You already know Japan holds one of the houses of hoops when it comes to 3×3 basketball.
They know streetball, like their yearly ALLDAY tourney in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park, which recently celebrated its 50th event.
The classic city of Utsunomiya has also played host to the FIBA 3×3 ‘Opener’ for a decade running with the streets.
Utsunomiya’s very own Japanese B-League team, the Utsunomiya Brex, were in town this weekend, like BasketballBuzz, as Tokyo’s Shinagawa played host to a 3×3 tournament (or 3xS) that featured actual Japanese league teams and their players competing for the crown.
A newer sports festival event, held between Shinagawa’s Intercity and Grand Commons, and during a week when Happi wearing locals parade portable shrines around the town. It seems the land of the rising sun is really ramping up their streetball activity, especially over these last three months of the calendar.
Shinagawa is a wonderful ward set to be famous for more than their Shinkansen, the town served as the first major link between Tokyo and Kyoto during the Edo period, and a Haruki Murkami short story about a talking monkey that steals people’s names. This ‘Bridge To The World’ tournament really brought them out and across, like Yoyogi and Utsunomiya before.
Even Japan’s infamous rainy season couldn’t dampen the spirit of water wet jumpers and slick moves to the basket over this 15-game forecast.
Playing for ten minutes at a time, or whoever reaches 21 first, like when you used to rely on your friends I.D. for a beer run back in college, these three-on-three games are faster than a speeding bullet train. And they needed to be, as the weatherman called for more precipitation.
And it came. Down and hard. The string music had to be put on hold as the final games moved to neighbouring Tennozu Isle and an indoor arena with beautiful murals serving as its backdrop. The terrific Tennozu Isle also inspired NBA great Stephen Curry to build his own basketball court here a few years back. Right before his Golden State Warriors faced then Rui Hachimura’s Washington Wizard’s in the last NBA Japan Game.
Why Tokyo has now said “night, night” to Curry Court, we don’t know.
Waking up a sleepy, unseasonable Sunday, as the threatening humidity didn’t yet creep in, things got chippy, as two players almost got into it. All before the organizers switched locations like NBA free agents next month.
The brilliant Brex, with their epic experience as a 3×3 host city in Utsunomiya looked undeniable, but it was the Minakami Town Exe side that proved to be the strongest in the Isle, carrying the banner of champion. Big Milos Cojbasic and his band of brothers making faithful fans with their own chant courtside proud. Including them in the huddle’s pound before every game.
The passion and pride here, whatever the side, is clear to see.
Hoops may be second or third (we see you, “soccer”) to Ohtani’s baseball when it comes to sports in Japan, jockeying for position with volleyball and golf, but it has a credible cult following here. And it’s making significant strides, like the half-hour trek across town for the final game. Hey, people were willing to do it, which shows a lot about the game and its place in Tokyo and the sun that rises around it.
Bouldering walls, cheerleading, and a powerhouse performance from breakthrough break-dancers SEGA Sammy LUX, complete with the classic “Se-GAAA” intro I.D. (happy 35th birthday, Sonic), Shinagawa just put its headband in the ring as a major host of 3×3 basketball in Japan. They even had events that showcased hockey and amputee soccer.
Thanks to former football stars Suzuki Takayuki and Moriwaki Ryota for coming through to talk for such a wonderful weekend’s worth of entertainment.
The corner of a 3×3 court tells us to “change the game for good”. That’s exactly what’s happening right now in Japan. For the good of everybody.
Like the changing weather, or a hand-to-hand crossover, you can feel the shift.
As the Nike campaign says, it’s their turn.
A ‘Bridge To The World’ connects.
