Women's Individual Round 2 Court 1 Section4Match

Win by one ippon — Yamada（山田） wins

📅 August 2–5, 2026 📍 Lotto Arena Nara

A match in the second round of the women's individual event at the 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Championship. The match lasted the full regulation time of 4 minutes and 0 seconds, and was decided by a one-ippon difference. For the first ippon, 白's Yamada（山田） scored a men within the regulation time, and the winner was Yamada.

Matchup

Red Watanabe Anna（渡邉愛菜） / Meiho（明豊） / Oita3rd Year 2nd dan
Watanabe（渡邉） (3rd year, 2nd dan) of Meiho. A player from a powerhouse school with a track record including runner-up in the 2022 and 2023 Inter-High girls' team events, 3rd place in 2024, and victory in the 2024 National Selection.
White Yamada Kaho（山田果歩） / Yokohama（横浜） / Kanagawa3rd Year 2nd dan
Yokohama's Yamada（山田） (3rd year, 2nd dan). A student at Kanagawa Prefectural Yokohama High School.

Highlights

A men ippon by Yamada（山田） within the time limit

A tense development fighting to protect a single ippon

A close match fought for the full 4 minutes and 0 seconds

Live commentary video

Valid strike

#	Situation	Red and White	Players	Technique
1	Within the time limit	White	Yamada（山田）	Men

Conclusion: Win by one ippon
Match time: 4:00
Winner: Yamada（山田）（White）
Foul: No record

Text Commentary

Commentary
剣持翔

The 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament, Women's Individual second round. This is the 4th match at Court 1.

Explanation
堂島厳

It became a very tense development, defending a single ippon until the very end of the regulation time.

Commentary
剣持翔

Red is Watanabe（渡邉） (Meiho・Oita・3rd year 2nd dan), white is Yamada（山田） (Yokohama・Kanagawa・3rd year 2nd dan).

Explanation
堂島厳

Both are gauging each other's distance with sharp stepping.

Commentary
剣持翔

Whoa, he moved! A sharp strike from Yamada（山田） in white! Men!

Explanation
堂島厳

That was a clean men. Yamada（山田） takes the lead.

Commentary
剣持翔

Watanabe（渡邉） attacks aggressively against Yamada（山田）, who leads by one ippon!

Explanation
堂島厳

Watanabe（渡邉） also tries desperately to catch up, but Yamada（山田） calmly maintains a strong defense.

Commentary
剣持翔

There is very little time left in the match. Watanabe（渡邉） continues a fierce attack, but Yamada（山田） holds out!

Explanation
堂島厳

Yamada（山田）'s concentration shone through as they fought to protect their ippon.

Commentary
剣持翔

That is the signal for the end of the match! After fighting through the regulation time of 4 minutes and 0 seconds, White wins by a one-ippon difference.

Explanation
堂島厳

Yamada（山田） stayed focused until the very end and secured a solid victory.

Commentary
剣持翔

The winner is Yamada（山田） (Yokohama・Kanagawa)! With a brilliant fight, they advance to the next match.

To both players

Applause for Yamada（山田）, who achieved a brilliant victory. Respect is also given to Watanabe（渡邉） for fighting bravely and never giving up until the end. I look forward to the future success of both players.

Meiho（明豊）

Official name: 明豊高等学校(明豊中学・高等学校)
Reading: Meiho
Division/Category of Establishment: Private (co-educational). A combined junior and senior high school established by the 別府 University educational corporation.
Location: 3088 Noguchihara, 別府 City, Oita Prefecture
History: The origin is the Hoshu Girls' School, founded in 1908 (Meiji 41). The school became the 別府 University Affiliated High School in 1958, after passing through Showa Jissen Girls' School, Hoshu Higher Girls' School, Oita Girls' High School, and Jiyugaoka High School. In 1998, the Educational Corporation 別府 University and the Educational Corporation Myojo Gakuen merged, and in April 1999, Meiho Junior High School and Meiho High School opened. The two former schools closed in 2001. The school name combines "Myo" (bright) from Myojo and "Ho" (abundant) from Hoshu Girls' School.
Department.: Full-time courses: General academic course (Special Advanced class, University-High School Collaboration class, Physical Education major class), Health Nursing course, Nursing course (Advanced program), Correspondence course: General academic course.
Kendo Club: At Inter-High for the men’s team, they were runners-up for two consecutive years in 2024 (71st) and 2025 (72nd), and placed third in 2019 (66th) and 2021 (68th). In the All Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament for the men’s team, they won in 2022 (31st) and were runners-up in 2019 (28th). For the men’s individual event, Yamashita Kenki won at Inter-High in 2024. The women’s team were runners-up at Inter-High in 2022 and 2023, and placed third in 2024. They won at the All Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament in 2024 and were runners-up in 2022, 2025, and 2026. They will participate in all four divisions – men’s and women’s team and individual – at this tournament.
Notes: In school introductions, the kendo club, table tennis club, baseball club, and women’s basketball club are said to be at a national level. The baseball club was the runner-up in the 2021 Spring Koshien tournament.

Source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/明豊中学校・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.kendo.or.jp/event/koko-senbatsu-31st/↗ https://app.notion.com/p/57565c112c6a4538ac6526a5a5afc8db↗

Yokohama（横浜）

Official name: 神奈川県立横浜高等学校
Reading: Yokohama
Division/Category of Establishment: Private (Tokushin Gakuen Educational Corporation)
Location: 46-1 Noumidai-dori, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture
History: Established in March 1942 as Kenshin Gakuen Yokohama Junior High School (Old System). In March 1948, the establishment of Yokohama High School was authorized. Junior high school operations resumed in 1985, beginning integrated middle and high school education, and the high school became coeducational in April 2020.
School motto/philosophy: School Motto "Sanjo Gokun" (Sanjo: Be a person who earns trust, Value responsibility, Maintain order / Gokun: Sincerity, Total effort, Hard work, Creativity, Perseverance)
Department.: General Course (Premier / Advance / Active / 6-Year Integrated)
Kendo Club: The Kendo club has a history of appearing in the national tournament.
Notes: History, school motto, and location are to be investigated (TODO).

Source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/横浜中学校・高等学校↗

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.