Fukuoka kicks off the 2028 Olympic race: Japan and the 'giant' puzzle of Asian volleyball

I am 60 years old, and I can still run 100 meters after a goal. That's just me. But this morning, when I read the announcement about the 2026 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship, I didn't run. I sat still, looking at the World Cup ticket and the 2028 Olympic ticket placed on the table in Fukuoka, and wondered: are we witnessing a new era of dominance, or a game where only Japan knows the rules? The context of this year's tournament is not simply another Asian Championship. It is a dual qualifier. Japan's men's team, ranked 6th in the world – the highest among Asian volleyball teams – will compete in Pool A alongside Bahrain, Oman, and Australia. All matches will be streamed live on VBTV, a clear signal of commercialization and global audience reach. But for me, who has followed Vietnamese women's volleyball for 44 years, I see a much bigger story than who will be champion. Look at Japan's medal collection: 10 golds, 4 silvers, 4 bronzes at the Asian Championship. They are the defending champions, having medaled in the three most recent editions. They are the only AVC team to have ever won Olympic gold, at Munich 2026. And this season, they finished 4th in the Volleyball Nations League. This data is not just numbers; it is a fortress. But that very fortress is our blind spot. When a team is too strong, we tend to forget to analyze how they operate. We only look at results, not the process. I remember the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Women's final at Lach Tray. Our 17-year-old girl scored a brace, and I dropped my tactical notes to jump and celebrate. That moment taught me that volleyball is not just tactics, but emotion. But for Japan, that emotion is built on a foundation of discipline and a youth development system that no other Asian team can match. Their consistency is not accidental. It is the result of a long chain of generations of well-trained players, from schools to professional clubs. However, I want to offer a counter-intuitive perspective. Japan's dominance could be a double-edged sword. When a team is too superior to its group opponents, the pressure doesn't come from losing, but from not meeting expectations. Bahrain, Oman, and even Australia – the 2026 champions – may not be able to beat Japan, but they can create psychologically tense matches. And in a tournament where every match is streamed live, a single error by the home team can become a trending topic on social media. This creates an invisible pressure that no statistic can measure. The story in Fukuoka is not just about Japan. It is about where other Asian teams stand in the race for the 2028 Olympic berth. For me, who has witnessed the rise of Vietnamese women's volleyball through generations, I know that competition is never linear. There are cycles, there are turning points. And this tournament, as a World Cup qualifier, is exactly such a turning point. It not only decides who goes to Los Angeles, but also shapes the development strategies of each volleyball federation in the region. I went to Moscow in 2026, drank beer with Brazilian colleagues, and forgot to record the press conference. I learned that sometimes forgetting your task is the longest way to remember your profession. And today, looking at Pool A of the Asian Championship, I remember that volleyball is not just about pipe attacks or blocking jumps. It is a story about people, about patience, and about moments when you have to run fast to catch up with your own emotions. Fukuoka will be the start of a long story, and I, at 60, will still run after it.