Dragon Rising: Japanese Men’s Volleyball a Dominant Force in 2026 Nations League Play
The members of Ryūjin Nippon, the Japanese men’s national volleyball squad bearing the “dragon god” nickname, are living up to their moniker in this year’s Volleyball Nations League tournament, winning all 12 of their matches in the preliminary rounds and going into the final round at the top of the list. Below we introduce this year’s team.
The Volleyball Nations League tournament is currently taking place from June 10 through August 2 in various countries. Pool play rounds were held in nine countries over three weeks, with 18 national teams competing in groups of six. The final pool rounds took place in Serbia, the United States, and Japan, with Osaka hosting pool 9 which featured the powerful Japanese team, known as Ryūjin Nippon.
Ryūjin Nippon went undefeated in all three weeks of pool play, boasting a record of 12-0. The team, whose name means "dragon god," has been ranked fourth in the world as of July 29 by the International Volleyball Federation. In this year's tournament, Ryūjin Nippon defeated powerhouses such as Poland (first-ranked), Italy (second-ranked), and the United States (fourth-ranked at the time of their match).
Japan secured qualification for the final round, which will take place in Ningbo, China, from July 29 to August 2. This marks the first time in history that a men's volleyball squad has achieved an undefeated record in the preliminary rounds. The team's standout players include Takahashi Ran, Ishikawa Yūki, and Nishida Yūji, whose powerful serves and attacks have been crucial to their success. Japan currently holds first place in the standings after winning an unprecedented 12 straight matches in the preliminary rounds.
Written by urgent.news from Nippon.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
