Japanese Volleyball Icon Ran Takahashi Delights Pinoy Fans With Manila Visit

Powerful spikes, impressive vertical jumps, handsome looks, and disarming charm? 

Of course, Filipinos gave a warm “Okaeri (Welcome back)” to Ran Takahashi.

After his previous visits to the Philippines through VNL (Volleyball Nation’s League) with Ryujin Nippon (Japan Men’s National Volleyball Team), Ran Takahashi returned to the Philippines, and this time around, it was for the sole purpose of spending quality time with his Filipino fans.

Ran’s visit comes on the heels of being named as the brand ambassador of electronic and lighting company Akari. The brand initially set up a single meet-and-greet event at SM Megamall Fashion Hall, but due to the growing demand, decided to go for another surprise meet-and-greet at another mall the following day.

He also visited the FilOil EcoOil Center to watch a match at the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference to support the Akari Chargers volleyball team.Prior to the fan meeting events, Ran Takahashi met the Philippine media and gamely answered some questions about his visit and volleyball.

Prior to the fan meeting events, Ran met the Philippine media and gamely answered some questions about his visit and volleyball.

The young Olympian couldn’t express his appreciation enough for the Filipino fans, who made him feel so welcome and supported throughout the matches and even beyond volleyball.

“I’m really amazed. I came to the Philippines because of the Philippine rounds [of the VNL] for three times and I was really surprised. They really supported me strongly and the stadium shaking. I feel a lot of emotions. I’m really supported by fans,” Ran stated, as translated.

Asked if he’s ever been to anywhere in the Philippines, the star player admits he’s yet to explore the country. “Mostly, I’m in Manila so I haven’t traveled a lot but I’m going to travel to Cebu. If you know a good place to travel somewhere, I would like to know it,” he said. Later on at his fan meet, he shared with fans that he was able to try balut and liked it.

Now that he’s able to take some time off especially after the Paris Olympics, it gives him time to do other projects and of course, to do the things he enjoys. “I like touring around. Traveling is also refreshing and relaxing. Every day practice makes me busy. [So] usually I’m [just] resting, relaxing in a house or driving and that’s been relaxation for me,” Ran shared. The volleyball player’s father, mother, and sister were spotted accompanying the athlete in his visit to the country, so a holiday trip to Cebu may not have been far from the itinerary.

At the press conference, Ran generously answered questions about volleyball and his passion for the sport. Metro.Style asked about the disciplines and habits he had to develop to be able to play in excellent form.

“What I'm most careful about is taking care of my body. If I get injured, it will affect my play. I always stretch before I go to bed. I think it's important to take good care of your body. It's really connected to the skill of volleyball,” he responded with a smile.

The athlete also discussed what he thinks of his future in volleyball.

“I started playing volleyball [when I was] six years old. I don’t know what the future has in store for me. But if you set a higher goal, it will be really good and challenging and it is really important. Whether you are going to challenge [yourself] or not, you should [take the] challenge. If [you] challenge yourself, you will have experiences and it’s going to make a good future for yourself,” he explained.

“Experience is really important and [I’ve had] many experiences before for [the] Japanese [national team] and playing in Italy, I’ve learned many things that strengthened me,” he added.

Asked what advice he could give to Philippine volleyball to improve its state, Ran gives a thoughtful answer.

“Generally, us Asians lose to Western countries in power and height. To overcome that, we honed our (play) quality, system, and skills. For me, as well as for other Japanese players, we challenge ourselves to international leagues to be able to get used to their power and height. To make a team that can fight in the world’s stage, that kind of strength is important,” he stated with wisdom that came from his experiences in playing for the Italian and Japanese leagues.

It is this kind of passion and commitment to volleyball that caught the attention of Akari and looked for an opportunity to work with Ran even if it took them a year to seal the deal. Akari executive Sharina Tiu noted Ran’s key attributes that are aligned with the brand identity: power, quality, endurance, and flexibility. This was echoed by Ran on why he chose to partner with Akari.

“I found several common things with Akari like power, quality, and endurance—especially endurance. I told them that we can help each other grow, there are several matching things [with us], and I think it motivated me because it really makes my goals more [achievable],” Ran declared.

Photos courtesy of Akari