Naonobu Fujii Cause of Death: How Did Japanese Volleyball Player Die? Explained
Naonobu Fujii, a Japanese volleyball player who also played for Toray Arrows and the Japan men’s national volleyball team passed away.
How Did Naonobu Fujii Die?
Naonobu Fujii aka Nakkun passed away on March 10, 2023, at the age of 31. This sad news was announced by his team, Toray Arrows on social media.
Volleytrails posted the tribute for the player, Fujii. The statement reads,
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Naonobu, affectionately known as Nakkun, who was a beloved member of our volleyball community. Nakkun passed away on March 10, at the age of 31. His club team, Toray Arrows, announced the news of his passing.”
He was named as the Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship- Best Setter in 2017.
Heaven has gained another angel.
We will never forget how excited you were to make that special video when Ryujin Nippon made it to the 2022 VNL Finals. You replied right away & sent the video the next day.
RIP Naonobu Fujii. pic.twitter.com/A2ebPe82VQ
— Volleyball World (@volleyballworld) March 12, 2023
Who was Naonobu Fujii?
Naonobu Fujii, a Japanese volleyball player who competes for both Toray Arrows and the Japan men’s national team, was born on January 5, 1992.
Fujii was born and raised in Miyagi, Japan, where he attended the volleyball-oriented Furukawa Industrial High School.
He developed a passion for the game and later joined Juntendo University’s team. In his spare time, he likes outdoor activities such as cycling.
The Tohoku earthquake’s tsunami destroyed his family’s house. His father had lost his job as a result of the disaster.
At one point, Fujii was placed in a position where he might have to sacrifice his desire to play volleyball. With the support of his family, Fuji managed to fulfill his Volleyball dream.
In September 2021, Fujii made the announcement that he had wed Miya Sato, a setter for the Hitachi Rivale club and the Japan women’s national volleyball team.
Naonobu Fujii Career
Fujii moved on to play setter for the Torray Arrows after graduating from college. He was chosen to play as number three for the Japan men’s national volleyball team beginning in the 2016–17 season.
He competed for Japan’s men’s national squad in 2021, and the team placed seventh overall after 29 years of competition at the Summer Olympics.
Naonobu Fujii Causeof Death
Naonobu Fujii died after battling cancer. Fujii revealed on February 27, 2022, that he had been given the diagnosis with stage IV stomach cancer that had spread to his brain.
Fujii, a Japanese setter and Olympian from the Tokyo Games, announced on his Instagram page that he had a stage 4 stomach tumor.
The captain of V.League team Toray Arrows explained that he developed sore eyes after one game at the end of last year and that his symptoms haven’t subsided for some time. He learned he had cancer at that point.
“When I was hospitalized for various factors, I was found to have stomach cancer. Eye symptoms appear to be affected by cancer metastasis from the stomach to the brain. There may be more metastases. From the above, I’d like to report that I’ve been diagnosed with: stage IV stomach cancer,” Fujii posted last year.
The sportsman added that he would put volleyball on hold while he concentrated to overcome the disease.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Naonobu Fujii, affectionately known as Nakkun, who was a beloved member of our volleyball community. Nakkun passed away on March 10, at the age of 31. His club team, Toray Arrows, announced the news of his passing. 🇯🇵🏐 pic.twitter.com/lOryEj6UzD
— Volleytrails (@volleytrails) March 12, 2023