By Ethan Ready

From Japan

Japanese TWolves adjusting to life both on and off the pitch in Canada

Sep 7, 2021 | 7:00 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – On a map, the distance from Tokyo, Japan to Prince George, British Columbia is 7,318 kilometres. While that may seem like a lot, the distance in understanding a new language and new culture can seem far greater than that.

For Kensho Ando, he enters his second year but has stayed put here in Canada over the course of the pandemic following his freshman year in 2019. His English has gotten better, and he’s slowly getting a better grasp of Canadian culture.

“There’s lots of a cultural difference, and I had to adjust. I’m getting to liking Canada more,” said Ando.

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The Tokyo native subsequently earned Timberwolves Most Valuable Player honours his freshman year. Two years later, the TWolves have gone back to Tokyo for another impact recruit, bringing in speedster Toranosuke Omori for the 2021 Canada West season. Ando has done what he can to help his fellow countryman in adjusting to life in Canada.

“When I cannot get what they’re [saying], he helps me out and he sometimes translates in Japanese,” said Omori.

Omori and Ando grew up playing the game in Tokyo, where they developed techniques, styles, and tactics that suit the Japanese game. The two admit the style of play back in Japan is more tactical, compared to the more structured style of soccer being taught to them by Timberwolves’ head coach Steve Simonson.

“His view and thinking of soccer are quite different than what I did in Japan,” said Omori when his commitment to UNBC was initially announced. “I really like him as a coach. Canadian soccer is different than what I did in Japan. I like the view of thinking. It is a little bit slower, but physically, it is much better than Japan.”

On a team with an abundance of diversity, Coach Simonson says he catches himself as the coach taking things for granted with out-of-country recruits.

“Things that we take for granted as a coach, for example, is that everybody understands everything I say whether it’s language, whether it’s terminology. I have to remember that they may not understand what I was coaching. You have to slow down as a coach sometimes when you have players that come from different language backgrounds,” explained Simonson.

For Ando, he’s looking at this experience of helping Omori as a small step in a much larger goal, as he hopes to use his time with the Timberwolves and in Prince George as an opportunity to become a better leader.

“I got helped a lot two years ago, but now I want to be the one who helps,” said Ando.

Every day comes with its struggles for the pair as they manoeuvre through the day to day life here in Canada, but as Omori admits it’s very much a journey worthwhile.

“I have been wanting to study abroad in an English speaking country since I was a junior high school student. I got this great opportunity to come to Canada,” said Omori. “This is really precious for me.”