IT was a day after the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics’ opening ceremonies, held this year, 2021, that I had a conversation with Washington Wizards Marketing Manager and Japanese national Ryo Shinkawa.
In Ryo’s line of work, there’s a lot you can’t control, like the firing of Wizards Coach Scott Brooks, and the hiring of Wes Unseld Jr. as the new Head Coach, and the trade involving one of the team’s stars, Russell Westbrook.
However, there are crucial aspects of marketing a professional sports team that Shinkawa can control like making sure the atmosphere at Wizards games continues to be family oriented and Wizards fans and visitors have a good experience worthy of a return to the Capital One Arena.
Shinkawa is also a member of the Wizards’ global digital media team. Speaking of global, Wizards small forward and Japanese international, Rui Hachimura, was Japan’s flag bearer at the opening ceremonies.
Hachimura is half-Beninese because of his father, Zakari Jabil, and half-Japanese because of his mother, Makiko.
Shinkawa was an interpreter in Major League Baseball for five years before working in the Wizards organization, so as far as the culture of professional athletes and professional sports, Ryo is already familiar with the lay of the land.
Talking to Ryo, I began to realize that today’s age, as far as Japanese sports is concerned, is The Land of the Rising Sun’s golden age. We remember the likes of former professional tennis player Kimiko Date, Yuta Tabuse of the Phoenix Suns, 29-year baseball veteran Ichiro Suzuki, and former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo.
Now, you have the aforementioned Rui Hachimura of the Wizards, and Yuta Watanabe of the Toronto Raptors. Shohei Otani of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. Professional tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic flame at the opening ceremonies. Another professional tennis player, Kei Nishikori, a contender in any grand slam tournament, and Naoya Inoue, unified bantamweight world champion.
There must be a measure of pride and resilience among the Japanese for pushing through with the games despite the pandemic and criticism from quarters to go on with the games despite the onslaught of Covid-19.
On a personal note, Ryo and I are first time fathers who had a child during the pandemic.
If the games didn’t push through, us Filipinos will never know if Hidilyn Diaz would have won our country’s first ever Olympic gold medal.