Last Update |
| |
28 Jul 2018 |
Further Personal Information |
| Residence |
Germany |
| Occupation |
Athlete |
| Languages |
English, Japanese |
| Higher education |
Commerce - Meiji University: Tokyo, JPN |
Sport Specific Information |
| When and where did you begin this sport? |
He began riding at about age 10. |
| Why this sport? |
He initially got involved in equestrian sport as a hobby. "At about age 14, I started riding every day and enjoying showjumping competitions. My first time eventing was for a university competition, and we had no choice but to do all three disciplines." |
| Club / Team |
Nittoh Kogaku: Suwa, JPN |
| Name of coach |
Dirk Schrade, GER, from 2009 |
General Interest |
| Nicknames |
Yoshi (dirk-schrade.de, 01 Dec 2017) |
| Hobbies |
Driving, fishing. (atozinba.com, 08 Jun 2017) |
| Memorable sporting achievement |
Winning the 2017 Bramham Horse Trials in England. (horseandhound.co.uk, 11 Jun 2017) |
| Most influential person in career |
Coach Dirk Schrade (Athlete, 23 Jun 2012) |
| Hero / Idol |
Japanese showjumper Takeichi Nishi. (Athlete, 23 Jun 2012) |
| Injuries |
In 2011 he fractured two ribs and damaged his lung and liver. (Athlete, 23 Jun 2012) |
| Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs |
He sprinkles some salt on his horse and himself before the ride. (FEI, 24 Sep 2010) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"Single-minded dedication." (Athlete, 23 Jun 2012) |
| Awards and honours |
He was given the Best Athletic Award in the equestrian section at the Japanese Sports Awards in 2005, 2007 and 2011. (crane.co.jp, 14 Jan 2011; olympicfun.seesaa.net, 07 May 2008) |
| Famous relatives |
His aunt Mieko Fujimori was a Japanese champion figure skater. His uncle Hiroshi Ishii competed in swimming and won a silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. His wife Reiko Takeda represented Japan in equestrian jumping at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (nikkansports.com, 12 Jul 2017; FEI YouTube Channel, 15 Sep 2016; Athlete, 23 Jun 2012; FEI, 24 Sep 2010) |
| Ambitions |
To compete at the 2018 World Equestrian Games [WEG] in Tryon, NC, United States of America, and to win a medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (nikkansports.com, 10 Aug 2016; dirk-schrade.de, 15 Aug 2015) |
| Other information |
LIVING ABROAD
He moved to England in 2001 in order to pursue his goals in the sport, after watching the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney on television. He asked Australian Olympic gold medallist rider Andrew Hoy to coach him in 2003. Following the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he relocated from England to Germany. (JEF, 20 Apr 2017; Twitter profile, 06 Jul 2017; atozinba.com, 08 Jun 2017) |
