Presenting the newest member of the FIVB Athletes’ Commission
Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “a reason to live.” The term is a combination of the Japanese words iki (to live) and gai (reason). It’s a way of life that encourages people to find purpose and joy in their everyday lives. And one man who has certainly found his Ikigai through volleyball is Japanese international player Masahiro Yanagida.
The 32-year-old outside hitter has been involved in volleyball all his life, starting at the tender age of 7 before rising to become a key player and captain of the Japan national team at only 25.
While leading the Ryujin Nippon as captain for three years stands out as one of Yanagida’s career highlights, his recent appointment to the prestigious FIVB Athletes’ Commission certainly ranks among his growing list of achievements in volleyball.
“I always want to approach my work with a sense of responsibility, therefore, I want to take action to directly hear the voices of the players within my reach. Currently, volleyball is having a significant impact, especially in Asia and Japan, so I would like to collaborate and join hands to create even greater value together,” Yanagida told FIVB.com about his new role as a member of the FIVB Athletes’ Commission for the period 2024–2028.
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Club Career
Yanagida’s volleyball talent and leadership were evident from a young age, as he captained Toyo High School to a gold medal at the All Japan High School Championship in 2010. In 2011, he joined Keio University’s Faculty of Environment and Information Studies and won silver at the All Japan Intercollegiate Championship in 2013.
His Japanese V-League debut arrived in March 2015 while playing for Suntory Sunbirds against Panasonic Panthers. Yanagida and Suntory finished second in the league in his first season, during which they also won gold in the historic Kurowashiki tournament.
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He left Japan at the start of the 2017/2018 season, first joining Volleyball Bisons Bühl in Germany before moving to Poland with Cuprum Lubin in the 2018/2019 season. Yanagida returned to Germany for the 2019/2020 season, signing with United Volleys Frankfurt.
His sojourn in Europe yielded a silver medal in the German Cup with Volleyball Bisons Bühl during the 2017/2018 season, where he was named Most Valuable Player of that competition.
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Yanagida returned to Japan for his second stint with Suntory in the 2020/2021 season and guided them to back-to-back league titles, as well as a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship, where he was named Best Outside Hitter.
The 186cm outside hitter moved to JTEKT Stings for the 2022/2023 season and remarkably won the Emperor’s Cup in 2022, where he was named MVP of the tournament. He moved again, joining his current club, Tokyo Great Bears, at the start of the 2023/2024 season.
National Team Career
Before getting his senior team breakthrough in 2013, Yanagida had starred for Japan’s junior and youth teams. Notably, he was named Best Spiker at the FIVB Boys’ Under-19 World Championship in 2009, held in Italy.
Yanagida won two consecutive gold medals at the AVC Asian Nations Championships (2015, 2017) and a silver at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon before he rose to the position of captain in April 2018. He last represented the national team at the 2022 Asian Volleyball Championship, where he played a key role in securing the bronze medal.
QUICK LINKS
AVC Website: click www.asianvolleyball.net
AVC Facebook: click www.Facebook.com/AsianVolleyballConfederation
AVC Twitter: click: www.twitter.com/AsianVolleyball
AVC Instagram: click: https://www.instagram.com/avcvolley/?hl=en
Mikasa Instagram: click: https://www.instagram.com/mikasasports_official
AVC Youtube: click: Asian Volleyball Confederation
AVC WeChat: Asian Volleyball Confederation
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