Basketball’s rapid growth in Japan has largely been driven by the men’s game, including the professional B. League and the emergence of homegrown NBA players in Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe.
The women’s game has also made clear its determination to drive the sport forward, naming Cannes Film Festival prize-winning film director Naomi Kawase as the new chairperson of the Women’s Japan Basketball League.
The 52-year-old — who is currently serving as the official film director of the Tokyo Olympics — replaced Kiyomi Saito, who had been the league’s chief since 2015.