Toyota City, Japan, July 2, 2018―Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announces completion of Japan's largest all-weather beach volleyball facilities―including two indoor courts―at its Kinuura Plant (Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture), home to Toyota's corporate Beach Volleyball Team. A ceremony to celebrate the completion of the facilities is being held today.

Established in July 2015, "the Toyota Beach Volleyball Team is Japan's first corporate team, and aims to promote the growth of competition and increase the appeal of the sport," says Shunichi Kawai, general manager and coach of Toyota's Beach Volleyball Team. "In the lead-up to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, we are keen to energize Japan, starting in Aichi Prefecture, and from Hekinan City in particular. Using this outstanding environment allows us to practice no matter the weather, to produce athletes who have the ability to compete for podiums on the global stage, including the Olympic games."

Toyota's Beach Volleyball Team is one part of an effort to enhance company unity through corporate sports while cultivating closer relationships with local communities through sports and regional development activities. Beach Volleyball is popular around the world and is on the program at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Fittingly, Toyota has its sights on energizing the country from Aichi Prefecture with the completion of its indoor volleyball court. Toyota also intends to collaborate with Hekinan City to further contribute to regional development by hosting competitions, inviting teams to training camps, and holding a variety of other events.

Toyota's goals are twofold: to use sports to create a peaceful and discrimination-free society, and to use mobility to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society. To this end, in 2015 the company signed an agreement with the International Olympic Committee to become a Worldwide Olympic Partner, and with the International Paralympic Committee to become a Worldwide Paralympic Partner. Toyota wants to harness sport's tremendous power to connect and energize people even in the face of overwhelming odds, thereby supporting the realization of an ever-better society.

Overview of the Kinuura Beach Volleyball facilities

The facilities have been cleverly designed to achieve high-added value1. The two indoor courts, which can be used during winter and inclement weather, have been constructed with comprehensive energy-saving measures2, and the design of the entire facility takes the surrounding environment into consideration3.

The exterior of building
Indoor court
Steel-frame
two courts and clubhouse
Total building area
1,365 m2
Total floor space
1,469 m2
Outdoor court Two courts and covered athlete utility space
Total building area
1,024 m2
Safety net
outer circumference of 120 m

*1Cleverly-designed facilities with high-added value

  • Flexible one-court or two-court layout options to accommodate a variety of eventsIndoor courts feature the look and feel of an outdoor match with use of windows on all four sides that allow natural lighting in addition to a white interior
  • Indoor and outdoor courts are equipped with different types of sand, allowing practice in diverse environments
  • Designed with potential for future expansion

*2Comprehensive energy-saving measures

  • Warm-water coils that heat the floors and indoor courts are the first in the world to use radiation panels
  • Indoor courts utilize natural lighting
  • High placement of windows facilitates optimal ventilation (based on simulations of wind patterns in all four seasons)
  • Cascade air conditioning utilizes exhaust air from all rooms*

    *Cascade air conditioning is a form of air conditioning in which cooled and heated air is taken from rooms and passed through non-air conditioned spaces, such as hallways, toilets, and warehouses, via bypass pipes before being dispelled outside.

*3Consideration to the surrounding environment

  • Use of sound-proof walls and safety nets
  • Greening measures have been implemented to harmonize the facilities with the surrounding environment
  • Indoor court
    Indoor court
    Event specone court plus spectator space
  • Outdoor court
    Outdoor court

The Toyota Beach Volleyball Team

Established
July 2015
General Manager and Coach
Shunichi Kawai

(Name / Achievements)

Katsuhiro Shiratori

Katsuhiro Shiratori

Member of the Japanese national team at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the London 2012 Olympic Games

2002-2011
10 consecutive victories at Beach Volleyball Japan
2016/2017
Annual Champion of the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour
2018
Winner of the JVA Cup

Selected to represent Japan at the Asian Games 2018

Takemi Nishibori

Takemi Nishibori

2014
Second place on the FIVB World Tour (the highest ever ranking by a Japanese national)
2017
Annual Champion of the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour
2017
Winner of the 28th All-Japan Women's Beach Volleyball Championships
2018
Winner of the FIVB World Tour Manila Open
Sayaka Mizoe

Sayaka Mizoe

2014
Second place on the FIVB World Tour (the highest ever ranking by a Japanese national)
Four consecutive victories at the Japan Women's Beach Volleyball Championships
2017
Winner of the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour Hiratsuka Tournament
2018
Winner of the FIVB World Tour Tuan Chau Open
2018
Runner-up at the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour Okinawa Tournament
Marie Wada

Marie Wada

Suzuka Hashimoto

Suzuka Hashimoto

2017
Winner of the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour Hiratsuka Tournament
2018
Winner of the FIVB World Tour Tuan Chau Open
2018
Runner-up at the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour Okinawa Tournament
Yusuke Ishijima

Yusuke Ishijima

2018
Winner of the FIVB World Tour Bangkok Open
2018
Runner-up at the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour Tokyo Tournament
Ryo Shindo

Ryo Shindo

2017
Third place at the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour Wakasa Obama Tournament
2018
Third place at the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour Okinawa and Tokyo Tournaments

DOWNLOADS (IMAGES)

  • The exterior of building
    The exterior of building
  • Indoor court
    Indoor court
  • Outdoor court
    Outdoor court
  • Shunichi Kawai
    Shunichi Kawai
  • Katsuhiro Shiratori
    Katsuhiro Shiratori
  • Takemi Nishibori
    Takemi Nishibori
  • Sayaka Mizoe
    Sayaka Mizoe
  • Marie Wada
    Marie Wada
  • Suzuka Hashimoto
    Suzuka Hashimoto
  • Yusuke Ishijima
    Yusuke Ishijima
  • Ryo Shindo
    Ryo Shindo

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