The visit was a chance for the team to assess the potential of the city and its facilities as a training base in the weeks leading up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
During their stay the team received a warm welcome to the city from supporters hoping to make the team feel at home. Sheffield based Japanese automotive components manufacturer Toyoda Gosei, hosted a function in honour of the team and staff were invited to watch them take on GB Women's Volleyball team for a competitive training game on Wednesday 2nd June.
The team also enjoyed a taste of some of the cultural highlights Sheffield and the surrounding region has to offer. As part of the trip they visited Chatsworth House and were invited to a reception in the Lord Mayor's parlour in Sheffield's Town Hall.
The visit also generated interest from Japanese students and lecturers at The University of Sheffield, excited by the visit of these sporting stars they volunteered to act as guides and ensuring the team had a pleasant visit to Sheffield.
Audrey Cooper, GB Women's Volleyball Head Coach, based at the English Institute of Sport was pivotal in attracting this high ranking team to the city. During her career as a professional volleyball player, Audrey played beach volleyball in Japan and has continued to maintain links with the international team. This led to the opportunity to invite them to Sheffield to experience the city's world class facilities whilst also helping develop the GB women's team.
Kenny Barton, GB Volleyball Performance Programme Manager, said:
"The visit from the Japanese Women's team has been a great opportunity for the GB Women's Volleyball squad to train with some of the quickest players in the world. In order to continue to develop our squad it is crucial we get the opportunity to train and play against high ranking teams and we are continually working with Sheffield City Council to help attract them to visit the city.
"Serbia will be the next high ranking team to visit Ponds Forge to play GB Women in a televised European League match on Saturday 3rd July at 6pm."
With the GB Volleyball Men's and Women's squads permanently based in Sheffield since 2007, the city has attracted a number of international teams and hosted major volleyball tournaments.
Commenting on the visit, Councillor Roger Davison Sheffield City Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Tourism, said:
"London 2012 presents a great opportunity for Sheffield to build strong relationships with international sports teams.
"We have been working closely with GB Volleyball to help attract international teams to the city as the training camps bring with them a significant boost to the local economy. The teams use local hotels, restaurants and transport and also enable Sheffield to showcase its offer to international visitors."