Japan - V.Premier League 2017-2018

    Quote from MyNameIst.

    I saw some of her highlights in youtube. she play different position. not sure what will be her position in ageo. I believe each team are allowed to have two foreign players. so, they might have another player aside from Santiago.


    It will be difficult for the Japanese players to play in Europe. simply because they have different style of play. the "communication" is a major aspect of that. I remember Saori playing in Vakifbank and Galatasaray. her coach said she didn't do well. not because she is not a great player but because the "type of play in Europe is different compare to asia. we have Zhu & KYK who are both shine in Europe but that is because they are very tall same as European players and had a coaches who trained them very well.

    I agree with you. Japanese players are system players and they are only functional in the asian system that's why I don't see any Japanese player that can be useful in a European top team. however, this is not the case for Chinese players since CHN is playing more like a russian style instead of traditional Asian style volleyball. That's why many Chinese players can be good assets to European teams. for instance I would love to see Yuan (MB) in Europe

    Quote from serdar

    Japanese players are system players and they are only functional in the asian system that's why I don't see any Japanese player that can be useful in a European top team.

    I agree with that, and on top of it, I don't think it benefits the Japanese player going to Europe to "grow their game".


    If there is some vision that Coach Nakada is working on to 'bring Western influence' to Japanese volleyball, by sending her players to play in Europe, hiring the Turkish dude to bark at them during timeouts, not caring about defense any more ... I don't think it's working. I don't think it's a good idea.


    I'm still reeling from Matthias observation during the VNL that Japan was playing just like everybody else, only not as good, and not as athletic. Painful.

    Quote from MyNameIst.

    she play different position. not sure what will be her position in ageo. I believe each team are allowed to have two foreign players. so, they might have another player aside from Santiago.

    I'm not familiar with Santiago but saw her listed as MB/OP, which is something Ageo could use, either one, or as a double-duty player. I like MB/OP combo players, like Risa Ishii played for Denso.


    There was a thread here that I can't find now that talked about how many foreign players allowed in Japan this upcoming season. The conclusion was that for women league (and I believe this is new) they can have one foreigner and one from an ASEAN country.

    Japan's league is a decent league. However, just like in soccer, if you want to improve, you need to play overseas in the best leagues. Essentially teams in Italy and Turkey appear to be all-star teams. When you play them every week, you are bound to improve in some way. Now, if you wanted Saori Kimura to be the leader of your team, I would probably say that is not a good move (not meaning the Japanese national team, just if she was on a club team in Europe).


    After watching a video on Ebata's time with Cannes in France, she learned that she needed to call for the ball. In Japan, it usually doesn't happen that way.

    Quote from brahmin

    Essentially teams in Italy and Turkey appear to be all-star teams. When you play them every week, you are bound to improve in some way.

    It sure seems that jamming those two leagues with Foreign all stars has improved the local Turkish and Italian players.


    Ebata's overseas trip coincided with her injury if I read her history correctly. Hard to say if it improved her. She's sort of drifted out of sight since she came back.


    Saori? How does one judge? She left a Champion Toray Club and came back to a few 6th places. I suppose the purpose of her trip was the opposite, not so much to grow her game but to help/contribute to the Euro-team. I dunno, tho. Sort of coincided with the twilight of her career.


    Uchiseto? Haven't seen much of her since she got back.


    In theory, playing with better players should improve you. I guess it remains to be seen if it works for Japanese players. I don't know of other Japanese players who have made the move.

    Japanese teams still retain the players rights, so often these are loans for 1-2 years. KYK at first was a loan, but she really wanted to stay and got her freedom.


    Ebata’s was before 2014 World Championships if I remember right. Erika Araki, Yuka Sanyo (libero) went previously. It is a big cultural shift as well with the different languages for Japanese players.

    I was actually reading some comments in twitter world. and there are fans who noticed regarding the current squad of Japanese team. the latest concern was the Head coach was biased?. during the Friendly match between japan & USA. most of the time the coach chooses who are playing under her team in japan league . which is the NEC red. the playing time of other players were cut off.

    Hisamitsu is the best team in the league. She has coached them previously. Does she know those players, yes. However, Nakata has chosen other players. If you don't want the best team to send their players, then Japan will have a problem.

    Quote from MyNameIst.

    I was actually reading some comments in twitter world. and there are fans who noticed regarding the current squad of Japanese team. the latest concern was the Head coach was biased?. during the Friendly match between japan & USA. most of the time the coach chooses who are playing under her team in japan league . which is the NEC red. the playing time of other players were cut off.

    I wish I could read the Japanese Twitter World!


    Let's open that can of worms. I imagine Japanese volleyball fans are a little restless as to why the NT isn't improving, and criticism is going to focus on the coach. As @brahmin mentions, Hisamitsu was Nakada's team not NEC, and it comes down to Yuki and Risa, and soon to be Nagaoka. I don't think Nakada overplays Iwasaka, but others think any time on the court for her is too much.


    Yuki and Risa are the best players Japan has but they are not going to get any better or get any worse, so I do wish Nakada would give more opportunity to younger players leading up to these "important" tournaments (WCh & OG).


    Bottom line, I have no idea how these young women prove themselves worthy in the practice sessions I can't see. Nakada threw Ai Kurogo in the pool and to my surprise she started swimming.


    @MyNameIst.... Is the Twitter world just grumbling about the Hisamitsu players or are they naming other players they'd like to see get playing time (or even called up to the NT)? I would love to know who Japanese Japan fans are fond of.

    My guess is that they want more Koga and Kurogo. The best player that Japan has right now is Araki and she got the VNL off. Considering that Hisamitsu only lost one match all year, with essentially an entire Japanese roster, it is hard for me to understand why the Japanese say she plays too many Springs players. In an interview yesterday (8/6 in Japan) with Volleyball Magazine posted by Yahoo. Nakada says she hates to lose, anywhere. She said that Kurogo has improved during the VNL. She mentioned that outside of Kurogo that Horikawa and Akane Yamagishi (Ageo) had also improved.

    Risa is a pass first type of player, without her passing, Japan is much worse off. Yuki is going to be a focus on offense and she more help from the middle. Iwasaka is more of a blocker than spiker. Araki is dominant for Japan at spiking and blocking, but she does not get the ball enough.

    TBS has started to produce mini movies on the entire team, all in Japanese.

    Risa Shinnabe

    In the video, Shinnabe's poor performance in 2014 almost caused her to retire. She said without Nakada as her coach she might not have continued playing.

    Quote from came

    Arisa Sato joins her hometown team. The team which dissolved last year is set up again and wants to enter the V league next season. So we can not see Sato in the V league this season.

    What team is that? Is it the one that Takeshita's team tried to buy? This is sad news for me because I love Arisa Sato. I loved watching all the Hitachi games last season because of Arisa even though they lost almost all the time.


    Isn't it possible that it might be two years before this team makes its way into V1? Don't new teams have to petition their way into Level Three and then win their way into the top Division?


    Sadder even more is that if Arisa is playing in some funky lower division team she won't ever make her way back to the NT where she belongs. I'm really mad at the whole world right now :cursing:

    Quote from brahmin

    My guess is that they want more Koga and Kurogo. The best player that Japan has right now is Araki and she got the VNL off. Considering that Hisamitsu only lost one match all year, with essentially an entire Japanese roster, it is hard for me to understand why the Japanese say she plays too many Springs players. In an interview yesterday (8/6 in Japan) with Volleyball Magazine posted by Yahoo. Nakada says she hates to lose, anywhere. She said that Kurogo has improved during the VNL. She mentioned that outside of Kurogo that Horikawa and Akane Yamagishi (Ageo) had also improved.

    Risa is a pass first type of player, without her passing, Japan is much worse off. Yuki is going to be a focus on offense and she more help from the middle. Iwasaka is more of a blocker than spiker. Araki is dominant for Japan at spiking and blocking, but she does not get the ball enough.

    TBS has started to produce mini movies on the entire team, all in Japanese.

    Risa Shinnabe

    In the video, Shinnabe's poor performance in 2014 almost caused her to retire. She said without Nakada as her coach she might not have continued playing.

    (All the B-Team excuse makers making lists should take note!) (Not to mention Nagaoka)


    Thanks for the links and news! I agree with you about Araki, and realize it's unfair of me to always qualify her as the best Middle Blocker. She's a great floor leader too. Seeing her in that Friendly game against USA, she installs a sense of confidence in the game.


    My knee-jerk reaction to Nakada saying Akane Yamagishi has improved is: WTF OMG. But then again I thought Kurogo's ship sank in her first few appearances at the VNL.


    I watched Horikawa all club season and she is improving but she's a bit like Nabeya in that she doesn't seem like she has a whole game in her--just a couple sets at most.


    I often wonder why Yuki (as far as I can tell) never became a fan favorite, why she was never picked to succeed Saori. She seems like a technically perfect volleyball player. And she plays great defense. Great Defense, I say. She's a beautiful woman, and seems smart--confident and articulate (as far as I can tell) in post match interviews. I guess it comes down to what I often say about Yuki and Risa: they're great but they aren't leaders, they don't stand out. They are quiet helpers. Japan needs them but they also need something/someone else who is better than them.

    Part of the love for Kurogo is that she won the high school championship. Everyone gets accustomed to watching them as kids and then expect them to continue as adults. Kurogo is still incredibly young. Yuki kind of just showed up and then she's a permanent fixture on the team. Japan needs some solid all around players (Yuki and Risa) to keep the ball in play and get some kills. They are not going to dominate a team with height (Russia, USA, Brazil, Serbia). Japan's blocking numbers are always horrible, so they have to depend on digging and serving to keep them in matches. Any departure from that script would be near impossible with such a short team.

    Araki has so much experience with the national team and is trying to pass that onto the younger players. Araki will go through 2020 before retiring. Horikawa is not Nagaoka, but I would have had Sakoda in Rio as my opposite starter, but that's my opinion.

    Right now, I am wondering if they can make the third round of the world championships. Probably will go 4-1 in the First Round (losing to Netherlands). Would face Serbia and Brazil in 2nd Round. If they win one of those matches, they have a chance, but they cannot waste points or sets in the first round. A win over the Netherlands would change their chances for the third round.

    Quote from sitenoise

    What team is that? Is it the one that Takeshita's team tried to buy? This is sad news for me because I love Arisa Sato. I loved watching all the Hitachi games last season because of Arisa even though they lost almost all the time.


    Isn't it possible that it might be two years before this team makes its way into V1? Don't new teams have to petition their way into Level Three and then win their way into the top Division?


    Sadder even more is that if Arisa is playing in some funky lower division team she won't ever make her way back to the NT where she belongs. I'm really mad at the whole world right now :cursing:

    The team in Sendai is a completely new team. Belle Fille died before the 2017-2018 season and cannot come back. The new team would have to reach S1 license and let alone perform well enough to be promoted from V2.

    I saw another msg in twitter world. Another player from the Philippines might be playing in japan. and guess what? the player is the older sister of Santiago. her name is aleona Santiago? but they did not reveal the name of the team. and I also saw an article from the Philippines that a male player also will be playing in japan league. his name is mark espejo a 4x mvp of collegiate conference in the Philippines. hmmm looks like japan has limited choices. only from Thailand and philippines?

    Philippines players will probably not cost a lot on the transfer. It is a big step up in play even at the V2 level, which would be my expectation. V1 teams are taking known commodities from top level countries, USA, Serbia and Cuba.

    Mark Espejo is a 5-time MVP in a collegiate tournament of his country. He is good but he never experienced a really high level tournament. I wish him luck.


    As for Aleona Santiago, she played really bad in her last club season. I'm happy for her if the news is indeed true.

    Quote from MyNameIst.

    The Japanese teams has limited choices for another asean players.

    It will never happen but half the V.League teams would improve if they could land Filipino libero Dawn 'Ms Everywhere' Macandili from the De La Salle University Lady Spikers.