Since becoming a regular guest of Japan, I’ve become enamored with many aspects of their culture, including their writers, their filmmakers, their actors, and their amazing athletes.
These are some of the athletes:
* Shohei Ohtani (Baseball): Redefined modern baseball by dominating simultaneously as an elite starting pitcher and a record-breaking power hitter.
* Yuzuru Hanyu (Figure Skating): Widely considered the greatest men’s figure skater ever, winning back-to-back Olympic gold medals.
* Naomi Osaka (Tennis): Made history as the first Japanese singles player to win a Grand Slam title.
* Kohei Uchimura (Gymnastics): Dominated men’s gymnastics by winning six consecutive world all-around titles and two Olympic all-around golds.
And here are some up-and-comers:
* Roki Sasaki (Baseball): This young pitching sensation throws 102 mph and threw a 19-strikeout perfect game.
* Mone Chiba (Figure Skating): Rising rapidly in women’s singles with brilliant technical artistry and international podium finishes.
* Taiga Hasegawa (Snowboarding): Revolutionizing big air and slopestyle by landing historic 1800-degree spin variations.
