Kenyan-born Mayaka has made it big in Japan

Once, he was checking into a five-star hotel in Nairobi when staff at the front desk requested him to pave way for some foreigners who were in the queue.

“Since I was speaking Kiswahili, they asked me allow the other guests to check in ahead of me but when I removed my Japanese passport, they were shocked and apologised saying they didn’t know I was also a foreigner.”

Mayaka was then in Kenya with the Japanese team to the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa.

Mayaka is scheduled to return to Kenya later this month to scout for more athletics talent and help various sports projects that he has started in the country.

“I will also visit the families of the Japan-based runners just to appraise them on the performances and general status of the runners besides just catching up on many other issues.”