The women's team won the Chugoku-Shikoku Block Championship! Both the men's and women's teams have earned the right to compete as representatives of the Chugoku-Shikoku Block in the All-Japan Intercollegiate Kendo Championship (Team Competition).
Release Date:
The Kochi University Kendo Club competed in the “73rd Chugoku-Shikoku Student Kendo Championship (Men’s Team)” and the “53rd Chugoku-Shikoku Women’s Student Kendo Championship (Women’s Team),” held on Sunday, September 6, Reiwa 8, at the Okayama City General Cultural and Sports Center (Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture). The women’s team won the championship, while the men’s team placed fifth. As a result, both the men’s and women’s teams qualified for the All-Japan Student Kendo Championship.
This tournament is a team competition featuring university kendo clubs from the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, and it also serves as the Chugoku-Shikoku Block qualifier for the All-Japan Intercollegiate Kendo Championship. Both the men’s and women’s teams from Kochi University advanced through the preliminary rounds to the final tournament, with the women’s team claiming the championship for the first time in two years. The men’s team also finished in fifth place, ensuring that both teams secured their spots in the national championship.
In addition, for individual awards, Emu Yamamoto ( Faculty of Education, 4th year) was selected as Most Valuable Player, while Genki Tashiro ( Faculty of Science and Technology, 4th year), Tomoki Ishikawa ( Faculty of Education, 4th year), and Chihiro Mori ( Faculty of Education, 3rd year) were selected as Outstanding Players.
[Registered Male Athletes]
Shohei Takemoto (Education, 4th year), Riku Kawaguchi (Education, 4th year), Tomoki Ishikawa (Education, 4th year), Ayuki Tasaka (Agriculture and Forestry, 4th year), Genki Tashiro (Science and Engineering, 4th year), Yudai Toyota (Science and Engineering, 3rd year), Haruhiro Kitahori (Education, 2nd year), Taiga Yoshioka (Science and Engineering, 2nd year), Yuki Oei (Education, 1st year)
[Registered Female Players]
Emu Yamamoto (4th year, Education), Chihiro Mori (3rd year, Education), Ami Obara (3rd year, Education), Momoko Taniguchi (3rd year, Education), Nagisa Kitamoto (2nd year, Education), Asahi Otsuki (1st year, Education), Kōri Takechi (1st year, Education)
The All-Japan Championship, which determines the top student kendo team in Japan, will be held on the following dates.
[Men's] 74th All-Japan Intercollegiate Kendo Championship
October 18 (Sun) (at Asue Arena Osaka)
[Women's] 45th All-Japan Women's College Kendo Championship
November 7 (Sat) and 8 (Sun) (at Kasugai City General Gymnasium)
= Advisor’s Comments = Faculty of Education Professor Hiromitsu Yano
The key to the women’s team’s victory was “analysis, preparation, and continuous effort.” After winning the championship two years ago, they struggled the following year as other schools studied their tactics. Drawing on that experience, however, they thoroughly analyzed both themselves and their opponents and repeatedly prepared with a long-term strategic perspective. In the final, they prevailed in a close match against the University of the Pacific to claim the championship.The women’s kendo team has a track record of advancing to the quarterfinals at the national tournament. They will channel this victory into confidence and aim to reach the national semifinals this year.
Although the men’s team also missed the top four, they fought their way through the losers’ bracket and secured a spot in the All-Japan Student Championship. They demonstrated the importance of continuing to work hard while believing in their potential, rather than getting too caught up in the ups and downs of the results.
We hope that our students will not only become stronger in kendo but also acquire skills through kendo that will serve them well in life.
