To date, only a small number of Japan's pro athletes have come out as LGBTQ+. And today, there's one more.
With just a month to go before the start of a new season, volleyball star Rui Takahashi came out as gay on Tuesday, posting on Instagram that he's struggled with his sexuality since he was a boy, according to a report in the Manila Standard.
"I've been afraid to face my own side since I was a child, and I've been troubled and denied myself," he wrote. "That means I'm gay and a member of the sexual minority."
The 26-year-old athlete plays in Japanās top professional volleyball division for Suntory Sunbirds Osaka, and has a younger brother, Ran Takahashi, who is a former teammate and now a popular player on Japanās national volleyball team.
In the post that has been translated to English from Japanese, the elder Takahashi said it was his little brother who helped him accept his identity.
"For about two years, I spent time on the same team as my younger brother, Ran Takahashi, and it was the biggest thing for me. It was through talking to Ran that I was able to acknowledge myself for the first time," he wrote in the post. "I've been able to face myself this far because of the time I spent with Ran, the family, teammates, team staff, and everyone involved who have supported me. I am truly grateful for all the support you have given me in various situations so far."
It should be noted that his statements can be confusing in that some translations of Takahashi's post replaced his brother's name "Ran" with "Ryo," a given name that is also used to refer to Takahashi himself, although he is more widely known as "Rui."
Before Takahashi, womenās soccer player Shiho Shimoyamada came out as gay in 2019, as reported by Them. Former Japan international Kumi Yokoyama came out as a transgender man in 2021, as The Advocate reported.
Takahashi said in his post that opening up about his feelings helped him better understand himself and accept that there's nothing wrong with being who he is. "By putting my feelings into words, I was able to organize my mind, and I gradually started to think that 'being myself is fine,'" he said.
Takahashi added that he hopes his coming out will encourage others to take the step he did out of the closet.
āFor those who struggle with not being able to accept themselves, I would be happy if my words could be a small trigger for them to face themselves and make a change,ā he wrote, and then added a message for fans of his team, given that the timing of his coming out just weeks before play is to resume: "This is a sudden announcement," he acknowledged.
"As we welcome a new season, I wanted to take this opportunity to express my own words to all the fans who have always supported me. I will continue to do my best in volleyball and strive for personal growth in various situations," said Takahashi. "I am truly grateful to all the fans and many others who have supported me. I would like to continue growing through volleyball in my own way."
See the post by Takahashi's fan page on Instagram, which also provided an English translation of his message, here.
