Hannah Beech and Hikari Hida, The New York Times
Published: 25 Jul 2021 12:54 PM BdST
Updated: 25 Jul 2021 12:55 PM BdST Fireworks light up the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Tokyo on Friday, July 23, 2021. (Alexandra Garcia/The New York Times)
When the Japanese Olympic team marched at the opening ceremony in Tokyo Friday, towering over the rest of the delegation was flag-bearer Rui Hachimura, a rising NBA star who was born and raised in Japan. );
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His background is evident in his reflexive bow of the head when he greets people, his love of his mother’s beef sukiyaki, even his appearance in an instant-noodle ad featuring a yodeling baby sardine. But he is also helping to redefine what it means to be Japanese.