Yuji Nishida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yuji Nishida |
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Nishida in Callipo Volley's jersey
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Yuji Nishida | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 January 2000 Mie Prefecture, Japan |
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| Hometown | Inabe, Mie Prefecture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 87 kg (192 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spike | 346 cm (136 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Block | 330 cm (130 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Volleyball information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Opposite spiker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club |  Osaka Bluteon |
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| Number | 1 (national team) 11 (club) |
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| Career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Yuji Nishida | |
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| YouTube information | |
| Years active | 2020-present |
| Subscribers | 492 thousand |
| Total views | 35 million |
| Subscriber and view counts updated as of November 24, 2023. | |
Yuji Nishida, born on January 30, 2000, is a talented Japanese left-handed volleyball player. He currently plays for Osaka Bluteon at the club level.
Nishida started his professional career with JTEKT Stings in Japan's V.League on January 6, 2018. He made his first international appearance for the Japanese national team in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League.
He also played for Volley Callipo in the Italian Volleyball League during the 2021–2022 season. Nishida helped the national team achieve seventh place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This was their best result in 29 years. They also finished 7th at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Contents
Yuji Nishida's Volleyball Journey
Early Years in Volleyball
Yuji Nishida started playing volleyball because his older sister and brother both played. He joined the same team as his brother, called the "Daian Beetles."
He was inspired by the Olympics and especially by Kunihiro Shimizu. Shimizu was also a left-handed "opposite" player, just like Nishida. This made Nishida dream of competing in the Olympics himself.
In fourth grade, Nishida achieved a big goal. His team won the 29th All Japan Volleyball Tournament in Mie Prefecture. By sixth grade, he became the team captain. He led his team to win the President's Cup of Mie Prefecture Club Volleyball Federation.
Middle School Volleyball
After elementary school, Nishida went to a local junior high. It wasn't known for its strong volleyball team.
However, he got to practice with Kaisei High School's volleyball club. He was a regular player there even as a freshman. His skills caught the eye of the team's manager and head. In June, he joined a junior high club team called 'NFO Ocean Star'.
In March 2013, Nishida was chosen for the U-14 team in his district. In August, he was selected for the Mie Prefecture team. They competed against teams from all over Japan in the Junior Olympic Cup in December.
High School Choices
Nishida chose to go to Kaisei High School. This was surprising because it had never reached the national volleyball tournament. He turned down offers from other stronger schools in his area.
He also joined the new U-19 team of the local club, Veertien Mie. In June, they won the U-19 boys division of the Mie Prefecture Young Volleyball Championship. In September, they won the national championship. Nishida was recognized as an outstanding player in that tournament.
Just like in middle school, Nishida practiced with three different teams. He competed in the Mie Prefectural High School Championship in November.
Joining the Pros and National Team
2017-2018 Season Highlights
In March 2017, Nishida was part of the Japan men's national under-19 volleyball team. They competed in the 2017 Asian Boys' U19 Volleyball Championship. In October 2017, he joined the professional club JTEKT Stings.
Nishida made his V.League debut on January 6, 2018, at just 17 years old. His amazing start quickly earned him a spot in JTEKT's main lineup. He also joined the Japan men's national volleyball team. He received the Wakawashi Award, which is like the Rookie of the Year award.
2018-2019 Season Achievements
In April, at 18, he was called up to the Senior National team for the first time. He played his first senior national team game on May 25, 2018, in France. He was a starting player against Australia.
Nishida was one of the youngest players on the national team in 2018. In June 2018, he helped Japan win against Italy for the first time in 11 years. He scored 24 points in that game.
In September, Nishida played in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship. He had a minor foot injury and missed the first match. In a game against Argentina, he became the youngest player ever to score 30 points in one match. He also won the Best New Player award in the V.League 2018–19 season.
2019-2020 Season Success
In April 2019, Yuji Nishida was chosen to play for Japan again. In June, he set a new record for serves in the VNL. He hit 7 aces in one game against Bulgaria.
In October, the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup was held in Japan. Nishida was named "Best server" and "Best opposite" for his great play.
Nishida then led his team to win their first V.League title. He was ranked first in "High Scorer" and "Serve Effectiveness Rate." He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
2020-2021 Season Highlights
In February 2020, Nishida was again named to Japan's national team. In December 2020, JTEKT Stings won the Emperor's Cup and Empress' Cup All Japan Volleyball Championship. They beat the Panasonic Panthers 3–1.
2021-2022 Season Challenges
On April 5, 2021, Nishida was named to the Japanese National Team for 2021. During a practice match, he injured his right ankle after landing awkwardly. He was diagnosed with a sprain.
He was still chosen for the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League in Italy. He returned to play in the third week of the tournament. On June 21, Nishida was selected for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He was the first player in the men's division at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to score over 30 points in a game.
On August 9, Nishida announced he would play for the Italian club Volley Callipo for the 2021–22 season. In November, he injured his left calf and was out for two months. He returned in January. Despite his injury, he won MVP awards three times. He was his team's highest scorer and set a record for most aces in one match with eight. In March 2022, it was announced he would return to Japan's V.League.
2022-2023 Season Return
On April 4, 2022, Nishida was named to the 2022 Japanese national team roster. His national team jersey number changed from No. 11 to No. 1. On June 1, JTEKT Stings announced Nishida would rejoin their club for the 2022-23 V.League Season.
At the Nations League, Nishida was the highest scorer for Japan. He scored 201 points in the first round. Japan reached the quarter-finals but lost to France. In the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, Japan reached the final round for the first time since 2006. They lost to France in a close match. Nishida scored 31 points in that game.
Two weeks into the 2022-23 V.League season, Nishida got sick and missed three weeks. He had a high fever, but doctors couldn't find the cause. Luckily, he recovered and led his team to win the 2022 Emperor's Cup title.
2023-2024 Season and Olympics
Nishida joined Panasonic Panthers for the 2023-24 season. In the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League, Japan won 12 games in a row. Nishida had a back injury, so another player, Kento Miyaura, often played in his place. Japan won their first bronze medal ever in this tournament.
In August, the Japanese team won their 10th title at the 2023 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship. They beat Iran in straight sets. The team then qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
In December 2023, the Panasonic Panthers won the 2023 Emperor's Cup. Nishida also won the MVP award. In the 2023–24 V.League, his team finished third. They lost in the final to the Suntory Sunbirds, earning silver medals.
2024-2025 Season and Future Plans
In April 2024, Nishida was selected for the national team for the sixth year in a row. In June, the Panthers confirmed Nishida would continue playing with them.
In the 2024 VNL, Japan finished fourth in the preliminary rounds. They reached the finals for the first time in VNL history. They played France in the final and won a silver medal. This was Japan's highest finish in this tournament.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics in August, Japan played Italy in the quarterfinals. They lost a very close match. Nishida scored 22 points and had 3 aces. The team finished 7th in the Olympic Games.
In the 2024–25 SV.League, Osaka Bluteon won the regular season. However, they finished third in the final round.
2025-2026 Season Outlook
After the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nishida decided to take a year off from the national team. This was to recover from a long-term injury. However, in April 2025, his name was still on the national team roster. Nishida said he told the coach, Laurent Tillie, to include his name in case they needed him. He plans to play only if there's an unexpected situation.
Personal Life
Yuji Nishida started playing volleyball because he saw his older sister playing. He has an elder sister who is 8 years older and a brother who is 6 years older. His hobbies include watching movies and shopping. He looks up to other volleyball players like Yūki Ishikawa, Masahiro Yanagida, Michal Kubiak, and Hiroaki Asano.
On December 31, 2022, Nishida announced on Instagram that he married fellow volleyball player Sarina Koga. On July 24, 2025, Nishida shared on social media that he and Koga are expecting their first child.
Awards
Individual Awards
| Year | Tournament | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Kurowashiki Tournament | Fighting Spirit Award |
| Wakawashi Award | ||
| Best 6 | ||
| 2019 | V.League 1 | Best Server |
| Best Rookie of the Year | ||
| FIVB World Cup | Best Opposite Spiker | |
| 2020 | V.League 1 | Most Valuable Player (MVP) |
| Best Scorer | ||
| Best Opposite Spiker | ||
| Best 6 | ||
| 2021 | V.League 1 | Best Server |
| Record Award Player | ||
| 2023 | Emperor's Cup | Most Valuable Player (MVP) |
Club Team Awards
| Year | Tournament | Award | Team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | V.League 1 |  Champion |
JTEKT Stings | |
| 2021 | Emperor's Cup | |||
| 2022 | ||||
| 2023 | Osaka Bluteon | |||
| 2025 | AVC Champions League |  Runner-up |
National Team Awards
| Year | Tournament | Award | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior national team | ||||
| 2017 | Asian Boys' U19 Championship |  Gold medal |
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| Senior national team | ||||
| 2019 | Asian Championship |  Bronze medal |
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| 2023 | Nations League | |||
| 2023 | Asian Championship | Gold medal |
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| 2024 | Nations League | Runner-up |
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Other Activities
In 2020, Nishida partnered with Asics, a Japanese company that makes sports gear. He helps promote their products.
In February 2021, Nishida also teamed up with Zamst, a brand for athletic braces. In October 2021, he signed a partnership with CLEVER, a Japanese protein brand.
He started his own YouTube Channel on December 6, 2020. It gained over 100,000 subscribers in just six months. Nishida also created his own clothing brand, Crazy Jump, which launched in August 2022.
In April 2023, he reached 1 million followers on his Instagram account.
