Japan Women’s NT 2020

    Can someone fill me in on the current situation of Japan Women's NT? I'm not new to volleyball in general but up until recently I've only been following US & Brazil NT.


    I also don't understand what seems like the lack of coverage (or is it support? ) from their own country. Based on what I've observed it's Japan's men's national anime team jk.. getting all the exposure that they even have a mini feature on BBC this month. I also just recently found out about Shinnabe's odd retirement timing. It wasn't like that a couple of years ago when Kimura was THE Face of Japan's volleyball.

    Quote from sean1

    Can someone fill me in on the current situation of Japan Women's NT? I'm not new to volleyball in general but up until recently I've only been following US & Brazil NT.


    I also don't understand what seems like the lack of coverage (or is it support? ) from their own country. Based on what I've observed it's Japan's men's national anime team jk.. getting all the exposure that they even have a mini feature on BBC this month. I also just recently found out about Shinnabe's odd retirement timing. It wasn't like that a couple of years ago when Kimura was THE Face of Japan's volleyball.

    I think you explained it with your last sentence. There is no FACE of the women's NT at the moment. Sports promotion enjoys FACES. The women's team doesn't seem to have much personality at all. I don't follow the men's team but they have that one guy who jumps really high and Mayu Ishikawa's brother. Are they the faces of the men's promotion?


    Nakada's a pretty low-key coach, who seems to enjoy an image of "casual tough guy" for the girls --which I find bizarre.


    This OG cycle was supposed to belong to Miyu Nagaoka but she suffered a couple tough injuries and hasn't played, save for a few sets at 2018 WCh. Maybe Ai Kurogo, quite "face-y" from her high school run, was going to step up, but she also had a couple smaller injury setbacks. Japan is still clinging to Sarina Koga as a possible face but she's simply not performing and lacks personality altogether.


    Now that Coach Lovebunny (aka Noboru Aihara) and YOLO (aka Haruna Soga) are with the team, things might pick up :rose:

    Quote from Phoenix

    There are more details here about their strategy https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2020080100246&g=spo

    Damn, it's more confusing than illuminating when you have to rely on Google-Translate :rolll:


    "Nagaoka at 50%" ... damn damn, I was hoping for more than that. She's got a long way to go.


    I'm glad they are taking specific actions to counter teams with strong OPs. They'll likely still not have any luck against Serbia but Italy is an easy win if they can blunt Egonu a little bit.


    I wish I understood the part about Yamada. "I feel a young momentum" -- I can't tell who is saying that, Yamada or Nakada. And what's up with "I was in trouble and I returned to my team during the first training camp.”

    What I'm really asking is, is their overall success rate higher or have they suffered defeats to the point where they're not being taken seriously? I haven't really kept up with Team Nippon since 2017 I think. The men's team afaik sucked but then came anime guy and someone's brother who basically lifted their standards although not to a high degree but it was like a rebirth for their men's team.


    NEC's better Koga with bigger potential I forgot her name but she was transferred to Himeji last month had a lot of buzz with international press. Big mistake transferring her there imo but what's done is done.

    that's exactly why I didn't bother with my understanding of the article cause the whole thing was one big question mark. there aren't any other English news outlets that pick up on this stuff it's all Nishida this, Nishida that. damn tragic. i feel like they forced Miyu. There was also this article from Number about Miyu saying something like it probably seems masochistic to return after being injured twice already meanwhile the rest are racing to retire lmfao but man she doesn't sound excited even in her press conference you can't really feel that energy that she had back then.


    https://twitter.com/numberweb/status/1287688593603846144

    Quote from sean1

    What I'm really asking is, is their overall success rate higher or have they suffered defeats to the point where they're not being taken seriously? I haven't really kept up with Team Nippon since 2017 I think. The men's team afaik sucked but then came anime guy and someone's brother who basically lifted their standards although not to a high degree but it was like a rebirth for their men's team.


    NEC's better Koga with bigger potential I forgot her name but she was transferred to Himeji last month had a lot of buzz with international press. Big mistake transferring her there imo but what's done is done.

    By "better Koga" is this by any chance Shiori Aratani?

    Quote from sean1

    What I'm really asking is, is their overall success rate higher or have they suffered defeats to the point where they're not being taken seriously? I haven't really kept up with Team Nippon since 2017 I think. The men's team afaik sucked but then came anime guy and someone's brother who basically lifted their standards although not to a high degree but it was like a rebirth for their men's team.


    NEC's better Koga with bigger potential I forgot her name but she was transferred to Himeji last month had a lot of buzz with international press. Big mistake transferring her there imo but what's done is done.

    I think other volleyball teams (except Serbia) take them seriously, but they are not on an upward trajectory. They have lost a number of matches this cycle that they shouldn't have. I put them in a "treading water" state.


    Shiori Aratani is the NEC->Himeji player you speak of. I didn't see it as an NEC transfer though -- but I surely don't know --- I think it was a brilliant move on Shiori's part. Himeji is a team of the future. NEC has 9 swingers. It's silly what's going on there

    Quote from Phoenix

    Nishida this, Nishida that.

    That must be "anime guy" :dance6:

    Quote from sitenoise

    I think other volleyball teams (except Serbia) take them seriously, but they are not on an upward trajectory. They have lost a number of matches this cycle that they shouldn't have. I put them in a "treading water" state.


    Shiori Aratani is the NEC->Himeji player you speak of. I didn't see it as an NEC transfer though -- but I surely don't know --- I think it was a brilliant move on Shiori's part. Himeji is a team of the future. NEC has 9 swingers. It's silly what's going on there

    Hmm so they really did regress. It's a little weird seeing Ishii front Japan for Tokyo2020 Olympics as the uncertain "face" seniority-wise. She's adorable but nobody knows or remember her for some reason. When did that little sister come in to the picture? What's her name? she does seem promising at least. But if her only claim to fame is being associated with her brother I doubt the hype will last long

    Quote from sean1

    Yeah that's it, Aratani. She'll most likely make NT in no time.

    Shiori made the wide roster last year but never got called and didn't make it this year. What's weird is that she's signed with Himeji as a Middle Blocker. We'll see how that goes. NEC did do a little better toward the end of last season when Shiori was playing MB but there are other reasons for their improvement as well.


    I don't think Shiori will ever make the NT as a middle-blocker. She could be one of these amorphous MB/OP hybrids like YOLO and Shion Hirayama.That would be cool. They just need a coach who will utilize it.


    Quote from sean1

    Hmm so they really did regress. It's a little weird seeing Ishii front Japan for Tokyo2020 Olympics as the uncertain "face" seniority-wise. She's adorable but nobody knows or remember her for some reason. When did that little sister come in to the picture? What's her name? she does seem promising at least. But if her only claim to fame is being associated with her brother I doubt the hype will last long

    Yeah Ishii is a great player IMO but not a leader at all. She was Hisamitsu captain last season LOL. She needs to be a bench player on the NT. Not because she's bad but because Japan needs to be better than her if they want to win.


    Mayu Ishikawa (also imo only) is very smart and is the most aggressive player Japan has, but she's short (173cm), and Japan NT doesn't really go for "aggressive". The first rule of Japan NT is "No Errors". She makes errors from time to time and her reception needs to adapt and improve a lot. But I do think she is going to be a big factor in NT's future

    I don't doubt Shiori's potential, she seems more like a sloppy but less chaotic Nabeya in her current state. She does score like crazy but I mean NT already has Koga for that reckless scoring. But I do see what Shiori is capable of, strong attacks that are still in its raw stage. A hybrid would definitely suit her once she polishes her style.

    Quote from sean1

    When did that little sister come in to the picture? What's her name? she does seem promising at least. But if her only claim to fame is being associated with her brother I doubt the hype will last long

    Mayu Ishikawa was a first year (of 3) High Schooler alongside Ai Kurogo at Shimokitazawa Seitoku when Kurogo was winning their second in a row Championship (2016 & 2017). Shimokitazawa Seitoku didn't fare as well in the next two years (18 & 19) after Kurogo left.


    Mayu joined Kurogo again at Toray in February 2019 after the HS business was over. In the Summer of 2019 she won two Gold Medals and two MVPs at the U20 World Champ and the Asian Champs. So that was a good year. She also played with the Senior NT in 2019


    It's only from a starting point that she is 'someone's sister'. I refer to that other guy as "Mayu's brother" :)

    Quote from Phoenix

    I don't doubt Shiori's potential, she seems more like a sloppy but less chaotic Nabeya in her current state. She does score like crazy but I mean NT already has Koga for that reckless scoring. But I do see what Shiori is capable of, strong attacks that are still in its raw stage. A hybrid would definitely suit her once she polishes her style.

    :) Well said. This is why I love her going to Himeji. The opportunities are wide open for her to show us what she's got.

    Quote from sitenoise

    It's only from a starting point that she is 'someone's sister'. I refer to that other guy as "Mayu's brother" :)

    Yuki Ishikawa won the awards of best OH in both of the last 2 World Cups, and had an important role to lead JPN to get their best result in the 2019WC. IMO he deserves better credit than being said as “someone” or “that other guy”.


    I like Mayu Ishikawa and I even think she has the best attacking skills among players at her height in the world. But at this point there’re still a lot to improve in her game. I do hope she can improve her reception if she wants to be a world class OH like her brother. If she could achieve the level of success of Yuki, she’d definitely be the role model of short player to the world.

    Quote from KVB

    Yuki Ishikawa won the awards of best OH in both of the last 2 World Cups, and had an important role to lead JPN to get their best result in the 2019WC. IMO he deserves better credit than being said as “someone” or “that other guy”.

    Sorry. No disrespect to Yuki. I only know him as Mayu's brother. The same way many people (including FIVB) talk of Mayu as Yuki's little sister. I think we are making the same point :drink:

    Reading these Nakada interviews I'm getting the sense she wants to speed up their game and incorporate more back attack. I'm all for that in theory but if it's Kurogo and Ishikawa at the top of the food chain I fear disaster. They are both high ball hitters. Apparently that was the Shimokitazawa Seitoku way. Ishikawa swings harder at out of system balls than quick sets. The timing is hers and that's what she likes. Quick sets close to the net for her are a block waiting to happen. Give her a high ball a meter or two back and she's good to go.


    Kurogo and Ishikawa playing together this past season was awkward. And it was with Nakada NT setter, Nanami Seki. Kurogo missed the first round or two with an injury, though

    Quote from Phoenix

    I don't doubt Shiori's potential, she seems more like a sloppy but less chaotic Nabeya in her current state. She does score like crazy but I mean NT already has Koga for that reckless scoring. But I do see what Shiori is capable of, strong attacks that are still in its raw stage. A hybrid would definitely suit her once she polishes her style.

    You can't really compare Aratani to Nabeya. Nabeya at Aratani's age was plain mess. Of course there was a transition from plain mess to somehow a useful chaos from Nabeya. Aratani definitely has more control over her attacks and she has a smoother swing than Nabeya. Kubota from Hitachi is probably closer to Nabeya than Aratani. Aratani knows she's good, there's a level of confidence from her that's palpable and you can see during NEC's matches that Koga can't even keep up sometimes but Aratani is far more reliable on the court.


    I know I sound like a huge fan right now LOL but I have high hopes for her. Perhaps her skillset isn't what's necessary for NT right now but perhaps in the near future when they realize what it is their team is exactly lacking which is a lot let's be real.