Women's Individual Final Court 2 Section1Match

Encho 9 (extension) — Yoshimura（吉村） wins

📅 August 2–5, 2026 📍 Lotto Arena Nara

The final of the women's individual event at the 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Championship took place, with Yoshimura（吉村） and Sakurai（櫻井） facing off. There were no valid strikes within the regulation time or through the eighth encho, and the match lasted 30 minutes and 30 seconds. In the ninth encho, Yoshimura scored a men strike to settle the match, and the winner was Yoshimura.

Matchup

Red Yoshimura Kizuna（吉村絆那） / Moriya（守谷） / Ibaraki3rd Year 2nd dan
Yoshimura（吉村）, a 3rd-year 2nd dan of Moriya. A member of the kendo club at Ibaraki Prefectural Moriya High School.
White Sakurai Nana（櫻井菜成） / Moriya（守谷） / Ibaraki3rd Year 2nd dan
Sakurai（櫻井）, a 3rd-year 2nd dan from Moriya. A member of the kendo club at Ibaraki Prefectural Moriya High School.

Highlights

It became a fierce war of attrition with no valid strikes from the regulation time through the eighth encho.

It became a long match, lasting 30 minutes and 30 seconds.

A development where no winner was decided until the extreme state of the ninth encho.

Live commentary video

Valid strike

#	Situation	Red and White	Players	Technique
1	Encho 9	Red	Yoshimura（吉村）	Men

Conclusion: Encho 9
Match time: 30:30
Winner: Yoshimura（吉村）（Red）
Foul: No record

Text Commentary

Commentary
剣持翔

The 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Championships, Women's Individual Final. Court 2, Match 1.

Explanation
堂島厳

The focus is on the match between fellow students from Moriya and Ibaraki. A fierce battle is expected between Yoshimura（吉村） and Sakurai（櫻井）, as their skills are evenly matched.

Commentary
剣持翔

The match begins. Both players continue to launch sharp attacks, but neither can land a decisive blow.

Explanation
堂島厳

Neither side is leaving an opening, and the cautious offense and defense continue.

Commentary
剣持翔

Neither side scored a valid strike within the regulation time. With the score remaining 0-0, the match enters encho.

Explanation
堂島厳

From here on, it is a true war of attrition. It will be a clash of mental and physical strength.

Commentary
剣持翔

encho one, two, three... Even as time passes, there is still no winner.

Explanation
堂島厳

Incredible focus. Neither side will give an inch.

Commentary
剣持翔

Even as time passed through the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth extensions, no valid strike was landed.

Explanation
堂島厳

It is truly a state of extreme tension. It is a development where everyone is waiting for a single moment of weakness, wondering who will break first.

Commentary
剣持翔

And now we reach the ninth encho. Finally, this long battle comes to an end!

Commentary
剣持翔

Yoshimura（吉村） in red, Men! Men is scored!

Explanation
堂島厳

They finally decided it. This is the strike resulting from enduring such a long time.

Commentary
剣持翔

Match time: 30 minutes and 30 seconds. A conclusion is finally reached in this fierce, long-drawn-out battle that lasted until the ninth encho.

Explanation
堂島厳

It was a wonderful display of mental strength to prevail in a war of attrition lasting over 30 minutes.

Commentary
剣持翔

The winner is red, Moriya Yoshimura（吉村） from Ibaraki!

Explanation
堂島厳

It was a memorable final where both sides gave their all.

Commentary
剣持翔

I would like to give a big round of applause to Yoshimura（吉村）, who emerged victorious from a fierce battle.

To both players

Congratulations to Yoshimura（吉村） for a splendid victory. Applause also goes to Sakurai（櫻井） for fighting bravely and never giving up until the end. It was a wonderful match filled with the mental strength of both players.

Moriya（守谷）

Official name: 茨城県立守谷高等学校
Reading: Moriya
Division/Category of Establishment: Public (Ibaraki Prefecture)
Location: 70 Oki, Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture
History: A high school that opened in the northern part of Moriya City in 1983.
School motto/philosophy: The educational policies consist of three items: "striving to improve academic ability and fostering an attitude of proactive learning," "observing social rules and fostering an attitude as a person with a rich heart," and "fostering an attitude to cultivate physical and mental health."
Department.: Full-time Course, General Studies
Kendo Club: The Kendo club is one of the strongest in the country. They won the girls' team event at the Inter-High Kendo Championships in 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012, and 2023, and won the girls' event at the All Japan High School Kendo Selected Tournament in 2005 and 2023. The tournament records on the official website include 3rd place in the girls' team event at the 68th All Japan High School Kendo Tournament in 2021, victory at the Kaiseiki National High School Girls' Kendo Tournament in 2018, and the team victory at the 66th Kanto High School Kendo Tournament in 2019 (the 15th title in 3 years).
Notes: History, school motto, and location are to be investigated (TODO).

Source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/茨城県立守谷高等学校↗ 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/全国高等学校剣道選抜大会↗ https://www.moriya-h.ibk.ed.jp/↗ (学校公式・剣道部大会記録)

Moriya（守谷）

Official name: 茨城県立守谷高等学校
Reading: Moriya
Division/Category of Establishment: Public (Ibaraki Prefecture)
Location: 70 Oki, Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture
History: A high school that opened in the northern part of Moriya City in 1983.
School motto/philosophy: The educational policies consist of three items: "striving to improve academic ability and fostering an attitude of proactive learning," "observing social rules and fostering an attitude as a person with a rich heart," and "fostering an attitude to cultivate physical and mental health."
Department.: Full-time Course, General Studies
Kendo Club: The Kendo club is one of the strongest in the country. They won the girls' team event at the Inter-High Kendo Championships in 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012, and 2023, and won the girls' event at the All Japan High School Kendo Selected Tournament in 2005 and 2023. The tournament records on the official website include 3rd place in the girls' team event at the 68th All Japan High School Kendo Tournament in 2021, victory at the Kaiseiki National High School Girls' Kendo Tournament in 2018, and the team victory at the 66th Kanto High School Kendo Tournament in 2019 (the 15th title in 3 years).
Notes: History, school motto, and location are to be investigated (TODO).

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.