Takatou, Riki
Summary
Serving as the coach for Kainan, Riki Takato is a contemporary of Moichi Taoka from Ryonan, who is one year his senior. The two have been acquainted since their high school days, a period when Takato earned the notorious nickname "Rookie from Hell" during his freshman year. He has played a significant role in establishing Kainan’s dominance in the Kanagawa Inter High Tournament over the last seventeen years. His training regimen is notoriously grueling, resulting in the elimination of half the new recruits within the first week and further attrition by the end of the first month, leaving only about twenty percent of the incoming players after a full year. Last season, he guided the squad to the national championship semifinals, where they were defeated by Sannoh. Takato is highly astute, a trait he displayed by quickly identifying Sakuragi’s primary weakness during the match against Shohoku. He strategically substituted Miyamasu for Jin, which caused Sakuragi to lose his concentration and allowed Kainan to capitalize on the situation, racking up numerous points. While he remains calm and composed when his team holds the advantage, he becomes visibly agitated and anxious when under pressure, often resorting to shouting at his players.
