Hachimura grew up in a big family of five under the care of his Beninese dad and an Asian mom.

He was born in Toyama Prefecture and got a Japanese name, “Rui,” which means “base” or “fortress” in the local language. Meanwhile, he attended Meisei High School in Sendai and later moved to Gonzaga University in 2016.

Rui had learned English from scratch at the uni as he adapted to a new life in the United States. Bleacher Report confirmed that his mother and father do not speak English and know little about it. 

As a supportive hand, his mom, dad, and siblings often visit him in the States and attend his games to cheer for him.