Summer 2020, 3 months into the lockdown, most of the basketball gyms were closed  Junpei, 21 and his middle school classmate Go, 20 decided to adopt a new morning routine.

The morning shoot-around has helped Junpei to focus more through his day to study and get ready for the job-hunting season.

"The beginning of the pandemic was hard to proceed with, I wasted a lot of my time watching Youtube on my phone or laying down on my bed. I have been playing basketball since elementary school so coming here around 7 am for 1 or 2h gives me a good kickstart."  

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Go, who only needs to ride his bike for 10min to get to Komazawa Olympic Park has taken advantage of this lockdown to reconnect with the playground. After he graduated from high school, he had to study hard for the college entrance examination."This morning session is pretty healthy to help me reach my goal of becoming a veterinarian. I come here to get some shots up and clear my mind before I head back home at 9 am to start my day with online classes.