One of the bombshells that came out at the end of May was the split between Japanese coach Takayuki Minowa and the Akari Chargers. Minowa bid the team farewell via social media, reflecting on his time with the PVL team.

Considering the time and effort coach Taka gave, it was unfortunate. In an exclusive interview, the former PVL coach shared his thoughts on his sudden exit and what the future holds for him.

“First, the timing aligned with the end of my contract, and I had received offers from club teams in other countries,” Minowa said. “Since the end of March, I had been asking management to share the next vision for the team by the end of April. However, even after the conference ended, I received no updates, and then suddenly on May 1, I was informed that I was leaving.”

Minowa admits that this caught him off guard. Personally, he felt it could have been handled better.

“I think the owner and new head coach needed time to plan things, which led to this situation — but honestly, it was not handled in a very professional way,” he explained. “Other departing coaches are in similar situations. Since the team’s culture and discipline were finally improving, I was personally very surprised by the owner’s decision.”

Rather than sulk, Minowa made it clear that he remains committed volleyball, a sport that shaped his life. In fact, he prefers to look at it from a different perspective.

“Volleyball is my passion and an essential part of my life, so I fully intend to continue being involved in the sport.”

Because of the PVL’s tight year-round schedule, the 33-year-old coach admitted his work left him little space for his own development. Looking ahead, he hopes to recollect and improve himself both as a person and as a coach.

“The PVL holds three conferences a year, which means I must be focused almost all year round. Because of that, I had very little time to create opportunities for my own learning and development. Going forward, I want to dedicate some time to update and grow myself as a coach,” Minowa said.

For now, coach Taka will try to adjust and start a new chapter. However, he admits that one thing that he will miss sorely about the Chargers.

“I will miss witnessing the team’s growth process,” he admitted, stressing that it was the most meaningful part of his work.

“What I will miss the most is witnessing the team’s growth process. Nothing we started was easy, but we definitely achieved progress. In my own plan, we were only at step 5 or 6 out of 10, so not being able to follow that journey every day anymore is something I will truly miss,” Minowa added.

Throughout his journey since arriving to coach in the Philippines, Taka admitted to being thankful that his wife Sachi Minowa (Jaja Santiago) is by his side. The National University product was also saddened by the plight of her husband but knows things happen for a reason.

“Ever since I started working in the Philippines, I have always consulted with Jaja. She was also very saddened by the decision management made toward me,” Minowa ended.

For now, it is anyone’s guess what Minowa will do next. Although there were offers from clubs in other countries, nothing has been made official as of this writing. It is an unfortunate development. But being a professional, coach Taka knows there is nothing to do but move forward.