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Twin Suns of Japanese Volleyball
Volleyball Monthly's Yamamoto Akane had the chance to sit down with two of Team Japan's shining volleyball stars, Hinata Shoyo and Hino Akane, to talk teamwork, friendship, love, and life in the Olympic Village!
Yamamoto: Hinata-senshu, Hino-senshu, thank you so much from taking time from your busy schedules to speak with me!
Hinata: Of course, it's so great to see you again, Yamamoto-san!
Yamamoto: Let's dive right in: how do you both feel about your teams' chances in the Games?
Hino: Well, that's easy, we'll be going all the way to gold!
Hinata: (lol) What she said! All the guys on the team are like me; a one-track mind on the route to victory!
Yamamoto: Talk to me a little about your teammates. Do you get along?
Hinata: Depends on how you define "get along." (lol) We're all pretty close; a lot of use have been teammates or rivals since high school or even middle school, and there's a lot of history, but we're also all, uh, kinda hurgh, hard-headed, y'know? So we argue a lot and cause trouble... some of us more than others. But it's all, y'know, in good spirits. When it's game time, we work great together, and that's what's most important, I think. You just wouldn't know it if you only saw us off-court. (lol)
Hino: It's true! I heard some of the girls talking about you all before the opening ceremonies, they were like, "The men's team is like a pack of wild animals! How are they gonna keep it together during their matches?" But then Kanoka told us not to underestimate you all, and you started taking everyone in straight sets, and they all couldn't believe it!
Yamamoto: What about you Hino-senshu? Can you tell us about the women's team?
Hino: Ah, we all get along amazing! I've played with a lot of them before, they're great girls! All super strong an' passionate, makes me feel right at home with them.
Yamamoto: A couple of team players! And hard workers, too. Your families must be so proud to see you compete on the world stage.
Hinata: So funny story, my sister is in her own summer training camps right now and they've been watching a lot of the Olympic matches during their free periods and at meals and stuff; I think for her the novelty has worn off, she's just been texting me whenever a coach or senpai nitpicks something I do. (lol)
Hino: You're so lucky! My lil bro doesn't know a thing about volleyball an' refuses to learn - he's all-in on taking over the family business instead. I mean, I'm proud of him, don't get me wrong! But sometimes I wish I had a sibling I could practice receives with, ya know?
Yamamoto: What is the family business, if I might ask?
Hino: Okonomiyaki Akane, the Hino family's pride and joy! We even got a special to celebrate the Olympics, the Sweet and Spicy Sunny-Side-Up Service Ace Modan-yaki, and all the women's volleyball matches are being shown live! Anyone living near Nanairogaoka should check it out!
Hinata: Ooooooh! That sounds delicious! Now I'm jealous of you, Hino-san!
Hino: Hey, if you guys can manage to take home the gold, it's on the house! (lol)
Yamamoto: And what about your friends back home, are they excited to see you represent Japan on home turf?
Hino: Oh yeah, big time! There's a group of girls I've been friends with since, gosh, middle school, and they've all been textin' me photos of them gettin' together to watch the matches! We all got wildly different careers, so we don't see each other as often these days... it's great ta have a reason ta come together. They couldn't get tickets, but they said they'd try an' make it to Tokyo towards the end of the games so we could all go out together, like old times!
Yamamoto: And you, Hinata-senshu? I know you must have lots of people cheering you on.
Hinata: Though some would never admit it. (lol) But yeah, I've got friends all over that I'm thinking of! Back home in Miyagi, here in Tokyo, and all the way in Brazil! Two of my high school senpai are on their honeymoon, even! Though their attention is probably not entirely on the Olympics right now. (lol)
Yamamoto: And speaking of honeymoons - Hino-senshu, is it true that there are wedding bells in your future?
Hino: Aha, yeah, my... my fiancé, Brian, and I are planning to be married this fall.
Hinata: Oooooh! Congratulations!
Yamamoto: How did you two meet? I'm told it's quite a story.
Hino: It's not, really. (lol) ... We actually first met in middle school when he was a foreign exchange student - I was terrible at English, but I really liked him an' wantin' to talk to him pushed me to improve. After he went home we tried to keep in touch but we sorta drifted apart when he started college and I went pro... but then I started gettin' scouted by international teams, an' I thought, since my English had gotten so good, why not play for an English team? An' so you'll never guess who was there in the audience cheerin' for me in my very first game with the Lionhearts. (lol) We went out for fish an' chips after the match, an' we've been together ever since.
Hinata: But did you win the match?
Hino: (lol) Of course! Knowin' he was there for me, how could I lose?
Yamamoto: And what about you, Hinata-senshu? Is there anyone special in your life right now?
Hinata: Oh! Um! Yeah! Ah... my partner is a rather private person, so that's all I can say, sorry to disappoint.
Hino: Opposites attract, eh?
Hinata: Something like that. (lol)
Yamamoto: The fact that you're spoken for is the real disappointment to many, I'm sure.
Hinata: Well, that's not really something I can help. I'm very happily taken and that's not changing anytime soon!
Hino: Kanoka was right, you are a heartbreaker! (lol)
Yamamoto: Just one last question, as I'm sure you're both eager to get back to your teammates. What's it like here in the Olympic Village? Does everyone get along?
Hinata: It's amazing! I think us athletes tend to end up in these little bubbles a lot of the time where we're surrounded just by people who play the same game or think about the same stuff as us, but the Olympics are a reminder that the world is so much bigger!
Hino: But at the same time, I think it shows ya just how small the world is, too! Like, it turns out one of the guys on the cycling team used ta live right down the street from me in Osaka before we both moved!
Hinata: Ohh, Naruko-san, right? He's great! You know, I think this the first time I've made friends with people who play different sports since probably middle school. And you never know when you might learn something new! Like, did you know that in baseball the title of "Ace" usually goes to a player who's strong on defense and weak on offense?
Hino: Ya mean the pitcher...?
Hinata: Yeah, that!
Yamamoto: And that about wraps it all up! Hinata-senshu, Hino-senshu, thank you for your time today, and best of luck in the Games!
Hinata: Thank you, Yamamoto-san! Tell your brother I said hi!
Hino: What'd I say, eh? Small world!
