Letter from the Sports Editor

Passion. Every sport has its share of passionate followers. Passion brings out so much joy when our favorite teams win—and so much heartbreak when they suffer crushing defeats.

Passion for sports can also help us find community. Niall Devine is a perfect example of that. His article “¡Vamos Tokyo Carajo!” illuminates how FC Tokyo won over his heart and how the club’s 2019 season served as one of the high points of his football fandom.

Through his love of the capital city’s club, Devine establishes bonds with not only locals (one FC Tokyo fan gave him and his father each a sheet of paper with information about the roster and supporters’ chants) but fellow gaikokujin who support FC Tokyo as well. Fandom is a communal experience, and it’s clear from his words that Niall Devine has found a new family. A family with which he’ll travel to the “middle of nowhere” to cheer on his club.

I mentioned family and community earlier. Those concepts are also apparent in David Atti’s “Finding Your Throw.” The Chiba Prefecture JET writes about his judo experiences, and the article culminates with the moment he delivered a perfect through during a match.

Although judo is an individual sport, to excel in it, you still need support and guidance from others. That’s really no different from the general ALT experience as gaikokujin almost always have to navigate language barriers and confusion, which Atti touches on in that article. In fact, “Finding Your Throw” captures the essence of not just a sporting experience but a general experience for a non-Japanese person.

Success in any facet of Japanese life doesn’t come overnight, and Atti adroitly chronicles his journey from novice to (somewhat successful) judoka. Sport is often a grind and brings out moments of doubt and bumpiness on the road to success. It’s evident from Atti that overcoming those hiccups is enormously satisfying.

As for my favorite non-sports article, some of my favorite experiences in Japan are reflected in Abbie Philpott and Monica Aguilar-Scion’s collaboration, “Tatami Surfing.” I have hosted several guests through Tatami Timeshare and a lot on CouchSurfing, and quite often, hosting is an adventure. I chuckled when I read about Abbie and her friends struggling to reach their host’s house. But more importantly, I was reminded about the joys of services like Tatami Timeshare—mainly the opportunity to make a new friend or two and discover something interesting about the world.

Rashaad Jorden (Kochi) Instagram: @7beachbum