Men’s Volleyball Japan Team Surpassing All Previous Records at Los Angeles Olympics

“I think that Italy felt even fear from Japan’s ‘attacking volleyball’ displayed in the first and second sets, which we won consecutively.”

Reflecting on the historic and intense quarter-final match between Japan and Italy in men’s volleyball at the Paris Olympics, this is how Kunihiro Shimizu (38), a former Japan representative who excelled as an opposite, looks back.

 

A separate volume closely following Japan ‘ s men’s volleyball team in Paris, ” The 2024 Paris Olympics: The Complete and Permanently Preserved Edition,” will be released on August 28, 2012, and is titled ” 2024 Paris Olympics: Japan Men’s Volleyball Team ’10 Days of Intense Battle’ Complete Record, ‘Proud Smiles and Tears’ Best Shot in Paris! Prior to the release of the separate volume, Mr. Shimizu shared his “passionate feelings” for the junior members of the Japanese men’s volleyball team, which has thrilled the whole nation.

In the match against Italy, although we ended up crying because we couldn’t get that “one more point,” I was deeply moved to be able to witness such a historic and fierce battle up close.

Due to the runner-up finish in the previous Nations League, Captain Yuki Ishikawa (28) faced thorough marking in the four Olympic matches. Whenever the opponent served, he was always targeted, and whenever he tried to spike, there were always two or three blockers. He struggled during the preliminaries.

Even so, in the match against Italy, he boldly took on the challenge saying, “I’m going to score,” and earned 32 points. I’ve never heard of someone scoring more points than a full set by themselves before.

When I played alongside Ishikawa, he was not very verbal and seemed to lead with his calm and steady play. However, since becoming the captain, he has shown powerful fist pumps and has started to put his fighting spirit front and center. I felt it was a wonderful attitude that gives courage to the team.

Yūji Nishida (24), the opposite who was outstanding throughout the tournament, rapidly learned diverse attacking techniques after the Tokyo Olympics. I think a significant factor in this was observing Yuki Ishikawa, who took on international challenges at a young age and possesses world-class skills.

In the next tournament, players like Ran Takahashi (22) and Nishida will also take on the role of passing their experiences to younger players. There is a strong possibility that players who began playing volleyball after watching Takahashi and Nishida’s performance in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics will make it to the national team.

With the addition of new players who will shoulder the next generation, it is certain that the Japanese national team aiming for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will surpass the “strongest ever” team from this tournament.

The separate edition titled Complete Permanent Edition 2024 Paris Olympics Japanese Men’s Volleyball Team ’10 Days of Fierce Battles’ Full Record ‘Proud Smiles and Tears’ BEST SHOT in Paris! (published by our company, 1430 yen), released on August 28, includes a long interview with Kunihiro Shimizu and an interview with former Japan national team captain Kōta Yamamura (43). It provides detailed coverage of the players’ battles and rare moments, including Yūki Ishikawa, Ran Takahashi, and Yūji Nishida, who thrilled Japan, along with close-up photos.

Click here to pre-order and purchase.