A Japanese Player Who Loves Korea! Yuzuki Is Hana Bank
A Japanese Player Who Loves Korea! Yuzuki Is Hana Bank
Blog Article
Yuzuki Ishida of Hana Bank and Yuzuki Ishida of Hana Bank are the players who joined the WKBL through this Asian quarter draft. He entered the Korean stage as the third-ranked player in the second round, but gradually expanded his position throughout the season.
In particular, Ishida received much attention when she showed off her fluent Korean skills during the draft. After being embarrassed for a while when asked to speak in Korean, Ishida soon showed off her Korean skills to the fullest.
*This article was published in the March 2025 issue of Rookie.
I started playing basketball because I liked you
Ishida Yuzuki has an older sister who is seven years older. Although there is some age difference with her sister, she usually follows her well. The reason she started playing basketball was also largely influenced by her sister.
"I have an older sister who is seven years older. Originally, she was playing basketball first. That's how I started following her. She's not playing basketball right now."
"I don't know what looked so much fun back then. I really liked her, so I wanted to copy everything. (laughs) That's why I started playing basketball."
After much effort, Ishida started playing basketball along with her sister, and eventually made it to the professional stage. However, in Japan, Ishida did not receive much attention. Ishida, who started her professional career by joining the Chanson V-Magic, moved to Akita Bank and Yamanashi Queen Biz, and couldn't easily settle down.
"When I first joined the team in Japan, I didn't have confidence. Confidence is important. I don't think I can do anything without it. I think that was the problem."
Ishida, who had not been able to settle down so easily, reportedly even thought of quitting basketball. Then, did Ishida have any other dreams other than a basketball player.
"I was originally interested in nurses. I'm not doing it now, but I think I got interested in it because she did it first. There was a time when I wanted to work with her."
New Opportunities, Asia Quarter
A new opportunity has come to Ishida, who was agonizing over retirement. The news that WKBL has decided to introduce the Asian quarter system in earnest has been reported.
WKBL decided to introduce the Asian quarter system at a board meeting held in April last year. The selection method was carried out by draft, and each team had two players and one player was allowed to play. In addition, Japanese nationalities, including players from the W League, were selected as candidates for selection in the Asian quarter. Ishida was also granted the right to apply.
Ishida, who had always had a strong interest in Korea, immediately challenged herself to the WKBL stage. As such, Ishida participated in the Asian Quarter Draft and was selected by Hana Bank as the third person in the second round, before boarding a plane to Korea.
"I knew about the WKBL before. I came here and had practice games. Thanks to him, I knew about the league. However, the Asian quarter system was introduced in Korea, and it was the first time for Japanese players to come and play basketball. I was a bit concerned about that. I think I thought a bit about what to do."
"After I was nominated by Hana Bank, I was relieved. I didn't know if I could be chosen. I was relieved when my name was called. I was nervous all the time, but at that moment, I felt relaxed."
Ishida was very interested in Korea, but I had to worry about having to live in a foreign country that was unfamiliar. It was the family who instilled great courage in Ishida, who was worried.
"I was also curious about how my life would turn out in Korea. I was looking forward to it because I thought it would be fun. But I felt that there was something unsettling about communication. But my family said they want me to do my best without any regrets. They told me that they want me to do what I want because I'm always rooting for them. If you watch my game now, please tell me that the atmosphere is so fun when I play."
At the time of the Asian Quarter Draft, Hana Bank nominated two players. Hana Bank nominated Ishida in the second round and Yurina Watabe in the first round. Watabe has high expectations as she has resources to lead Hana Bank's lack of guards.
However, in late September, when the season was just around the corner, an unexpected variable hit Hana. Watabe, who was constantly feeling unwell, was diagnosed with constant examination and treatment after undergoing a thorough examination at the hospital, which made it difficult for him to digest the season. In the end, Hana Bank had no choice but to terminate its contract with Watabe.
Watabe's sudden departure also affected Ishida. Anxiety came to Ishida as a colleague who could rely on him in a strange place suddenly disappeared.
"There's a difference between having two Japanese players and being alone. I was left alone when Watabe left the team, and I was nervous."
At first, he couldn't adapt to Korean basketball and didn't take much time to play. However, he gradually melted into the team and expanded his position, and in the latter half of the season, he played a key role in the team.
In this season, Ishida played in a total of 27 games and played an average of 22 minutes and 17 seconds. Her record was 6.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. She made her presence known by adding strength to Hana Bank's guard squad, which had been highly anxious.
a Japanese player who loved Korea
Among the WKBL players who have been active in this season, Ishida's love for Korea is among the best. Then, how did Ishida become interested in Korea.
"When I first entered Chansong, they were watching Korean dramas. They recommend a lot of them, so I sometimes watched Korean dramas. But as I watched them, it was so much fun that I wanted to watch them more. I kept watching them like that, and I fell in love with them."
Then, what is Ishida's recent Korean drama? I was also curious about Ishida's favorite drama.
"These days, I'm watching something different than dramas. Recently, I watched Solo Hell and it was really fun. My favorite drama is... It's so hard to choose just one. (laughs) There are so many interesting dramas."
After learning Korean culture through dramas, Ishida began to study Korean in earnest. Ishida's Korean proficiency is high enough to communicate.
"There are people in Korea who watch Japanese animations and learn Japanese. I thought Korean was so cute when I was watching the drama. So I used to use Korean sometimes with my friends, but I think that's why I started studying it naturally. Studying wasn't as difficult as I thought." 바카라사이트
Since he was selected in the draft, he has received tremendous attention as he showed off his cute appearance and fluent Korean skills. As he continued his career in Korea, many fans cheered him enthusiastically. Finally, I finished my interview with Ishida by saying hello to such fans.
"I was surprised that so many people showed more interest than I thought. (Laughs) With so many people showing interest, I realized that I'm playing in Korea. I just want to say thank you to the fans for always supporting me!"