Going to Tohoku Pioneer " First of all, I wasn't much interested in any sports when I was a child. I started playing volleyball because my brother recommended me to do that. And I was attracted to volleyball as the sport sharing the joy with teammate. I really love volleyball now. I can say that seeing the other players including young and little players made me love volleyball more. I always want to play volleyball with high consciousness. And my heart toward volleyball is always same regardless of the uniforms. It has and will never change."
Why I chose Tohoku Pioneer " When they gave me the offer, the first thing they asked me was what sort of environment I need for making my ability higher than now. They listened and understood me on what I told them. I thought they totally understood me as a volleyball player, as a woman, and as a human being. You might think I leveled down because Tohoku Pioneer isn't V-League team but is V1-League team. It's wrong. As I told you earlier, I always play with high consciousness. And I chose this team for reaching higher level in the best environment they provided. I appreciate Tohoku Pioneer and also Orange Attackers. All the members of Orange Attackers sent me off warmly."
To The Fans " I know there are fans who feel anger or disappointment about my decision. There are the inside affairs actually. For instance the importance of developing young players is one of them. I can't tell you all about all of them because I don't want to show you this kind of matter about Orange Attackers. No matter what happens, Orange Attackers is special to me. It is the best team I ever belonged in my volleyball life. Even though my body is not there anymore, my heart is still there. I just hope you understand players must think and choose carefully about the team to be the very best and to display the full talent, especially the player like me who has a bomb in my body. As a result of that, some would stay and some would leave. Each player has each sense of value about their lives. It would be grateful for me if you understand about that. Lastly, I truly wish you support both Orange Attackers and Tohoku Pioneer."
Arie Selinger " The best team, Orange Attackers is surely made by Arie Selinger. He really inspired me on a lot of things. I think I could say that as a coach in Japanese teams, he is the only one who sees the world. I was astonished by his volleyball style and his personality. I thought he was much different from others who I met before. He impacted me strongly and it was very impressive for me. Back to the time I quit Ito Yokado, I was ready to retire if Arie Selinger didn't accept me in. He first said to me "Think again carefully. You'd better go back to Ito Yokado." But when I told him that I swear I would work hard and make an effort to be the player you think you want to utilize me for the team, he decided to accept me in. I entrusted my life as a player to him. He accepts everybody in, if you are really positive about that. He opened the door for me to keep going on volleyball road. Technically his volleyball was hard to do because it's far away ahead from what I had experienced until then. I respect him on his volleyball, not only because it's fascinating but also it could lead to the maximum ability of each player. However, more than that I respect him as a person. He was the first coach who treated me as a human being. I also respect new coach of Orange Attackers, Avital Selinger. But Arie Selinger.., there was a strong trust between the coach and the players, and he made the trust between each player. We were very united as a team. He made me love volleyball more than before. Arie Selinger was a man whom I truly wanted to share the joy of victory from the bottom of my heart."
World Stage " There are some roads players would go. The road for the players who has a heart to go but can't go in. The road for the players who doesn't have a heart to go but has to go on because it has been already made. And the road for the players who goes on neither of them. For instance, teaching volleyball to the kids is one of possibility which I love to do. All of them are the lives. For me wearing the uniform of national team to compete on the world stage is not only good of volleyball. Will I go to Sydney Olympic if I was selected and the condition was good? ...Yes, I think I would go but there must be the good environment for the players. If it's like I have to abuse my body, I wouldn't go."
Japanese National Team and Japanese Tradition of Women Volleyball
" In Junior high school and high school, we were taught that enduring the agony they gave us was the beautiful thing to do. Most of the teachers (the coaches) were stereotyped and they treated us like possessions. They looked down and even beat the players. It's still continued somewhere in school unfortunately. And that kind of thing was also in Japanese National Team. I was only 17 years old, when I was selected in National Team for the first time. What I could do there is just try to do what they told me to. But at the time I got injury to my right arm, which I couldn't even comb the hair with the pain, they said " Why don't you hit the ball with your left hand if you can't use your right hand to spike." and " Be sitting on the bench and just call the spectators if you can't spike. That's your job." I was humiliated and was deeply hurt by them. The players work very hard to be selected in National Team because it's their dream. But they take its pure heart for granted and even make use of it like you must endure this agony even though you feel pain or you have injury if you want to stay here. It was hard for us to tell them about injury we got. We were afraid of telling them about that. And after all, players' body were wore down by that. I have seen this kind of case many times. How can I protect myself? That's only I was thinking of there. One day, I brought out my opinion to them, but they didn't listen to it as an opinion. They took it as the criticism and repulsion against them and branded me as a rebellious player. And they thought that someone in my company made me to tell them about it. Again I was hurt by that. I couldn't stand to see the people around me was hurt by what I spoke out. It was my own opinion. Why I told it to them was only I wanted them to treat the players better. "
" Injury is a big deal for the players. I could not obey their way as working hard for Japan is a matter of course but getting injury is the player's own fault even though its cause was the hardships they made me do. They did nothing about that and there was no security for the injury. Just telling to heal the injury and telling " If you feel mortified, crawl up here again for paying back." was not good enough. They were the one who put us into the situation under which might get injured easily. I know there was a great player who overcome the serious injury and came back to the world stage, like Kumi Nakada. That's wonderful. But all of the players are not the same. I tried and tried to make a good environment to protect the players from the injuries. But I couldn't let them understand that. I think the players need the trainer, the doctor for protecting and supporting the players all the time, and the salary for the hard work in National Team. Although I revealed some of my experiences in the days of playing at National Team, to sum up I just wanted to be treated as a human being."
In The Future " I want to play volleyball as long as I can without being swayed by the popularity and the topicality. I just want to play my own volleyball style. There is still the old fashioned custom in Japan, women has to quit working after the marriage. And the coaches and women players in Japan are wedded to it. But I am not. I want to continue playing after the marriage if I get married and even after having the child. It's a fact there are many women players in the world who have a husband and/or child and they play great. I don't think Japanese can't do it. I'm not sure when I get married, but it would be one of my challenges."
At Last " There was the time I hated people in my life especially when I had an injury by accident which took playing volleyball away from me for long years, and people around me had gone as well. It's better there would be no injury at all of course, however I think it was good for me in a sense because I could learn to be kind. I could know what the kindness means essentially. I would be very happy if my experience could help and encourage the people who is in agony. I truly love volleyball now more than ever and I can't stop hoping more people would know this wonderful sports. I will do anything for the expansion of volleyball. I really love volleyball very very much!! "