Naonobu Fujii, a Japanese volleyball player who played for the Toray Arrows and the Japanese men’s volleyball team, has died.
Naonobu Fujii aka Nakkun passed away on March 10, 2023 at the age of 31. The sad news was announced on social media by his team, the Toray Arrows.
Volleytrails posted a tribute to runner Fujii. The statement reads,
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Naonobu, affectionately known as Nakkun, a much-loved member of our volleyball community. Nakkun passed away on March 10 at the age of 31. His Toray Arrows club announced his News of the death.
He was named the 2017 Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship – Best Setter.
Another angel in heaven.
We will never forget how excited you were to make this special video as Ryujin Nippon reaches the 2022 VNL Finals. You responded right away and sent the video the next day.
Rest in peace Fujii Naobu. pic.twitter.com/A2ebPe82VQ
– Volleyball World (@volleyballworld) March 12, 2023
Who is Fujii Naobu?
Naobu Fujii, born on January 5, 1992, is a Japanese volleyball player who currently plays for the Toray Arrows and the Japanese men’s national team.
Fujii was born and raised in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, where he attended the volleyball-oriented Furukawa Industrial High School.
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He developed a passion for the sport and later joined the Juntendo University team. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities such as cycling.
The tsunami of the Tohoku earthquake destroyed his family’s house. As a result of the disaster, his father lost his job.
At one point, Fujii was put in a situation where he might have to sacrifice his desire to play volleyball. With the support of his family, Fuji realized his volleyball dream.
In September 2021, Fujii announced his marriage to Miya Sato, the setter of the Hitachi Rivale Club and the Japanese women’s volleyball team.
Fujii Naoshin acting experience
Fujii went on to play setter for the Torrey Arrows after college. From the 2016-17 season, he was selected as the third player of the Japanese national men’s volleyball team.
He competes in the 2021 Japan men’s national team, which ranks seventh after 29 years at the Summer Olympics.
Cause of death of Naobu Fujii
Naonobu Fujii passed away after battling cancer. Fujii revealed on February 27, 2022, that he had been diagnosed with stage IV stomach cancer that had spread to the brain.
Japanese setter and Olympian Fujii from the Tokyo Olympics announced on his Instagram page that he has stage 4 stomach cancer.
The captain of the V.League side Toray Arrows explained that he developed eye soreness after a game late last year and that his symptoms have not subsided for a while. That’s when he learned he had cancer.
“When I was hospitalized for various reasons, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Eye symptoms seemed to be affected by cancer metastasis from the stomach to the brain. There may have been more metastases. In summary, I would like to report that I was diagnosed with : Stage IV gastric cancer,” Fujii posted last year.
The athlete added that he will put his volleyball game on hold to focus on beating the disease.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Naobu Fujii, affectionately known as Nakkun, a much-loved member of our volleyball community. Nakkun died on March 10 at the age of 31. His club Toray Arrows announced his death. 🇯🇵🏐 pic.twitter.com/lOryEj6UzD
— Volleytrails (@volleytrails) March 12, 2023
