Panthers travel to Japan to play basketball

Peninsula events such as Cultural Week help bring the world to the campus. But sophomores Jenna Yamada and Cami Arai, junior Kristin Sakoda and senior Patty Hori have found a more direct way to learn about their own ethnic culture through the Yonsei Basketball Association. Yonsei is an exchange program between Japanese-Americans and native Japanese basketball players, in which each team travels to either Japan or America for a summer and forms connections by playing basketball.

“Many people don’t realize that fourth or fifth generation Japanese-Americans actually do not know much about their cultural heritage, and most do not speak the language,” Yonsei 21 coach Jessie Ishigo said.

To become members of Yonsei, students must apply in the eighth-grade. 12 boys and 12 girls are chosen from the South Bay each year to form one team, known as a generation. Applicants are selected based on academic performance and basketball skills; they must also be interviewed, have a basketball tryout and write an essay about topics such as what community service means to them. Though being Japanese is not a requirement, most interested players are.The American teams usually practice one Saturday a month, but have a week of intense practice before traveling to Japan in the summer. In addition to playing basketball together, Yonsei teams also participate in a variety of community service and team bonding events.

“My team ran a golf tournament, volunteered at Tanaka Farms and supported the Go For Broke National Education Center,” Yonsei 21 member Jenna Yamada said.

A key part of Yonsei is the homestay aspect; American players live with Japanese players and their families, and vice versa. Despite the language barrier, Yonsei players at Peninsula said that spending time with the other team was their favorite part of Yonsei. In Japan, the teams visited tourist destinations, watched baseball games and enjoyed eating full meals from a vending machine. In America, players went to destinations like In-N-Out Burger, Disneyland and Universal City Walk.“It’s definitely more about fun than trying to win,” Yonsei 19 member Patty Hori said.

“You form a family with your team and keep in touch with new friends from Japan.”