Japan’s new head coach Laurent Tillie has named a 43‑player pool for the 2025 international season, with star opposite Yuji Nishida among those selected. Nishida had hinted at taking a post‑Paris Olympics break from national team duty but will now be a key part of Japan’s preparations for next year’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and World Championship.
Despite sitting sixth in the FIVB world rankings, Japan will look to build on their recent silver medal in the VNL 2024 and a seventh‑place finish at Paris 2024. Alongside Nishida, fellow veteran middle blocker Kentaro Takahashi—who had announced his retirement from international play—also returns in Tillie’s first squad announcement.
Only setter Akihiro Fukatsu from the Paris squad is absent, while captain Yuki Ishikawa retains the armband. Other established names include setter Masahiro Sekita, outside hitter Ran Takahashi, middle blocker Taishi Onodera, and libero Tomohiro Yamamoto, ensuring the core that secured VNL silver remains largely intact.
Tillie plans to split the 43‑strong group into two teams when training begins in May: an “A” team for major tournaments and a “B” squad focused on development. “This is our first step towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics,” Tillie explained. “We can rest experienced players while discovering new talent. Our goals for 2025 are to gel during this transition and then achieve strong results in the VNL and World Championship. We’re aiming for podium finishes in every event”.
Japan will kick off their VNL 2025 campaign in Xi’an, China, facing the hosts, Poland, Serbia, and the Netherlands from June 11–15. The FIVB World Championship follows in the Philippines from September 12–18, where Japan will compete in Pool G alongside Canada, Türkiye, and Libya.
