Japan's strong track record in volleyball includes 9 Olympic medals. Despite the smaller average size of Japanese players, innovative skills helped the women's team win a historic gold medal at the 1964 Olympics, with the men's team following suit 8 years later. As larger overseas players adopted their tactics, Japan's successes grew rarer, but a women's bronze win in 2012 has proved the podium is still within reach. We discuss prospects for Tokyo 2020 with former star player Motoko Obayashi.