Japan’s new volleyball league has big dreams as it gets set to launch

A new Japanese professional volleyball league, which begins its inaugural season on Friday, will take on the challenges to come while holding big dreams and aspirations, its chairman, Masaaki Okawa, said in a recent interview.

The SV. League replaces the V. League as Japan’s top volleyball league, following a reform initiative that Okawa has been involved in since autumn 2022.

Okawa is a leading figure in the country’s sports business world, having been involved in the introduction of the club licensing system in the J. League and the establishment of basketball’s B. League.