An interview with Asako Takakura Head coach of Nadeshiko Japan

In 1997, Fukushima Prefecture opened the J-Village complex: the Japan's first national football training centre. After its opening, not only Japan's national football team but many other professional and amateur teams had taken advantage of the facility which had boasted 11 football fields with natural grass. However, in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the facility was forced to cease operations, and had been used as a support base for the disaster of Fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant until recently.

Seven years from then, the J-Village has undergone a remarkable recovery and resumed its operation as a football training facility since July 2018.

we speak to two people who have special affinity to the region and the facility to find out more.
In our first interview, we spoke to Asako Takakura, member of the Tokyo 2020 Athletes' Commission and the head coach of the Japanese women's national football team, affectionately known throughout Japan as Nadeshiko Japan. Takakura hails from Fukushima City, and was a member of Japan's women's football team at the Atlanta 1996 Games. After retiring as a player, she began her coaching career as the coach of the national under-20 women's football team. During that period, she had had a plenty of experience of working at the J-Village facility where the team used to train. She currently coaches the national women's football team having high expectations for the Olympic games Tokyo 2020.
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Text Version
https://tokyo2020.org/en/news/notice/20180830-02.html
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Related interview
The Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 plays a crucial role in the reopening of J-Village
https://youtu.be/-0ePwOYWMOw
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Видео An interview with Asako Takakura Head coach of Nadeshiko Japan канала Tokyo 2020