Both Rui Hachimura parents – Zakari Jabil and Makiko Hachimura – were born in two very different countries. The first one came from West African country Benin, while the second one originates from Japan. They met in Japan, got married, and had four kids in a place, where their family was the only one looking like that. Why this is not just a couple of lines? First, because Rui himself told about the contributions of each of his parents. Second, because there is a specific legal point why he takes his mother’s name instead of father’s. And third, his father taught silently his son how to react to racism. This is the whole story.
Rui Hachimura Parents
Since Zakari and Makiko are very private people, who have never wanted publicity, there is only information, which is on the record in the table below.
| Father | Zakari Jabil |
| Father’s Origin | Benin, a French-speaking country in West Africa |
| Father’s Date of Birth | Not publicly disclosed |
| Mother | Makiko Hachimura |
| Mother’s Nationality | Japanese |
| Mother’s Date of Birth | Not publicly disclosed |
| Where They Met | Japan, after Zakari emigrated |
| Children | Four: Rui, Aren (Allen), Amina and one more daughter |
| Family Base | Toyama Prefecture, later associated with Sendai |
| Public Profile | Both deliberately private; no social media presence |
| Net Worth | Not public; neither parent is a public earner |
| Son’s Nationality | Rui is Japanese, with Beninese heritage through his father |
Rui Hachimura’s Father: Zakari Jabil of Benin
Rui’s father Zakari Jabil was born in Benin, a small West African nation located on the coast near Nigeria. Its capital city is Porto-Novo and it has a population of roughly 13 million. His parents moved there from Japan in search of better opportunities. Any website which claims precise information regarding his date of birth or information about his parents, is just guessing.
The physical legacy of his father is undeniable. The 6 feet 8 inches stature of Rui Hachimura along with his athleticism and agility are the results of his father. In addition to that, his playing basketball at a professional level also seems to confirm what his father is. It is believed, although it hasn’t been confirmed, that Zakari also played semi-professional basketball which would explain how a Japanese kid could have ended up with a basketball in a place that’s obsessed with baseball.
What is important about his father is not just the physical traits that he has inherited from his father but also the behaviour. This aspect is discussed further in this page.
Rui Hachimura’s Mother: Makiko Hachimura
Makiko Hachimura is from Japan and is the less publicised one in this scenario due to the reasons best known to her. She hasn’t conducted any interviews and maintains no public profile for herself. However, what is certain is that she gave birth to four kids, supported her son’s passion from day one and traveled to watch him play basketball games. She took a flight from Japan to Spokane, Washington in December 2018 to watch Rui play for Gonzaga for the first time.
Rui expressed how much it mattered to him because it increased the stakes for him as he wanted to impress his parents while playing in front of them. For a family that is over 5,000 miles apart from each other, those visits were not trivial. They were statements of commitment.
What Each Parent Actually Contributed to His Growth
This is the question that almost no article on this subject ever answers and what is remarkable about this case is the fact that Rui has answered it himself. In an interview to the Japanese media, he separated his contribution into two parts, one being physical and another mental.
He attributed his physical gifts to his father and his discipline to work hard to his mother. That single sentence tells you everything that you need to know about this family. Not only his physique makes headlines but also his work ethic which comes from his Japanese mother who brought up four kids. The table below explains it further.
| Parent | What They Contributed | How It Shows Up |
|---|---|---|
| Zakari Jabil | Physical gifts, athletic frame and reported basketball background | A 6 ft 8 in NBA forward with elite length and explosiveness |
| Zakari Jabil | Modelled how to absorb prejudice without bitterness | Rui’s measured, unresentful public handling of racism |
| Makiko Hachimura | Diligence, discipline and persistence | A player who improved every single year from a late start |
| Makiko Hachimura | Japanese identity, language and cultural grounding | Rui’s role as a national figure and Japan team leader |
| Both parents | Support across 5,000 miles and two continents | Family trips to Gonzaga games and continued closeness |
| Both parents | A household where basketball became normal | Three of four children became competitive basketball players |
Why Rui Carries His Mother’s Surname, Not His Father’s
What a lot of people ask in Google: If his dad is Zakari Jabil, then why is his name Rui Hachimura and not Rui Jabil? The answer to this question is legal rather than a personal one, and almost no English page gives the right explanation.
As per the family register system of Japan called koseki, a Japanese citizen is required to be at the head of the family register and the surname on this register is the one which goes to the family. In cases of international marriages, this means that the children will bear the surname of the Japanese citizen. It was not a choice by Rui to have the surname of his mother instead of that of his father – this system worked out like this. He has never showed any other feeling towards his parents besides pride and respect to both sides of his ancestry.
The Origin of His Name Rui
Besides having an interesting last name, his first name also has its own story and it is a very interesting one. Rui was named by his maternal grandfather who was a great admirer of baseball. His name comes from a Japanese word which means base or fortress – this name refers to the bases used in baseball. So the most famous Japanese basketball player has received a name from a completely different sport by his grandfather without even knowing about his future profession.
Raising Mixed Race Family in Japan: The Challenge Behind the Story
Japan is the most ethnically homogenous developed country in the world, and the story of a black African man and a Japanese woman raising mixed race children in such environment was truly challenging. Rui talks about this experience of his without falling into any negativity. Reflecting on his childhood in an interview in 2019, he says that “people looked at me like I was different” and he got used to it because there were few black people in Japan.
More importantly, he speaks about his father – how difficult it was for him being a black man in Japan but at the same time Zakari was always friendly, talked with people and never felt sorry for himself. This is the legacy he gave his son – the way to carry one’s pride even when being surrounded by prejudices. Rui does not express any negativity concerning this subject because he had a role model to follow his example all the time.
It should be mentioned that nowadays Rui is an important personality for mixed heritage Japanese citizens who are called hafu, and he has spoken about the discrimination which takes place among mixed race athletes in Japan, including basketball.
The Detail Which Changes Everything: He Started Playing Late
This is the detail which makes us rethink the role of his parents. Rui Hachimura has not grown up as a basketball prodigy. First, he played baseball as a pitcher, and only then switched to basketball in his junior high school years. In comparison with NBA, where most of the lottery picks are discovered long before puberty, this is a very late time to start playing.
From this late start, Rui Hachimura attended Sendai University Meisei High School and helped his team win three consecutive All-Japan High School Championships, became the only Japanese athlete invited to the Jordan Brand Classic in 2015, went to Gonzaga University in the US in 2016, was the West Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2019, and became the first Japanese basketball player ever chosen in the first round of the NBA draft, taken ninth overall by the Washington Wizards.
The extremely fast timeline of his career shows clearly where the diligence of a mother can be seen. Talent determines the ceiling of his success, but it does not explain the speed of his progress.
The Siblings: A Family Which Raised Multiple Basketball Players
The best proof of what his parents created is the fact that the influence of his parents did not end with Rui, who became the most famous player of this family.
| Sibling | What They Have Done |
|---|---|
| Aren Hachimura | Also known as Allen. Won national titles at Meisei High School and Tokai University, and has played professionally for the Gunma Crane Thunders in Japan’s B.League |
| Amina Hachimura | Played basketball at Meisei High School, then moved to the United States and joined the women’s basketball programme at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho |
| Third sibling | A younger sister who has kept an entirely private life; details are not publicly documented |
One son in the NBA might be luck. A second son playing professionally in Japan and a daughter following the same path to American college basketball is a pattern, and patterns come from parenting.
Family Timeline
These dates are fixed history, so this section stays accurate over time.
| When | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Before 1998 | Zakari Jabil emigrates from Benin to Japan and meets Makiko |
| 8 February 1998 | Rui is born in Toyama Prefecture, Japan |
| Childhood | Rui plays baseball; his grandfather’s naming choice reflects the sport |
| Junior high years | He switches to basketball, a notably late start |
| 2013 to 2016 | Meisei High School; three straight national championships |
| 2015 | Invited to the Jordan Brand Classic, the only Japanese player selected |
| 2016 | Moves to the United States to attend Gonzaga University |
| December 2018 | His mother and sister travel to Spokane to watch him play |
| 2019 | Drafted ninth overall, the first Japanese first-round NBA pick |
| January 2023 | Traded to the Los Angeles Lakers |
Rui Hachimura: The Son They Raised
Because a player’s team, contract and season averages change constantly, the table below sticks to durable facts.
| Full Name | Rui Hachimura |
| Born | 8 February 1998, Toyama Prefecture, Japan |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Heritage | Japanese and Beninese |
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (203 cm) |
| High School | Sendai University Meisei High School |
| College | Gonzaga University |
| Drafted | Ninth overall, 2019, by the Washington Wizards |
| Historic First | First Japanese player drafted in the NBA first round |
| Languages | Japanese and English |
| @rui_hachimura |
A language observation indicating just how far he had come: prior to relocating to America, in early 2016, Rui assessed himself as knowing about 80% of English, but speaking only 30 to 40% of it. He enrolled in a US university and an elite basketball program still developing fluency in his new surroundings.
Where Are Rui Hachimura Parents Now?
The parents continue living privately in Japan and have consciously steered clear from the limelight despite their son rising to national fame. Neither has any public social media profile, neither grants interviews, nor do their financial status or careers get reported outside of this description.
It’s a choice of privacy and it deserves as much respect as anything else. The family stays tight-knit, and Rui has never failed to refer to them with respect and gratitude rather than as background to his own narrative.
Fact Check: Separating Facts from Myths
Unfortunately, there is plenty of low-quality information available on this family; much of it being repeated across various sources. The following table clears up some of the more common mistakes made about the family.
| Common Claim | The Accurate Picture |
|---|---|
| His father’s name is Zakari Hachimura | His father is Zakari Jabil; Hachimura is his mother’s surname |
| Rui chose his mother’s name | Japan’s family register system customarily assigns the Japanese parent’s surname |
| He grew up playing basketball | He played baseball first and only switched in junior high school |
| His parents’ ages and birthdays are known | Neither has been publicly disclosed; stated figures are invented |
| He is Beninese by nationality | He is Japanese, with Beninese heritage through his father |
| He has one sibling | He has three younger siblings, one brother and two sisters |
There is one true ambiguity that is better mentioned than hidden: various sources have different information regarding where the family predominantly lived. Rui was born in Toyama Prefecture and has been often reported as growing up there, but the family is also tied to Sendai, the city where Rui finished his high school education. All in all, both cities were an important part of his story, but no particular dates when the family relocated are known.
Rui Hachimura Family Trivia
- His name was picked by his maternal grandfather and means baseball, not basketball.
- The name “Rui” is based on a character meaning a base or a fortress.
- He shares his mother’s last name because of Japan’s family register law.
- His father immigrated from Benin, a Western African country that speaks French.
- Rui has stated that his body is his father’s while the work ethic – his mother’s.
- He used to play baseball as a pitcher before he became serious about basketball.
- His brother Aren plays professional basketball in Japan’s B.League.
- His sister Amina relocated to America in order to play college basketball in Idaho.
- His mother flew more than 5,000 miles in order to see him play for Gonzaga in 2018.
- He has become the first Japanese player ever drafted in the first round of NBA Draft.
Rui Hachimura Parents FAQ
Who are Rui Hachimura parents?
His father is Zakari Jabil, from Benin in West Africa, and his mother is Makiko Hachimura, who is Japanese.
What nationality is Rui Hachimura?
He is Japanese. His heritage is Japanese through his mother and Beninese through his father.
Why is Rui Hachimura’s surname different from his father’s?
Under Japan’s family register system, children of international marriages customarily take the Japanese parent’s surname.
Where is Rui Hachimura’s father from?
Zakari Jabil is from Benin, a French-speaking country on the West African coast.
What does the name Rui mean?
It derives from a Japanese character meaning base or fortress, chosen by his baseball-loving grandfather.
How many siblings does Rui Hachimura have?
Three younger siblings: a brother, Aren, and two sisters, including Amina.
Did Rui Hachimura’s father play basketball?
It is reported that he played at a semi-professional level, though this is not firmly documented.
Did Rui Hachimura face racism growing up?
Yes. He has spoken openly about being treated as different as a biracial child in Japan.
What did Rui Hachimura parents do for a living?
Their professions are not publicly documented; both have deliberately kept private lives.
Do Rui Hachimura parents still live in Japan?
Yes. The family remains based in Japan and maintains a private life.
Conclusion: Two Countries, One Household
Rui Hachimura’s parents did something quietly extraordinary. Zakari Jabil left Benin for Japan and built a family in a country where he would always stand out, then refused to let that harden him. Makiko Hachimura raised four children with the discipline that turned a late-starting baseball pitcher into a first-round NBA pick within a decade. Between them they produced a son who became the first Japanese player drafted in the NBA’s first round, a second son playing professionally in Japan, and a daughter playing college basketball in America. Rui divided the credit himself: the body from his father, the diligence from his mother. Two continents, one household, and a family that changed what a Japanese basketball player could be.
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