

  • Did a preview for Japan that you can check out here . Excited to see Ishikawa and Yanagida play after fairly successful club seasons away from Japan :super: .


    I think this is who the starters will be:


    OH: Yuki Ishikawa (Latina)
    OH: Masahiro Yanagida (Bisons Buhl)
    OPP: Issei Otake (Rhein/Main)
    MB: Akihiro Yamauchi (Panasonic Panthers)
    MB: Haku Ri (Toray Arrows)
    S: Naonobu Fuji (Toray Arrows)
    L: Satoshi Ide (Toray Arrows)

  • Did Shimizu retire from the NT?
    Surprised that three players are playing abroad. Quite unusual, isn't it?

    Shimizu is injured right now, unfortunately. And yes I imagine there was some internal discussion in the Japanese volleyball organization that they needed their players in foreign leagues to grow against better competition. Probably a lot of pressure in anticipation of Tokyo 2020.

  • 2017 Asian Boys' U19 Volleyball Championship


    S:Shunsuke Nakamura, Yosuke Nakahama
    OH: Kento Miyaura, Yuji Nishida
    OH: Tatsunori Otsuka, Mahiro Saeki, Kenshin Kuwada, Takumi Makara
    MB: Hirohito Kashimura, Shunnosuke Sato, Raymond Kamijo
    L: Kenta Ichikawa


    Miyaura was MVP, Saeki was 2nd Best Outside Hitter, and Sato was 2nd Best Middle Blocker.



    2017 FIVB Volleyball Boys' U19 World Championship


    S:Shunsuke Nakamura, Yosuke Nakahama
    OP: Kento Miyaura, Itaru Tashiro
    OH: Tatsunori Otsuka, Mahiro Saeki, Daiki Yamada, Keisuke Miyoshi
    MB: Hirohito Kashimura, Shunnosuke Sato, Ren Oniki
    L: Kenta Ichikawa


    Nakamura was Best Setter and Ichikawa was Best Libero.



    2018 Asian Men's U20 Volleyball Championship


    S:
    OP:
    OH:
    MB:
    L:



    -bold is starting 6, blue is 2018 senior national team roster.

  • Thank you for this info Ryu.. i have watched some of Kento miyaura games during u17 asian champs last year i think, he does have a good hitting skills too, and a different way of serving . I didnt took much notice of nishida then as hes the 2nd opposite. Japan have lots of young and upcoming talents which will be useful for NT in the upcoming years to come :thumbsup:

  • Thank you for this info Ryu.. i have watched some of Kento miyaura games during u17 asian champs last year i think, he does have a good hitting skills too, and a different way of serving . I didnt took much notice of nishida then as hes the 2nd opposite. Japan have lots of young and upcoming talents which will be useful for NT in the upcoming years to come :thumbsup:


    You're welcome!


    https://youtu.be/eghIzsuQtNk?t=1195
    Nishida (No.7) enters court from 19:50.


    Miyaura is also short opposite but he has good techniques/ball control/basic skills as you mentioned.
    I hope Nishida & Miyaura duo play at Tokyo 2020 ^^


  • You're welcome!


    https://youtu.be/eghIzsuQtNk?t=1195
    Nishida (No.7) enters court from 19:50.


    Miyaura is also short opposite but he has good techniques/ball control/basic skills as you mentioned.
    I hope Nishida & Miyaura duo play at Tokyo 2020 ^^

    Thank you for this Ryu.. yes i remember watching this tournament. Yes they sre both really good opposites. Just wondering since Nishida is playing very well, otake might need to be sidelined most of the time. I homestly seems to think that nishida is more explosive than otake.but otake has the height to compete internationally :drink: Is Shimizu be ready for the World Championships? :drink:

  • Did Shimizu retire from the NT?
    Surprised that three players are playing abroad. Quite unusual, isn't it?


    Sorry to be late.


    Shimizu had carrer-threatend injury 4 months ago and he needs more than 12 months fully recovered ;(
    This reminds me of Malagurski's and Thaisa's injury...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgvUu2xCQUc


    I just hope he could contine his career.

  • With Nishida on the rise, Otake is no longer needed? I think his height is his advantage.


    What happened to Ishikawa anyway? I have been waiting for the Ishikawa-Yanagida duo since last year's World League. This duo worked really well together.


    Is Yamauchi the usual starter MB? He improved a lot this year compared to WL 2017.

  • With Nishida on the rise, Otake is no longer needed? I think his height is his advantage.


    I never think so, but Otake has to step up his level.
    His height is big advantage, but he's very slow and invisible most of the time.


    Actually, he is too much criticized on Japanese volleyball forum, like 'He became a national team member just because his dad (and old sister) was NT player' :(


    What happened to Ishikawa anyway? I have been waiting for the Ishikawa-Yanagida duo since last year's World League. This duo worked really well together.


    It seems that we have to wait for this duo until World Championship... :aww:


    Is Yamauchi the usual starter MB? He improved a lot this year compared to WL 2017.


    Yes, Yamauchi & Li are starting MBs.
    Not only Yamauchi improved from last year, but also our setters use him very well :thumbsup:


    Li (1990), Dekita(1991), Yamauchi(1993), Takahashi(1995), and Onodera(1996)- there are enough options on this position.

  • Otake did well last year on World League. That was the moment I fell in love with the Ishikawa-Yanagida-Otake. I wish Japan will utilize him more. Nishida is a great surprise but Otake can be lethal weapon, too.


    Anyway, who is his dad & sister? This is new info for me.

    Yamauichi is my fav of the two starting MB. He seems like a warm person on court. Fuji used him very well. In fact, Fuji uses his MBs very well. Is Fuji the startting setter? Japan always favor their setters short, it seems. :lol: :lol:


    If Ishikawa is injured, I hope he will be fulky recovered in time. I need my dosage of Yanagida-Ishikawa duo. Isn't it right that Ishikawa & Yanagida are both playing abroad next season?

  • Anyway, who is his dad & sister? This is new info for me.


    His father Hideyuki is former NT MB(1989-1999) and famous for the tallest Japanese volleyball player our NT ever had (208cm).
    His old sister Riho competed 2015 World Cup Volleyball, and she was a starting MB. She had awful injury last April (probably, same injury as Nagaoka's) and missed 17-18 season.


    Yamauichi is my fav of the two starting MB. He seems like a warm person on court. Fuji used him very well. In fact, Fuji uses his MBs very well. Is Fuji the startting setter? Japan always favor their setters short, it seems.


    Fujii is starting setter and H.Fukatsu or Sekita will be the second setter.
    On youth or junior category, we try some tall setters(around 190cm), but no one reach a certain level.


    If Ishikawa is injured, I hope he will be fulky recovered in time. I need my dosage of Yanagida-Ishikawa duo. Isn't it right that Ishikawa & Yanagida are both playing abroad next season?


    Yes, both will play abroad.
    Ishikawa hopes playing in Italy or in Poland. He is rumored to play Serie A1 team which promoted from A2 league.
    Yanagida probably stays Buhl.

  • Damn, that's unfortunate. Getting injured (an ACL torn no less) and divorced from Mika Nakashima in the same year must be rough.


    I'm suprised you know her name 8|
    Where did you know her?


  • I'm suprised you know her name 8|
    Where did you know her?

    Is this the singer mika nakashima? I like her version of yuki no hana :thumbsup:

  • I'm suprised you know her name 8|
    Where did you know her?

    I'm actually a huge Japanese music fan ever since I was a kid. lol I always see Mika's name around, although I've never listened to her music besides I don't know, GLAMOROUS SKY. I saw the news of their divorce in one of the websites I visit.

  • Japan has a very strong young players and it will be good for them in the long run. I hope they can finally step up to the same level as their women who seems to be going down a little bit. The departure of Kimura is really felt. I have high hopes for these generation of young player. Hope they can play more games together and improve more.

  • i thought nishida is such an exciting new talent... that boy is not tall but how he can jump... he jumps like he's 2 m tall... and so explosive.


    i don't think otake is useless right now for JPN, what other OPP can they call up? both dekita and takahashi have transitioned to MB.


    i was so surprised to see fukuzawa back in the team. he was gone for many years... even more amazing is how short the other OH, asano, is (178 cm). only other short OH was ruiz from spain, same height. i guess they're both big leapers.


    [i remember riho otake in a couple of matches as MB, i wa surprised that she's not very tall since her father and brother are so tall.]


    both JPN setters (sekita and fujii) have great connections with the MBs, yamauchi and ri, it's amazing how fast ri is. the sets coming from behind him are so fast, they remind me of the nootsara-pleumjit connecton.

  • Is this the singer mika nakashima? I like her version of yuki no hana


    Exactly! 'Yuki no hana' is one of the Mika's best song for me :cup:

    I'm actually a huge Japanese music fan ever since I was a kid. lol I always see Mika's name around, although I've never listened to her music besides I don't know, GLAMOROUS SKY. I saw the news of their divorce in one of the websites I visit.


    Thanks for the answer and it's really nice :thumbsup:
    Shimizu got injured only after 1 week they announced their divorce :aww:



    Japanese roster for 4th week:
    S: Fujii, Sekita
    OP:Nishida, Otake
    OH: Yanagida, Fukuzawa, Asano, Takamatsu
    MB: Li, Yamauchi, Takahashi, Fushimi
    L: Koga, Honma


    They changed 2 players: Takuya Takamatsu (OH/186cm/1988) instead of Takano, Ryuta Honma (L/177cm/1991) instead of Ide. Both are newcomer for NT.


  • Her mother is very short. I sometimes watched her mother on the arena, she seems to be around 155-160cm.