Women's Individual Round 1 Court 1 Section6Match

Encho 3 (extension) — Higuchi（樋口） wins

📅 August 2–5, 2026 📍 Lotto Arena Nara

The first round of the women's individual event at the 73rd National High School Kendo Championship took place, featuring a match between Higuchi（樋口） and Takahashi（髙橋）. There were no valid strikes within the regulation time or the first and Encho 2s, and the match lasted 10 minutes and 7 seconds. Higuchi decided the match with a men strike in Encho 3, and the winner was Higuchi.

Matchup

Red Higuchi Yuina（樋口優衣奈） / Hoshino（星野） / Saitama3rd Year 2nd dan
Higuchi（樋口）, a 3rd-year 2nd-dan from Hoshino. As a representative of Hoshino, which upholds the school motto "Literary and Military Arts Together, Frugality and Diligence," they have won the Saitama Prefecture qualifiers to compete.
White Takahashi Hitoha（髙橋一絆） / Tokaidai Sapporo（東海大札幌） / Hokkaido3rd Year 3rd dan
Takahashi（髙橋）, a 3rd-year sandan of Tokaidai Sapporo. A player from a prestigious school with a strong record of national tournament appearances, whose club goal is "Constant victory through 'Seiken Fumetsu'! Aiming for national conquest!!"

Highlights

A tense development where no valid strike occurred from the regulation time through Encho 2.

A war of attrition that remained undecided even after Encho 3.

A fierce battle lasting a long time of 10 minutes and 7 seconds

Live commentary video

Valid strike

#	Situation	Red and White	Players	Technique
1	Encho 3	Red	Higuchi（樋口）	Men

Conclusion: Encho 3
Match time: 10:07
Winner: Higuchi（樋口）（Red）
Foul: No record

Text Commentary

Commentary
剣持翔

73rd All Japan High School Kendo Championship, Women's Individual first round. Court 1, Match 6.

Explanation
堂島厳

The match of interest became an extreme war of attrition, lasting for a long duration of 10 minutes and 7 seconds.

Commentary
剣持翔

Red is Hoshino's Higuchi（樋口）, and white is Tokaidai Sapporo's Takahashi（髙橋）. A fierce exchange of attacks continues.

Explanation
堂島厳

Neither side gave an inch, and there were no valid strikes within the regulation time. It goes into encho at 0-0.

Commentary
剣持翔

Even as the match enters encho, the tense development continues with both sides waiting for an opening.

Explanation
堂島厳

Encho 1, then second. Still, no valid strike is landed. Physical exhaustion is severe.

Commentary
剣持翔

The match has finally gone into Encho 3. This is the critical moment to see who will score first.

Explanation
堂島厳

They are near the limit of their mental and physical strength, but a single strike here will decide the match.

Commentary
剣持翔

Whoa, he moved! Higuchi（樋口） in red, Men! Men is scored!

Explanation
堂島厳

The winning point came in Encho 3. With a brilliant men, this long battle has finally come to an end.

Commentary
剣持翔

Match time 10 minutes 7 seconds. With no fouls recorded, it was a fair and spirited battle.

Explanation
堂島厳

It was a war of attrition that remained undecided even after Encho 3, but they maintained their focus until the very end.

Commentary
剣持翔

The winner is the red player, Hoshino Higuchi（樋口）, who scored an ippon with a men strike!

Explanation
堂島厳

I pay respect to the mental strength of Higuchi（樋口）, who fought tenaciously to the end and advanced.

To both players

We praise Higuchi（樋口）, who fought tenaciously through three extensions and won with a brilliant men. We also applaud the fighting spirit of Takahashi（髙橋）, who fought to the end without giving up. We look forward to the further growth of both athletes.

Hoshino（星野）

Official name: 星野高等学校
Reading: Hoshino
Division/Category of Establishment: Private school. Coeducational and all-girls departments coexist (the coeducational department was established in 2003).
Location: Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture.
History: It began with approval for establishment as a Hoshino school in Kawagoe City in 1897. In 1964, the school corporation Hoshino Gakuen was approved, and in 2003, along with the opening of a coeducational department, the school name was changed from “Hoshino Girls' High School” to its current name.
School motto/philosophy: The school motto is "harmony of literary and martial arts, simplicity and diligence." Its educational philosophy emphasizes "the construction of knowledge," "awareness as an international citizen," and "the cultivation of sensibility."
Department.: General studies (with multiple courses in both the girls' and coeducational divisions; medical specialist and global frontier courses will be newly established from the 2026 academic year).
Kendo Club: Having won the Saitama Prefecture qualifiers for fiscal year 2026, they will participate in Inter-High as a women's team. 樋口優衣奈 (3rd year, 2nd dan) and 佐々木瑠真 (3rd year, 2nd dan) will participate in the women's individual event. No past national tournament results could be confirmed from publicly available information.
Notes: Pronunciation is "hoshi." School corporation Hoshino Gakuen operates it.

Source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/星野高等学校↗ https://app.notion.com/p/39d347470c7c444abf30a4b4c110fdb7↗

Tokaidai Sapporo（東海大札幌）

Official name: 東海大学付属札幌高等学校
Reading: Tokaidai Sapporo
Division/Category of Establishment: Private (coeducational). Affiliated school of Tokai University.
Location: 1-1-1 Nanazawa 5-jo 1-chome, Minami-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido.
History: Founded as Tokai University Fourth High School in April 1964. The school relocated to its current location in April 2016 and changed its name to Tokai University Affiliated Sapporo High School.
School motto/philosophy: Providing education based on the founding spirit of Tokai University (details are posted on the academy website).
Department.: General Studies (Special Advanced Course・Comprehensive Advanced Course)
Kendo Club: The team’s goal is “Victory with unwavering spirit and technique!” aiming for national dominance!! According to the school kendo club page, they have qualified for the All Japan High School Kendo Tournament more than 35 times for the boys and 6 times for the girls, achieving 3rd place in both the boys’ and girls’ team events at Inter-High, as well as one 2nd place and three 3rd place finishes in the individual competition. They have also produced 6 graduates who have passed the 8th dan kendo examination. As of 2021, the club has 25 male and 12 female members. Practice takes place in the Kendo Dojo (2nd floor of the Second Gymnasium) on weekdays after school until 7:30 PM, and on weekends and holidays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Notes: At schools affiliated with Tokai University, the term "affiliated" is used.

Source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/東海大学付属札幌高等学校↗ http://www.sapporo.tokai.ed.jp/club/kendo/↗ https://www.sapporo.tokai.ed.jp/↗ https://app.notion.com/p/cf2f85b1f0184eb2a1dd0cf71e02c924↗

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.