22 March 2024
‘So cool!’ Japanese team soaking up first time at World Women’s
Regardless of their win-loss record, Japan’s young team have caught the eye of many this week at the World Women’s. Not only have the spectators at Sydney’s Centre 200 taken notice – but also Japanese curling fans at home.
“Back home they are checking out the World Curling Instagram page and telling us we look ‘cool’!” says lead player Ueno Yui.
Team Japan at this championship comes from Karuizawa, where curling made its modern-day return to the Olympic Winter Games at the 1998 Nagano Games – before team members and sisters Miyu and Yui Ueno were even born.
The team has gathered most of its international experience at the world junior level, with medal-level and title performances in the last few years. Most recently, the team have beaten the likes of Olympic silver medallist Fujisawa Satsuki to make their debut on the world championship stage.
As well as the Ueno sisters, Team Japan includes fellow junior team members Kanai Asuka and Ryokawa Mone. They are supported by the husband and wife team of Nishimuro Junko, who plays second, and last appeared at a world championship at Grande Prairie, Alberta in 2006, and coach Nishimuro Yuji.
Building on junior experience
“We’re definitely enjoying it [the experience],” says Miyu. “Each game is tough, but as a team, we’re sticking together and enjoying it.”
Yui adds, “with the juniors, the level of team varies. Here the level of every team is so high, and every team is waiting for you to make that one miss to capitalise on it. And when you make one simple miss it puts you in a real situation.”
One aspect that is different here for Team Japan – and other teams too – is the size and passion of the spectators in the venue. Miyu says, “In Japan we have fans who come to the games and cheer, however, here we have a lot more fans cheering and supporting – it’s all very exciting.”
Enjoying every moment
The team has also enjoyed the experience of being in Canada and Nova Scotia. Miyu explains, “we arrived here early to warm up and practise at the local ice rink, with the local people. Everyone has received us warmly and is friendly. We’ve really enjoyed it.”
Not surprisingly, the team is eager to build on this experience and do it all again. Miyu says, “we’d love to come back to the worlds. But the level of teams is pretty high, so we need to make sure that we’re not making mistakes, as well as recognise and polish our own strengths. We need to use every bit of experience we can get, including what we’re learning here.”
With Team Japan making such a mark on the world stage as well as locally in Sydney, there is really only one thing to say to them…Arigatou Nihon.
