Paris Games a Family Affair for Japanese Volleyball Players

With the Japanese men aiming for their first Olympic volleyball medal since winning the gold at the 1972 Munich Games, the anticipation level for the competition will be high amongst fans of the Hinomaru in the coming days.

Japan, which won the silver medal in the 2024 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League in Poland in late June, begins pool play against Germany on Saturday, July 27.

Meanwhile, the Japan women, who ended a 28-year Olympic medal drought with a bronze at the 2012 London Games, will begin their campaign on Sunday, July 28, against Poland.

What some fans inside Japan and many outside may not be aware of are the family connections that link both squads.

Twenty-eight-year-old Yuki Ishikawa, Japan's top star in the sport, is the older brother of Mayu Ishikawa, 24, an outside hitter for the women's team.

Yuki Ishikawa now plays club volleyball for Sir Safety Perugia in Italy after four seasons with Allianz Milano. So gifted is Ishikawa, that he has been playing professionally in the Italian League for 10 years now.

Mayu, who also played in Italy last season, credits Yuki with her inspiration to play volleyball and admires him.

"He communicates well with his teammates on the court," Mayu commented. "There is a lot that I can learn from him."

"She is more methodical than me," Yuki noted, adding, "She definitely does what she has decided to do."

A Volleyball Marriage: Yuji Nishida and Sarina Koga

The family ties continue with Yuji Nishida, Japan's left-handed attacking complement to Yuki Ishikawa. The 24-year-old Nishida is the husband of Japan women's captain Sarina Koga.

In a 2023 interview, Koga admitted she wasn't initially attracted to the brash Nishida.

"I knew that he was a great player, but I didn't like that feeling of 'I'm Nishida' on the court," Koga remarked.

She then said, "I didn't like it at first, but as we talked about it, I realized that he was a very stoic and serious person in terms of how he plays, how he thinks about volleyball, how he eats, and how he spends his days."

The 28-year-old Koga, who helped spark Japan to the silver medal in the Women's Volleyball Nations League in June in Bangkok, has announced that she will retire from international play after the Paris Games.

After announcing his surprise marriage to Koga in late 2022, Nishida posted a heartfelt message on social media.

"We are both still inexperienced, but I am grateful for this encounter, and would like to be a good family while supporting each other," Nishida wrote.

Men's Volleyball Team Raises Performance Level

The dynamic duo of Yuki Ishikawa and Nishida has raised the level of the Japan men's team over the past half-dozen years to where it has a legitimate shot at a medal in France.

In a TV interview that aired earlier this year, Yuki Ishikawa expressed confidence in his team's chances in France.

"It won't be strange at all if we get the gold medal in Paris," Ishikawa stated. "It's a very big chance. We can fight and put out lots of energy to win."

Ishikawa credits Japan's improvement in part to several of his teammates getting new opportunities to improve their skills.

"The number of players who have played abroad has been increasing," Ishikawa noted. "Ran Takahashi (outside hitter) is also playing well in the Italian League. This team is full of great players."

RELATED:

• Olympic Roundup: Mito, Fujio Ignite Japan in a Rout of Paraguay
• Japan Men Capture Silver in the Volleyball Nations League
• Japan Women Claim Silver Medal in the Volleyball Nations League
• [ODDS and EVENS] Yuki Ishikawa Fills a Vital Role for Italian Club Allianz Milano

Author: Jack Gallagher

The author is a veteran sports journalist and one of the world's foremost figure skating experts. Find articles and podcasts by Jack on his author page, and find him on X (formerly Twitter) @sportsjapan.