Men's Individual Round 3 Court 3 Section10Match

Encho 3 (extension) — Inagaki（稲垣） wins

📅 August 2–5, 2026 📍 Lotto Arena Nara

In the third round of the men's individual event at the 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Championships, Inagaki（稲垣） and Kimura（木村） faced each other. There were no valid strikes within the regulation time or during the first and Encho 2s, and the match lasted 11 minutes and 45 seconds. In Encho 3, Inagaki scored a men strike to take an ippon and won the match.

Matchup

Red Inagaki Sota（稲垣颯太） / Chuo Gakuin（中央学院） / Chiba2nd year 3rd dan
Chuo Gakuin's Inagaki（稲垣） is a second-year student and 3rd dan. At the same school, all students learn men's kendo as a "school art," and they have secured a spot in the Inter-High by winning the Chiba prefecture qualifiers.
White Kimura Ryuta（木村瑠汰） / Naradai Fuzoku（奈良大附属） / Nara3rd Year 3rd dan
Naradai Fuzoku's Kimura（木村） is a 3rd-year sandan. The school boasts 49 consecutive appearances at the Inter-High and placed 3rd at the All Japan High School Kendo Selected Tournament in March 2025.

Highlights

A tense development where neither side conceded an ippon from the regulation time through Encho 2.

A fierce war of attrition that lasted 11 minutes and 45 seconds

Inagaki（稲垣）'s winning men strike, decided after three encho periods.

Live commentary video

Valid strike

#	Situation	Red and White	Players	Technique
1	Encho 3	Red	Inagaki（稲垣）	Men

Conclusion: Encho 3
Match time: 11:45
Winner: Inagaki（稲垣）（Red）
Foul: 稲垣颯太Posted on the board (it is not clear from the flash report when the foul occurred)

Text Commentary

Commentary
剣持翔

73rd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament, Men's Individual 3rd Round. Court 3, Match 10.

Explanation
堂島厳

It became a very intense war of attrition. The match was a long battle, lasting 11 minutes and 45 seconds.

Commentary
剣持翔

Red is Inagaki（稲垣） from Chuo Gakuin, and white is Kimura（木村） from Naradai Fuzoku. Both are continuing a sharp exchange of offense and defense.

Explanation
堂島厳

Neither side is leaving any openings, and it's a tense development where an ippon isn't easily scored.

Commentary
剣持翔

Within the regulation time, neither side scored a valid strike, and the match enters encho at 0-0.

Explanation
堂島厳

This is where the real critical moment begins. It will be a battle of attrition in terms of mental and physical strength.

Commentary
剣持翔

Encho 1, and then second. However, still no valid strike is made.

Explanation
堂島厳

Neither side is willing to give in, and their stubbornness is clashing. They are at their absolute limit.

Commentary
剣持翔

And then came Encho 3. Finally, this deadlock is broken!

Explanation
堂島厳

Oh! Did it just go in!

Commentary
剣持翔

Red Inagaki（稲垣）, Men! Men is awarded!

Explanation
堂島厳

That was a perfect men. Inagaki（稲垣） is the one who prevailed after such a long exchange.

Commentary
剣持翔

The winning point came in Encho 3. Inagaki（稲垣） scored a men, deciding the match.

Explanation
堂島厳

It was a precious ippon seized after fighting through a long duration of 11 minutes and 45 seconds.

Commentary
剣持翔

The one who advanced was Chuo Gakuin's Inagaki（稲垣）. He defeated Naradai Fuzoku's Kimura（木村） with a men strike in Encho 3.

Explanation
堂島厳

Applause for Inagaki（稲垣）'s tenacious fighting spirit, maintaining focus until the very end.

Commentary
剣持翔

Winning the fierce battle, the red Inagaki（稲垣） advances to the next match!

To both players

Player Inagaki（稲垣）, who won this fierce battle, achieved a splendid victory. We commend the fighting spirit of player Kimura（木村）, who fought tenaciously until the very end. We look forward to further growth from both players.

Chuo Gakuin（中央学院）

Official name: 中央学院高等学校
Reading: Chuo Gakuin
Division/Category of Establishment: Private (School Corporation Chuo Gakuin). Chuo Gakuin University Affiliated High School
Location: 765 Azuma, Abiko, Chiba Prefecture
History: April 1, 1970, founded as an affiliated high school of Chuo Gakuin University by the school corporation Chuo Gakuin. A full 6-day week system is implemented for all courses from the 2013 academic year.
School motto/philosophy: The founding spirit of the school is “sincerity and health, honesty and brightness, and rich humanity and sensibility.”
Department.: General studies (in the first year, there are three courses: S Advanced Placement Course, University Preparatory Course, and Sports Course).
Kendo Club: The school teaches kendo to male students and archery to female students as a "school skill" for one hour per week over three years, and holds a school skill tournament every November. The kendo club has decided to participate in Inter-High as a male team by winning the 2026 Chiba Prefecture preliminary round, and is introduced in Let's Kendo as having "decided on consecutive appearances in the Chiba Prefecture selection and Inter-High." 稲垣颯太 (2nd year, 3rd dan) will participate in the male individual event.
Notes: A school in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, not a Chuo Gakuin affiliated school in Kanagawa Prefecture. The student body numbers approximately 1000.

Source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/中央学院高等学校↗ https://www.letskendo.com/posts/47192/↗ https://app.notion.com/p/aee7c9c35eea44ae837006d5be7784d2↗

Naradai Fuzoku（奈良大附属）

Official name: 奈良大学附属高等学校
Reading: Naradai Fuzoku
Division/Category of Establishment: Private (coeducational). It is an affiliated school of 奈良大学 and has a system for internal advancement to the same university.
Location: Nara City, Akishino-cho, Nara Prefecture.
History: In June 1925 (Taisho 14), the history began with the establishment of Nantou Seikyo Middle School within the grounds of Yakushiji Temple in Tsujizato Village, Ikoma District, Nara Prefecture, as a night school for working youth. Following the 1948 educational reform, it became Nara Prefectural Seikyo High School, and co-education was introduced in 1957.
School motto/philosophy: Founded on the spirit of "Living Correctly and Strongly" (Seikyo Spirit). School motto: "Effort is genius."
Department.: General Studies (Special Advancement Course, Liberal Arts Course, Standard Course)
Kendo Club: Inter-High for 49 consecutive years (total of 44 appearances), and the All-Japan High School Kendo Tournament in the spring for 22 consecutive years (total of 29 appearances). They have won the prefectural Inter-High qualifier 44 times in a row for 16 consecutive years. They have been runners-up twice, placed third four times, and reached the top 8 eleven times in national tournaments. They placed third in the All-Japan High School Kendo Tournament in March 2025. The women’s team has won the prefectural tournament 47 times in a row and the overall championship 96 times, and have reached the top 8 at Inter-High four times.
Notes: The participating schools from Nara Prefecture, the host location of this tournament.

Source: https://www.nara-u-h.ed.jp/life/club_detail.html?id=271↗ https://www.nara-u-h.ed.jp/life/club_detail.html?id=270↗ https://yell.nara-np.co.jp/detail349.html↗ https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/奈良大学附属高等学校↗ https://app.notion.com/p/0fc36b4072824188b0c00127a434d62d↗

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.