Profile

In 2002, he switched from indoor All-Japan representative to beach volleyball. In 2004, he achieved his long-awaited first victory at the TOKYO Open.
In February 2005, he won the Japan Tour annual championship. After forming a pair with Masahiro Shirotori, they achieved an unprecedented nine consecutive victories in domestic tournaments. After that, he was selected as a representative of Japan for the Asian Games.

In the 2007 domestic tour, he achieved the first-ever complete victory in five tournaments, and in July 2007, he reached the semi-finals at the Marseille tournament. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he participated as the first Japanese male in 12 years, achieved the first historic Olympic victory for Japanese beach volleyball, and finished in 9th place.
In 2009, he achieved complete victory in all domestic tournaments, showing overwhelming strength.

In 2010, he also won many domestic tournaments. He also won a bronze medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. His long-awaited beloved daughter was born in 2009.
From 2010, he aimed for the podium at the Olympics, and was active not only in Japanese tournaments but also in world tournaments. In 2012, he re-formed a pair with Masahiro Shirotori and participated in the 2012 London Olympics. He retired in the same year. After retirement, he has been active in a wide range of fields, including commentary on indoor volleyball, lectures, and media appearances. He also became the chairman of the Beach Culture Promotion Association, which supports beach activities in Japan, and is working to become a bridge between beach and indoor volleyball. He is also focusing on the reconstruction of beaches in Tohoku, which were affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and is conducting volleyball classes. Since April 2013, he has been the main navigator of ‘VOLLEY BALL Channel’ (BS Fuji).

Main achievements

2008

Beijing Olympics 9th place (First victory in Japanese beach volleyball history)

2010

Guangzhou Asian Games Bronze Medal

2012

London Olympics Participation

2012

Retired from active duty