With the under-21 Japanese national team coming to train with us, the last several days have been fun and exciting.  They’ve been training at Stanford all this week as they prepare to compete at the annual Stanford Open this weekend.

As always it’s great seeing old faces.  Some of the guys I know from competing internationally and others from when I went abroad to  study in Japan last winter.  Not to mention all of the coaches that are with them were at one point, my own coaches.

Japanese U-21 Team!

Looks like they had some minor issues adjusting to the time change and American equipments, but they seem to be all settled now.  Stanford Open should be an exciting competition as some of the best collegiate teams in the US will battle it out against the Collegiate All-Stars from Japan!

On an unrelated note (or maybe it’s related…), one of the guys on the Japanese team got an infection in his wrist and I ended up having to take him to the emergency room.  Luckily after having some IVs put into him, he should be ok. I’m glad that I was able to help out as an interpreter as there was a bit of a language barrier between the hospital and the Japanese delegation.  Unfortunately, looks like he won’t be able to compete, but  on the bright side, he’ll be able to share some of his American hospital experiences with his friends once he goes back to Japan!

Poor dude in the hospital.