NEW beginnings are in order for former Akari head coach Taka Minowa.
The 33-year-old Japanese mentor returns to his homeland as an assistant coach for Aisin Tealmare Hekinan in the Japan V.League.
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“I'm very excited to spend my first season in Japan in three seasons with young and potentialled Tealmare players,” Minowa said in Japanese.
“Balancing work and volleyball, even in limited time, I will fully support my team to embody the ideal volleyball they aspire to achieve.”
READ: Taka Minowa rues being informed of exit as Akari coach 'via email'
Prior to a tumultuous exit, one where he bared to SPIN.ph only being notified by the Chargers management via email back in June, Minowa steered Akari to back-to-back podium finishes in his last two PVL conferences in charge.
Akari reached the finals for the first time in its three-year franchise history back in the 2024 Reinforced Conference.
It was one game away from completing an 11-game tournament sweep before falling at the last hurdle to Creamline in the title game.
Minowa’s last act in the PVL would be a bronze-medal finish for the Chargers, beating Choco Mucho in the battle for third of the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference.
His successor Tina Salak saw her first campaign end in eighth place in the 2025 PVL on Tour preseason tournament.
Minowa now turns the page of his coaching career to the 2021-22 Japan V.League Division 3 champions that have since moved up the competitive ladder as part of the second-tier of Japanese volleyball.
The competition is one tier below the Japan SV.League, where his wife Jaja Santiago (Sachi Minowa) was crowned champion in the women's division in the 2024-25 season with Osaka Marvelous.
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