Japan volleyball tour wows Whakatāne students
Volleyball teams from Whakatāne's Trident College embarked on the "trip of a lifetime" in September, travelling to Japan to train with and play against local schools. On the Japanese courts, the boys' and girls' teams experienced an entirely different approach to the game: respectful, student-led, and efficient. Trident College student Gabriel Aruquipa Southerwood says he is eager to incorporate what he observed overseas into his training in Whakatāne and now understands why Japan is internationally recognised for its volleyball.
Gabriel (middle): "Even though we didn’t speak the same language, we used gestures, smiles, and volleyball itself to communicate."
Landing at Narita Airport after a long flight felt unreal; we’d finally made it to Japan. The first thing that hit me was the heat. It was so warm and muggy, even though it was late at night but, weirdly, I kind of loved it.
The first surreal moment was the bus drive to our accommodation in Tokyo. Everywhere we looked there were neon signs, vending machines, tall buildings, and people walking with a different kind of energy.
When we arrived at the Tobu Levant Hotel, we were all buzzing with excitement.
Once we'd dropped our bags, all we could think about was food. We decided to go exploring and ended up in a random food court on the fifth floor of a building we found on a map.
I ordered a big bowl of ramen with wontons, dumplings, and a coke. Honestly, it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.
Even though the language barrier was a bit tricky, the people were so kind and patient, helping us with big smiles even when we couldn’t communicate properly.
The next few days were packed with exploring and playing volleyball. Competing in Japan was very different compared to New Zealand. The Japanese teams we played against were on another level.
The team travelling between cities by Japan's famous Shinkansen bullet train
Everything they did had purpose and precision. Their warmups were perfectly in sync. Everyone knew what they were doing and what was expected.
It was quite incredible how they ran their drills. Everything was timed to the millisecond; the students ran all of the drills while the coaches observed, and the players moved with intent and discipline. The coaches had nothing to do with the drills - they’d just stand there and add a command every now and again.
The best example I can give was with the 'hitting lines' drill, which is where players form a line on one side of the court, and spike the ball over the net — aiming to hit the opponent's sideline.
During the drill, students were either hitting, tossing, rolling balls, on their knees collecting balls, placing balls in the cart, or feeding the tossers; it was incredible.
We were lucky enough to spend three full sessions with Japanese schools, which involved a full school tour, a three-hour training session, followed by matches after a short break.
Experiencing the discipline and passion of the Japanese teams showed Gabriel why Japan is considered a leader in world volleyball
Being part of their training routine opened my eyes to what “110 percent effort” really is. Actually, I’m not sure if routine is a fair way to describe it; it was more like a deep cultural practice. And after being part of this firsthand, I can see why Japan is internationally recognised for volleyball.
Beneath this disciplined, almost-military type of training operation, there was also a deep level of respect and humility.
We bowed to say thank you, we bowed to acknowledge others, and everyone contributed when it came to cleaning and maintenance of the gym. No sighs, no “why do I have to do it”, just a feeling of “this is what we do here”. I absolutely loved it, and it is something I am going to bring back to our gym in paradise, Whakatane.
Outside of volleyball, we got to experience so many amazing cultural activities. Visiting TeamLab Planets [an interactive art museum] in Tokyo was mind-blowing to say the least. Walking through rooms filled with digital light, water, and sound felt like stepping into another world.
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We also explored ancient temples, saw wild monkeys in Kyoto, and spent a day at Universal Studios.
One thing I remember about the temples was the number of locals praying and performing rituals. It made me realise how much history and tradition is woven into the everyday life of the Japanese people.
Every place we visited showed a different side of Japan — the calm, the energy, the creative and the tradition all mixed together.
The food was another highlight. I basically lived on ramen, gyoza, and onigiri from 7/11.
Gabriel: "Every place we visited showed a different side of Japan — the calm, the energy, the creative and the tradition all mixed together."
Before leaving for Japan, we’d heard that Japanese 7-Elevens were good, but we weren't expecting full meals, desserts, and drinks better than some cafés back home. 7-Eleven visits became part of our nightly ritual, grabbing onigiri and ice-cream after long, eventful days.
By the end of the trip, I was obsessed with Japanese bread and iced coffee. Robots delivering food at restaurants was also something we haven’t quite adopted here in Whakatane.
Travelling on Japan’s public transport was a new experience, too.
The trains were insanely efficient, always on time and super clean. It was overwhelming at first trying to figure out which platform to go to, but after a few days we got the hang of it.
The bullet train was my favourite. So fast and smooth, and the views of the countryside were beautiful.
This trip was honestly life changing.
Playing volleyball in Japan opened my eyes to a whole new level of sport and culture. I learned so much about respect, teamwork, and how powerful sport can be in connecting people from completely different backgrounds.
Gabriel says the friendships formed and memories the team made will stay with Trident College students forever
Even though we didn’t speak the same language, we used gestures, smiles, and volleyball itself to communicate. Some of us still keep in touch through Instagram, and it’s cool to see what their teams are up to.
We’ve come back with memories, friendships, and experiences that will stay with us forever. It truly was a trip of a lifetime.
We’re really grateful to the Asia New Zealand Foundation for supporting this experience. Japan wasn’t just a trip, it’s something we’ll carry with us for the rest of our lives.
The Foundation's Sports Programme provides New Zealand sportspeople and administrators opportunities to grow more knowledgeable, connected and confident with Asia.
