Pop Japan

Whether it’s individual or team sports, Japan is a country that has always raised the flag of Asian pride when it comes to producing international athletes.
Forget all the eccentricity in game shows, inventions, or whatnot, the guys on this list are big proof that the nation’s sports talents can hang with the world’s best.
Here now are five international Japanese athletes:

Kohei Uchimura – Gymnastics
Hometown: Isahaya, Nagasaki
Uchimura is regarded by many as a prodigy and a living legend in gymnastics. His milestones and achievements in the sport are unheard of. The Isahaya native has already bagged dozens of Olympic and other international medals. With his prime years still intact, he is bound to collect more.

Ichiro Suzuki – Baseball
Hometown: Toyoyama, Aichi
As one of MLB’s (Major League Baseball) ageless wonders, Ichiro built an illustrious career. The future first-ballot hall-of-famer holds multiple conference records and one key league record (Most hits in a single season).

Hideki Matsui – Baseball
Hometown: Neagari, Ishikawa
The ambidextrous outfielder and designated hitter also had quite the career in MLB, but his biggest accomplishment in the league is his World Series Most Valuable Player award for the New York Yankees. Not only was it a prestigious award, he was the first Japanese player to do it, and no one has yet to join him.

Yuta Tabuse – Basketball
Hometown: Yokohama, Tanagawa
Standing at 5’9 and weighing in at 165lbs. soaking wet, it’s easy to think that he is not a basketball player, even for a local Asian league, much less an NBA (National Basketball Association) team, but he was. Tabuse played for NBA teams’ summer league teams before having short stints with the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Kei Nishikori – Tennis
Hometown: Matsue, Shimane
Currently ranked #6 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Nishikori is, to this day, the only Japanese player to be crack ATP’s top 10 rankings. Upon turning pro, his accomplishments mounted, among them are 2008 ATP Newcomer of the Year, 11 singles titles, and the 2014 US Open runner-up award.