INTERVIEW

Takahashi: Playing in Italy, I'm always up against top players. And the guys on my own team are also great players. I feel like the standards at this level push you to keep growing. For my part, I try to communicate with all the players and make every single play count. I'm experiencing various different things, and I'm learning every day. Our countries are different in many ways, but in terms of emotion, I've begun to prioritize my own ambitions.

As for the language, I actually didn't study at all in the beginning. So, at first, I couldn't communicate what I wanted to say. I didn't understand what was said back to me. But situations like this make it really difficult to win the trust of those around you. So, after the season, I started to put more effort into studying. Finally, I got to the point where I could converse. It's helped me gain the trust of the other players and the coach. I know things like what tactics I'm supposed to be using. Verbal communication is essential in succeeding as a member of a team.

We normally have a match on Saturday or Sunday. Mondays are usually off. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we do weight training and some ball-handling drills in the morning, then practice all afternoon. On Thursdays, we practice just in the afternoon. We get the morning off. If we're playing away on Sunday, we travel on Saturday.

Takahashi: I use an ultrasound treatment device now, but I only started seeing the benefits last year. I learned about the device after I hurt my knee. At first, I just used it to treat pain. Now I understand you should start using it before you experience pain. I use it on a daily basis now.

When I was younger—in elementary school, junior high school, and high school—I could move well enough without any conditioning, or even stretching. But that's because I was young. But even during that time, I think the strain was piling up. I think that's why my knees and back tend to develop aches now.

In Japan, many children get serious about sports from a young age. The flipside of that is that injuries are common. Regardless of age, physical maintenance is critical in sports. If you're thinking seriously about your future as an athlete, it's really, really important to start focusing on this at the earliest possible stage. Not just self-care—getting care at a treatment center also helps ease the burdens on your body. It's also vital to build your physical foundations—for example, by developing axial symmetry. Even just paying attention to that will benefit you in the future as an athlete.

I see it as something I need to keep on using. When I'm playing game after game, my body is obviously under a lot of stress pretty much all the time. But the pain changes from day to day. Using the treatment device during spells like that helps me overcome these issues. My recovery is faster. With games every week throughout the season, it's important to stay in the best shape possible.

Of course, I need to put myself in position to perform at my best not just in competition, but in practice. Otherwise, I can't work on the things I want to improve. I can't execute the moves I'm trying for. Practice translates into success on the court. What I seek is how to reach a higher level in my best condition. Above all else is avoiding injury, so day-to-day care is crucial for treating and preventing pain and improving performance. I use the treatment device so I can accomplish all these things.

Lots of people used to think of volleyball as a women's sport. Women's volleyball is fun to watch because the ball tends to stay in the air longer. But the power in men's volleyball also draws fans. I think if we can couple that with precision, bumping, and digging, volleyball would become even more exciting for potential fans. Recently, there's been an increase in exciting plays, like fake sets. I think performance elements like that make volleyball more attractive.

Going forward, I'm going to spread the word about volleyball in various ways, not just social media. And, of course, it's also important to produce results in competition. I don't care how it happens, but I'd love it if more people came to know about and enjoy watching volleyball.