Men's Individual Round 1 Court 1 Section4Match

Encho 3 (extension) — Yamaguchi（山口） wins

📅 August 2–5, 2026 📍 Lotto Arena Nara

In the first round of the men's individual event at the 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Championship, Ono（小野） of Akitashogyo faced Yamaguchi（山口） of Oko. Neither player scored a valid strike within the regulation time or the first and Encho 2s, and the match lasted 12 minutes and 11 seconds. In Encho 3, Yamaguchi scored a men, which became the winning point, and Yamaguchi won.

Matchup

Red Ono（小野翔） / Akita Sho（秋田商） / Akita3rd Year 3rd dan
Akitashogyo's Ono（小野） is a 3rd-year sandan. Akitashogyo is the commercial high school with the oldest history in Akita, and this season they have won the Koryo Cup and the Kaiseiki Tohoku Tournament.
White Yamaguchi Sora（山口朔空） / Oko（岡豊） / Kochi3rd Year 3rd dan
Yamaguchi（山口） of Oko is a 3rd-year student with 3rd-dan rank. Oko boasts one of the strongest records in the prefecture in the field of Nippon Kendo Kata, with multiple championships and awards in prefectural tournaments.

Highlights

A tense development with no ippon scored from the regulation time through Encho 2.

A fierce war of attrition that lasted 12 minutes and 11 seconds

A tenacious battle decided in Encho 3

Live commentary video

Valid strike

#	Situation	Red and White	Players	Technique
1	Encho 3	White	Yamaguchi（山口）	Men

Conclusion: Encho 3
Match time: 12:11
Winner: Yamaguchi（山口）（White）
Foul: 小野翔Posted on the board (it is not clear from the flash report when the foul occurred)

Text Commentary

Commentary
剣持翔

Now, for the Men's Individual first round, Court 1, Match 4.

Explanation
堂島厳

It became an extremely intense war of attrition. It was a match that remained undecided even after Encho 3.

Commentary
剣持翔

The match lasted 12 minutes and 11 seconds. It truly became a long battle.

Commentary
剣持翔

Red is Akitashogyo's Ono（小野）, and white is Oko's Yamaguchi（山口）. Both are full of spirit.

Explanation
堂島厳

Within the time limit, neither side leaves an opening, and no valid strikes are landed.

Commentary
剣持翔

The intense back-and-forth continues, but it remains 0-0 within the regulation time. The match goes into encho.

Explanation
堂島厳

This is where the real critical moment begins. It will come down to a battle of mental and physical strength.

Commentary
剣持翔

It has gone into Encho 1. Ono（小野） and Yamaguchi（山口） measure each other's distance.

Explanation
堂島厳

Neither side is losing focus. It is a very tense development.

Commentary
剣持翔

Encho 1, no valid strike. It proceeds further into Encho 2.

Explanation
堂島厳

As fatigue accumulates, the match continues with both sides fighting to exploit the slightest opening.

Commentary
剣持翔

The match remains undecided even after Encho 2. No valid strikes.

Explanation
堂島厳

It is truly a war of attrition. From here, we enter Encho 3, the fateful final phase.

Commentary
剣持翔

Encho 3, they finally moved! White's Yamaguchi（山口）, Men!

Explanation
堂島厳

That was a splendid Men. It was decided with a sharp strike.

Commentary
剣持翔

Yamaguchi（山口） scored a men strike, finally bringing this long battle to an end.

Explanation
堂島厳

It was a valuable ippon, earned after persevering through Encho 3.

Commentary
剣持翔

Match time 12 minutes 11 seconds. Yamaguchi（山口） in white defeated Ono（小野） in red.

Explanation
堂島厳

It was a wonderful match where both sides gave their all.

Commentary
剣持翔

The winner of the fierce battle is Yamaguchi（山口） of Oko! A splendid victory!

To both players

Applause for Yamaguchi（山口）, who won a hard-fought battle by scoring a men in Encho 3. We praise the fighting spirit of Ono（小野）, who fought until the end without giving up. We look forward to the further growth of both players.

Akita Sho（秋田商）

Official name: 秋田市立秋田商業高等学校
Reading: Akita Sho
Division/Category of Establishment: Akita City (Coeducational)
Location: Akita Prefecture Akita City Araya Katto 1-1-1
History: In July 1919 (Taisho 8), the Akita City Council resolved to establish 秋田市商業学校 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the city’s founding. Approval for its establishment was granted in 1920 (Taisho 9), and it opened on April 25th of the same year. It was renamed to its current name in 1961. It is the oldest commercial high school in Akita.
School motto/philosophy: School motto: "Gratitude, Diligence, and Training." Based on the spirit of the "Three Principles of the School Motto" established in April 1920 by the first principal, Yoshisuke Kuronuma, it was revised to its current form in April 2002 to commemorate the school's 80th anniversary.
Department.: The Commercial Department (Accounting Course, Distribution Economics Course, Information Course). As of April 1, 2024, the total enrollment is 622 students.
Kendo Club: Won the Inter-High boys' team event in 1958 (5th, Akita), runner-up in 1954 (1st, Tochigi), 1959 (6th, Kumamoto), and 2021 (68th, 石川). In the boys' individual event, 山田薫 won in 1993, and 加藤峻一郎 was runner-up in 2012. In the 15th Koryo Cup National Selected Kendo Tournament in April 2026, they won the boys' team event (final 1-0 Goshogawara Daiichi). This season, they also won the Kaiseiki and the Tohoku tournament. This tournament centers around Taisho 小野翔 and 三浦歩, who placed 2nd in the Tohoku individual event.
Notes: Commonly known as "Akisho". The Inter-High men's team consecutive victories of 1967 and 1968 were also at Akita High School in Akita Prefecture, a school separate from Akitashogyo business.

Source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/全国高等学校総合体育大会剣道競技大会↗ https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/秋田市立秋田商業高等学校↗ https://akisho.ed.jp/学校概要/↗ https://www.letskendo.com/posts/47192/↗ https://app.notion.com/p/694d3097b1bb41dd87a880cafd10a486↗

Oko（岡豊）

Official name: 高知県立岡豊高等学校
Reading: Oko
Division/Category of Establishment: Kochi Prefectural (coeducational)
Location: Kochi Prefecture Minamiku City Oko Town Nakajima 511-1
History: Opened on November 1, 1983, and held its opening ceremony on April 7, 1984.
School motto/philosophy: School motto: "Academics, Character, and Health"
Department.: General academic course (capacity 240 students), general academic course with an arts focus (capacity 40 students), general academic course with a physical education focus (capacity 40 students). The only school in the prefecture with specialized courses in fine arts and calligraphy.
Kendo Club: In the Kochi prefectural qualifiers for fiscal year 2026, the women's team advanced to Inter-High. 山口朔空 (3rd year, 3rd dan) will participate in the men's individual competition. According to Wikipedia, the team boasts one of the strongest kata skills in the prefecture and has multiple wins and placements in prefectural tournaments. No information was found regarding the team's performance in national tournaments.
Notes: The school name comes from a place name derived from the Oko castle of the Kōnoike clan. It is read as "Okō".

Source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/高知県立岡豊高等学校↗ https://app.notion.com/p/c8e5822a5cc045a392a46474a54aa937↗

Source: 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament Official Website "Tournament Bulletin" (Match Results / Tournament Bracket)
https://inhigh.kendotaikai.jp/大会速報↗
Only facts recorded in the logs (matches, valid strikes and their order, outcomes, match duration, and presence of fouls) are listed. The play-by-play and commentary are AI-generated content.