Keisuke is probably correct. Hard to tell, as back then, as always in Japan we called each other by the sir name with "san" "kun" or "puro". Hanawa was actually rookie of the year his first year as a pro but then kinda faded around '08 or so. Oi was the house pro at a small room called Flannel in the north Tokyo/Saitama area so I'm suprised to hear he's in the Kansai area. It's amazing how far some of these kids have come. I used to teach a 5th grade boy, and his best friend and Jr rival was Hijikata. I remember when these two kids were entering weeklies as C players. My student eventually got bogged down with high school entrance exams and quit, but Hijikata elected to skip high school and turned pro (JPBA) just as I was leaving Japan. I literally watched Oi and Hijikata go from kids that couldn't grip their cues properly, to becoming world class talent. Oi had a 3rd place finish at worlds a few years ago I believe.
I loved in Kawaguchi City right on the border of Saitama and Tokyo, and the area was surrounded by great places to play with many great players. I hung my hat at Freaks in Koshigaya, Eagle Koshigaya, Duck, Gibson, Green Room, Early Times Kasukabe, and a few other places in that area. Really miss the consistent tables, the great learning atmosphere, and the manners of Japanese players. I still have relatives in Japan, and my wife is Japanese so hopefully someday soon I can visit again.
