Being born in California may put the American flag next to this name on tour, but he’s bringing Japanese culture, tradition and enthusiasm with him. Fluent in the language and customs, Kanoa Igarashi led us through every element of Japanese culture, illustrating how legitimately connected he is to this place. Each year he spends a good amount of time reconnecting to it, visiting family and engaging in the ancient and modern traditions. And even in the big city of Tokyo, he’s stopped for photos by the young and old, moms and kids, making it very apparent that this country has Kanoa’s back no matter what.

During our stay, we also stopped in with Japanese artist Usugrow who did some custom artwork for an upcoming quiver of Kanoa’s and embedded a deeper and special meaning about hanging on to his Japanese traditions in a cluttered world. Go home with Kanoa as he sets off for his rookie season on the WSL World Tour.