For better or worse, everything in Japan tends to be heavily concentrated in Tokyo.
Here’s a comparison of the area and population between Tokyo’s 23 central wards and New York City’s 5 boroughs:
Tokyo’s 23 Wards:
- Area: Approximately 622 square kilometers (240 square miles)
- Population: Around 9.7 million people
New York City’s 5 Boroughs:
- Area: Approximately 783 square kilometers (303 square miles)
- Population: About 8.5 million people
Tokyo’s 23 wards have a slightly higher population but cover a smaller area than New York’s 5 boroughs, making Tokyo more densely populated.
Overview
| Official Website | https://www.alvark-tokyo.jp/ |
| Founded | 1948 |
| What Alvark Represents | The team name originates from the Arabic word meaning "lightning." "AL" signifies "The," "V" stands for "Victory," and "ARK" translates to "ark." Together, these elements symbolize "an ark that carries victory." |
| Team Colors | Alvark Red |
| Arena | Yoyogi 1st National Gymnasium(Capacity approx. 12,934) |
| Main Sponsor | Toyota |
The predecessor Toyota team is the seventh oldest established at the top level. For a long time, it lagged behind teams from the steel and electronics industries, but since the 1990s, it has grown steadily despite Japan’s economic stagnation.
Toyota, a major corporation that has supported basketball globally—as seen in its acquisition of naming rights for the Houston Rockets’ home arena—finds its representative team in Alvark.
They have won the B.League championship twice. Along with Utsunomiya, they have secured multiple titles and are the only club to achieve back-to-back championships.
Naturally, they gather top players and attract talent as well.
Notable Japanese (Asian) Players to watch
Toews Kai(6-2, G, University of North Carolina Willimongton)
At UNC Wilmington, Toews started 32 of 33 games as a freshman, averaging 8.8 points, 7.7 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. He ranked second in NCAA Division I in assists per game, trailing only Murray State's Ja Morant.
Notable Foreign (Naturalized) Players to watch
Ryan Rossiter(6-9, F, Siena College)
A veteran and former MAAC Player of the Year. After stints in the NBA G League and elsewhere, he joined Tochigi, the predecessor of Utsunomiya, in 2013. In 2021, he moved to Alvark Tokyo, and became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 2019.
Sebastian Saiz(6-9, F, Ole Miss.)
With a glamorous profile as a former All-SEC First Team selection and a player for the Spanish national team.
Made his first visit to Japan in 2019. After playing for Shibuya and Chiba J, he joined Tokyo in 2021 along with Rossiter.
Head Coach: Dainius Adomaitis
While I mentioned two NCAA alumni above, the coaching staff has a strong European influence.
Former Lithuanian national team member Adomaitis was a player who achieved EuroLeague champion status in 1999 with the country's top club, Žalgiris Kaunas.
He also has experience leading the Lithuanian national team as a coach and has been awarded Coach of the Year twice in the LKL (Lithuanian Basketball League)(BC Neptūnas).
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