Japan's Volleyball Star: Leon Is from Another Planet

Japanese star Ran Takahashi, Luke Loublin's [teammate], in an interview with Jakub Bednarok, explained the difficulties of competing with Poland's national team.

According to "Sports Three", Ron Takahashi's joining of the Bogdanka Luc Lublin club was one of the biggest transfers before the 2026/27 season of the Polish League. The Japanese power forward is currently considered one of the best players in the world at his position, and his presence alongside Wilfredo Leon has made the Lublin team one of the serious contenders for the Polish championship and even the Champions League.

In an interview with Jakub Bednarok, a famous Polish volleyball reporter, Takahashi talked about the progress of the Japanese national team and explained that the experience of the country's players playing in foreign leagues played an important role in the growth of Japanese volleyball; A progress which, among its results, has been winning the bronze medal of the Volleyball League of Nations in 2023 and the silver medal in 2024.

Takahashi said: "I think we have gained the confidence to play against the best teams. Yuki Ishikawa now plays in Türkiye, but he already went to Italy very early and played there for 10 seasons. Other players went to foreign leagues like France or Poland and got to know different styles of volleyball. "Thanks to those experiences, they gained confidence, skills and knowledge like how to play against tall defenses that helped us grow."

This 25-year-old player, who also has a history of playing in the Italian league, compared the style of play in Italy and Poland and explained that the characteristics of the Polish national team make it so difficult for the Japanese to compete with this team.

The Higashiyama High School-bred player said: "In terms of playing style, in the Italian league the players are very physically strong and there is a heavy defense where strength comes first. But the Polish league, in my opinion, is more technical and tactical. In particular, the Polish national team is technically excellent. Of course, they also have Leon, who seems like a player from another planet. You also have very fast pacers who are nimble defensively while also being able to hit a variety of serves.

It is difficult for our national team to compete with Poland, because we have a very similar style of play, but you have the upper hand. "However, if you were just relying on that power, maybe we could have done it, but when you have great technique along with power, it becomes more difficult."

The interesting thing is that volleyball is neither the first nor the second sport in Japan. Even to reach the third place, it must have a tough competition with basketball.

Takahashi explained: "In Japan, baseball is the most popular sport among all sports. Many children play baseball and baseball games are always broadcast on television. The second sport is undoubtedly football. "Volleyball and basketball are ranked third."

But another interesting part of this conversation was related to Takahashi's interest in Polish cuisine. The Japanese star got a chance to talk about his favorite foods in Poland; However, it was found that he had tried many local dishes before and became interested in the cooking of this country. He even unexpectedly praised the taste of Polish horseradish!

Takahashi said: "Polish wasabi? Wow, that's good! It's wonderful! I like the taste. The food here is delicious and I like it very much. I have tried pierogi before; I think it was with potatoes. The soups are also amazing."