TEAM COMPOSITION

JPN / Japan - Team Composition

Team manager	ARAKIDA, Yuko (Mrs.)
Head coach	MANABE, Masayoshi
Assistant coach	ABO, Kiyoshi
Doctor	FUJITA, Koji
Therapist / trainer	WAKAMIYA, Keiji
Journalist	HASEGAWA, Daisuke

	No.	Name	Lastname	Shirt Name	Birthdate	Height	Weight	Spike	Block
	2	Hitomi	NAKAMICHI	NAKAMICHI	18.09.1985	159	53	270	256
	3	Yoshie	TAKESHITA	TAKESHITA	18.03.1978	159	53	280	270
	6	Yuko	SANO	SANO	26.07.1979	159	53	260	250
	7	Mai	YAMAGUCHI	YAMAGUCHI	03.07.1983	176	62	302	290
	8	Kotoki	ZAYASU	ZAYASU	11.01.1990	159	55	273	255
	9	Mizuho	ISHIDA	ISHIDA	22.01.1988	174	67	301	280
	10	Nana	IWASAKA	IWASAKA	03.07.1990	187	72	300	285
C	11	Erika	ARAKI	ARAKI	03.08.1984	186	80	308	298
	12	Saori	KIMURA	SAORI	19.08.1986	185	65	304	293
	13	Risa	SHINNABE	RISA	11.07.1990	173	66	295	268
	14	Yukiko	EBATA	EBATA	07.11.1989	176	70	305	290
	15	Maiko	KANO	KANO	15.07.1988	185	72	303	285
	16	Saori	SAKODA	SAKODA	18.12.1987	175	64	305	279
	18	Kazuyo	MORI	MORI	21.06.1976	175	64	303	291

C=Captain L=Libero

Team profile

After Japan’s participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Japan Volleyball Association made quick steps to build a new squad aiming for the London 2012 Games. Masayoshi Manabe of national championship-winning team Hisamitsu Springs was appointed coach, taking over from Shoichi Yanagimoto, who had been with the team for five years.

Manabe started by casting his eye over 30 players, including Yoshie Takeshita, one of the world's top setters and the team's former captain, spectacular libero Yuko Sano and attacking stars Saori Kimura and Erika Araki. He has kept with the tried and trusted whilst introducing some new blood and giving the captaincy to Araki, which has sparked an improvement in form, so much so that Japan’s quick-fire attacking game is in top gear and the side is seen as genuine contenders in women's volleyball again, challenging for titles.

Full evidence of this turnaround is the 2010 FIVB World Championship where Japan won their first FIVB medal for 32 years in front of their home fans. This year, Manabe’s squad started training in Tokyo in May before taking part in the Montreux Volley Masters in Switzerland, which they won for the first time despite playing without Kimura, Takeshita and Sano.

Coach profile

Former Japan setter Masayoshi Manabe replaced Shoichi Yanagimoto as coach of the Japan women’s team in 2009. He played in the 1988 Olympic Games and started his coaching career in 1993 with Nippon Steel Blazers. Under his leadership the team were V-League champions in 1996 and 1997. From 1999 to 2005, he focused on playing again before retiring to coach in 2006 and 2007 when he led Hisamitsu Springs to the V-Premier League title. Manabe’s tactical awareness is seen as one of the key reasons behind Japan’s recent form reversal.