Foreign athletes and coaches have now become commonplace in professional sports. However, he is rarely in the spotlight for anything other than competition. What kind of day is he spending while trying hard to adapt in a foreign country called Japan after leaving his home country? “THE ANSWER” features various voices in its series “Athlete Life in Japan.” The 7th installment is Gary Clark, who plays for the Yokohama Bee Corsairs (Yokohama BC) of the Basketball B League. The 31-year-old from the United States, who played four seasons in the world’s top league, the NBA, talked about why he feels at home in Japan. (Part 2 of Part 1) (Interview and text by Masahiro Hokohisa, THE ANSWER Editorial Department)
Series “Athlete Life in Japan” – 7th B League Yokohama BC Gary Clark[Part 2]
Foreign athletes and coaches have now become commonplace in professional sports. However, he is rarely in the spotlight for anything other than competition. What kind of day is he spending while trying hard to adapt in a foreign country called Japan after leaving his home country? “THE ANSWER” features various voices in its series “Athlete Life in Japan.” The 7th installment is Gary Clark, who plays for the Yokohama Bee Corsairs (Yokohama BC) of the Basketball B League. The 31-year-old from the United States, who played four seasons in the world’s top league, the NBA, talked about why he feels at home in Japan. (Part 2 of Part 1) (Interview and text by Masahiro Hokohisa, THE ANSWER Editorial Department)
[Attention]Japan’s fastest runner’s awareness of food: After gaining knowledge, it becomes clear that fat intake is “not stressful” – Nozomi Tanaka, middle and long-distance track and field athlete (to W-ANS ACADEMY)
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Even if we can’t communicate through words, our hearts can. Clark, who has been living in Japan for two years, feels that the most appealing things about Japan are its safety, cleanliness, and the kindness of the people.
“In many countries, you can be shunned on a daily basis if you don’t speak the language, but here they really go out of their way to make sure you have a good experience even if you don’t speak the language. Even if you don’t understand what the other person is saying, they try to understand you. There aren’t many places like that. I feel accepted by the culture here, and I think that’s paramount when considering a place to live, a place to grow, and a career.”
Joined the Rockets undrafted in 2018 from the University of Cincinnati. He played four seasons in the NBA, playing for the Magic, Nuggets, 76ers, and Pelicans. For the 2023-24 season, he will be transferred to the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian NBL. He joined Yokohama BC from the 2024-25 season. “Australia has beaches and is beautiful, but I love living in Japan. And the food…” My favorite is the ramen chain restaurant Ichiran.
Although he has struggled to adapt to the B League’s play style on the court, he says he has not had any particular difficulties in life. “Hmm… I don’t think there’s much that’s difficult. It’s just being away from my family because of the time difference. I like trains so I don’t think the rail system is difficult, the food is great, and the language isn’t a burden.” They seem to like the ease of living in Japan.
