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Japan wing Kotaro Matsushima (centre) in action against Ireland in the pool A match at the Rugby World Cup in Shizuoka. Photo: AFP
Opinion
Tim Noonan
Tim Noonan

Kotaro Matsushima and his electric play is leading Japan forward both on and off the pitch

  • Japan’s star winger is far from a social activist, even though his feats inspire the plight of the ethnically mixed in the country

The greatness of sport is irrefutable. No public platform does more to foster inclusiveness and social justice than sports and if you need proof just ask Japanese rugby star Kotaro Matsushima. Of course, he doesn’t have time to answer seemingly inane questions like this right now because he is too busy helping Japan achieve unprecedented sporting glory at the Rugby World Cup. It’s also not in his nature to get into the sociological impact of his burgeoning public profile because he is a humble, team-first guy. In other words, he’s a rugby player.

But in reality, Matsushima is so much more. Yes, he is a turbo-charged winger who is a threat any time he touches the ball and set a Japanese record when he became the first national player to score three tries in a World Cup match over Russia in the tournament opener. While he didn’t score against Ireland in Japan’s seminal 19-12 victory, he was still a force giving the Irish fits with his speed.

Born in South Africa to a Zimbabwean father and Japanese mother, he would move to Japan when he was five and now, at 26, he is one of the premier faces of rugby in the country. But unlike some of his other teammates, who are foreign born and trained, Matsushima has spent most of his life here. Even his Twitter account, with 50,000 followers, is in Japanese.

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However, with the exception of tennis star Naomi Osaka, he may also be the most prominent hafu in Japan right now. The term hafu is just what it sounds like, half Japanese and half foreign lineage, and more often than not is used in a negative connotation particularly in a country where a pure ethnic background has long been ideal.

Japan’s Kotaro Matsushima during training. Photo: Reuters

For his part, Matsushima told the Japan Times a few years back that he has had virtually no issues of prejudice growing up in Japan. “I think I was very fortunate and I was pleased about that,” he said. Others, however, have not been quite so fortunate.

Ironically, part of the reason Matsushima may have been spared the hazing that has befallen so many of mixed ethnicity is because of rugby.

Athletes of all stripes speak of how their team is “like a family”, but few sports forge the familial bond among teammates like rugby. The sheer physicality of the game demands that you have each other’s back no matter what the situation.

It’s a kinship that extends off the pitch as well and no doubt Matsushima has been shielded by his teammates and friend over the years.

Naomi Osaka is the biggest sports star in Japan today. Photo: AFP

But so few anywhere have the athletic gifts that Matsushima possesses, which is why his presence on TV and all over the news stands can’t help but inspire pride and hope among the thousands of mixed race children in the country. The fact that he is bringing such great honour to Japan as well should aid in breaking down feudal stereotypes.

The best, however, may be yet to come because while the Rugby World Cup is on the national radar, it will be nothing compared to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo when the eyes of the entire world will be squarely focused on Japan. It’s also a time when sporting jingoism is at its peak and nothing seems to bring more national pride than Olympic medals. While the sevens rugby played in the Olympics is vastly different than the 15-a-side variety Matsushima plays, his skill set is perfectly suited for both and he could well find himself representing Japan next summer as well.

Japan player Kotaro Matsushima speaks at a press conference in Tokyo. Photo: Kyodo

Along with Osaka, who will compete for Japan and is a definite medal threat, there are scores of mixed race athletes in disciplines ranging from track and field to judo, basketball, baseball and volleyball. The 2020 Olympic Games could well be a coming out party for the new Japan on many levels and primary among them is diversity and inclusion.

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Of course, it’s not like Japan is any different than the rest of the world in addressing issues pertaining to racism and equality. Far from it, actually. They are just a little later than most in dealing with it and that is where sports come in.

Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson, acknowledges the crowd during a ceremony honouring her late husband in 2016 in Los Angeles. Photo: AFP

In 1940s America, Jackie Robinson breaking the baseball colour code and forcing even the most racist Brooklyn Dodgers fans to support him because of how much better he made their team may have done more for civil rights than all of Martin Luther King Jnr’s speeches and marches. The same with Bill Russell in the 60s, who brought immeasurable glory to Boston and the Celtics first as a player and later as the first African American coach in US professional sports.

It’s the true greatness of sports and you don’t have to be the most vocal of activists to be a positive force for change. Transcendent talent and an engaging and positive attitude will do wonders as well. Just ask Kotaro Matsushima.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Breaking down feudal stereotypes
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