The Akita Northern Happinets are a Japanese professional basketball team based in Akita that competes in the Eastern Conference of the First Division of the B.League. The team was formed as an expansion team of the bj league in 2010 and found success for the first time in 2013–14, finishing their fourth season as league runners-up. They went on to finish as runners-up for the second year in a row in 2014–15 and in third place in 2015–16, the final season of the bj league.
Josep "Pep" Clarós Canals is a Spanish professional basketball coach with experience in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America.
Scott Morrison, nicknamed "Scomo", is a Canadian former professional basketball player who last played for Ryukyu Golden Kings of the B.League. Morrison played the center position.
Joseph Michael Cook is a professional basketball coach, formerly Associate head coach for San-en NeoPhoenix in Japan and a former college basketball assistant coach for Cabrillo College. Joe Cook also served for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA as the Head Video Coordinator and Akita Northern Happinets as Assistant Coach for three seasons. He has brought the NBA-style sets and styles of play to Akita.
Daichi Taniguchi is a Japanese professional basketball player for Shimane Susanoo Magic of the B.League in Japan. He stood six feet, three inches tall as a 12-year-old boy. In 2009 Taniguchi won the "Slam Dunk Scholarship" funded by Takehiko Inoue, and played for the American colleges. He rejected the offers from the Kansai-area clubs and signed with the Akita Happinets in 2015. Due to the B.League's foreign player regulations, he receives significantly more playing time in 2016-17. He has been named the new Akita captain after Toshino's departure in November 2018. He is a Starbucks mug cup collector and a tropical fish addict. Use of the moyai emoji is usually meant to imply strength or determination, and it's also used frequently in Taniguchi's posts. He signed with Hiroshima Dragonflies on June 24, 2019.
Seiya Ando is a Japanese professional basketball player who plays for Shimane Susanoo Magic of the B.League in Japan. He plays as Playmaker and is a native of Tokyo.
Kenichi Takahashi, nicknamed Shocho, is a former Japanese professional basketball player and served for Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League as the ambassador. Takahashi is currently the instructor for Toreiku Katagami. He was selected by the Sendai 89ers with the third overall pick in the 2006 bj League draft. He has played for the four Tohoku clubs of the bj league. In October 2015 he became a one-day honorary police chief at the Akita Higashi Police Station. Since then a police officer salute has become popular among Akita's boosters. Takahashi studies NBA to improve his game, and he is an Air Jordan collector. His retirement memorial game was held at Akita Prefectural Gymnasium on October 29, 2017.
Shigehiro Taguchi, nicknamed Shige, is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League in Japan. He is a native of Akita prefecture and the most popular player in the "Republic of Pink". He might be the B.League's best current 3-point shooter, and has won the 3 point contest three times. Taguchi was a new captain of Happinets in 2016.
Ryosuke Mizumachi is a former Japanese professional basketball player who played for the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League in Japan.
Ryosuke Shirahama is a Japanese professional basketball player who plays for the Shimane Susanoo Magic of the B.League in Japan. His nickname is "Hama". On April 13, 2019, he scored 21 points in a win to the Levanga Hokkaido. He and Chanson V-Magic player, Satomi Ochiai have registered their marriage in June 2019. He has been appointed the new captain of the team in August 2019.
Tatsunori Fujie is a Japanese former professional basketball player who last played for the Iwate Big Bulls of the B.League in Japan. He was selected by the Toyama Grouses with the 4th overall pick in the 2012 bj League draft. On August 16, 2016, Fujie signed with the Akita Happinets.
Shoya Uchimura is a former Japanese professional basketball player who played for Akita Northern Happinets of the bj league in Japan.
Yu Yoshimoto is a former Japanese professional basketball player who played for the Akita Northern Happinets of the bj league in Japan. He currently teaches amateurs at the Happinets organization. He also plays for the Mitane Taikyo Kotooka of Noshiro Yamamoto Basketball Association.
Kadeem D'Arby Coleby, nicknamed KC, is a Bahamian professional basketball player who last played for the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League in Japan. He is one of the league-leading skilled shot blockers. He fractured both kneecaps during the game on February 10, 2021.
Sylvester Seay is an American former professional basketball player. He last played for the Akita Northern Happinets of the Japanese bj league. He played college basketball for Arizona State and Fresno State.
Yuto Otsuka is a Japanese professional basketball player who plays for the Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka of the B.League in Japan.
Kengo Nomoto, nicknamed Nomoken, is a Japanese professional basketball player who plays for the Gunma Crane Thunders of the B.League in Japan. The small forward also represented the Japan national basketball team in 2014 and 2016. He tested positive for the coronavirus on November 24, 2020.
Takahiro Shimoyama, nicknamed Hiro or Poyo, is a Japanese professional basketball player who plays for the Iwate Big Bulls of the B.League in Japan. He played college basketball for the Kanto Gakuin University.
Justin Anthony Keenan is an American professional basketball player for Lobos Plateados de la BUAP of the Mexican Basketball League. He plays at the power forward and center positions.
Yasuhiko Takahashi is a Japanese wheel gymnastics acrobat. He has won 3 World Champion Titles, 7 Japanese Champion Titles. He also works for the basketball team, Akita Northern Happinets. At the age of 19, he was injured as a baseball player, and shifted to a wheel athlete. His technique of fast spinnig is called "Oisa Tornade". Oisa is festival shout of Kakunodate Matsuri.
