Women's Individual Round 4 Court 4 Section7Match

Encho 1 (extension) — Sakurai（櫻井） wins

📅 August 2–5, 2026 📍 Lotto Arena Nara

The 4th round of the women's individual event at the 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament took place, with the match lasting 6 minutes and 40 seconds. Within the regulation time, Sakurai（櫻井） in white scored a do and Omura（小村） in red scored a men; Sakurai then scored the winning men during Encho 1. As a result, the winner was Sakurai.

Matchup

Red Omura Sora（小村そら） / Taisha（大社） / Shimane3rd Year 3rd dan
Taisha's Omura（小村） is a 3rd-year 3rd-dan. Taisha placed 3rd in the girls' team event at the 35th All Japan High School Kendo Selected Tournament in March 2026.
White Sakurai Nana（櫻井菜成） / Moriya（守谷） / Ibaraki3rd Year 2nd dan
Moriya's Sakurai（櫻井） is a 3rd year 2nd dan.

Highlights

It became a fierce exchange where both players scored an ippon within the time limit.

The match went into encho, and the close battle continued until the 6 minute 40 second mark.

The match was decided by a men strike for the winning point in Encho 1.

Live commentary video

Valid strike

#	Situation	Red and White	Players	Technique
1	Within the time limit	White	Sakurai（櫻井）	Do
2	Within the time limit	Red	Omura（小村）	Men
3	Encho 1	White	Sakurai（櫻井）	Men

Conclusion: Encho 1
Match time: 6:40
Winner: Sakurai（櫻井）（White）
Foul: No record

Text Commentary

Commentary
剣持翔

Court 4, Match 7. Taisha Omura（小村） vs Moriya Sakurai（櫻井）. An exciting exchange of strikes is expected from both sides!

Explanation
堂島厳

Both have a strong offensive mindset, so it looks like it will be an intense match.

Commentary
剣持翔

Match start! Both sides exchange fierce blows, and the one in white moves first! Sakurai（櫻井） scores with a do!

Explanation
堂島厳

It was a sharp step-in. Sakurai（櫻井） scores first.

Commentary
剣持翔

Red's Omura（小村）, launching a counterattack from here! A sharp strike, Men!

Explanation
堂島厳

Omura（小村） landed a solid men strike. This ties the score, and the match is back to square one.

Commentary
剣持翔

No winner was decided within the regulation time, and the match goes into encho!

Explanation
堂島厳

From here, it is a battle of mental strength. A single moment of weakness will determine the outcome.

Commentary
剣持翔

Encho 1, a stalemate of relentless offense and defense continues. Then, white's Sakurai（櫻井） scores a men!

Explanation
堂島厳

It was a perfect men. This will be the winning point.

Commentary
剣持翔

Match time 6 minutes 40 seconds. Sakurai（櫻井） in white scored a men and won brilliantly!

Explanation
堂島厳

Sakurai（櫻井） played with great focus until the very end; it was a wonderful way to win.

To both players

Applause for Sakurai（櫻井）, who achieved a brilliant victory. We commend the fighting spirit of Omura（小村）, who fought until the end without giving up. We look forward to the further growth of both players.

Taisha（大社）

Official name: 島根県立大社高等学校
Reading: Taisha
Division/Category of Establishment: Shimane Prefectural (Co-educational)
Location: Shimane Prefecture, Izumo City Taisha Kitahara-ki 1473
History: Founded in 1898 (Meiji 31) as the Shimane Prefectural Hikawa Normal Junior High School under the jurisdiction of Hikawa District. A women's school (practical training school) was established in 1909. In 1948, it split into First and Second High Schools, and in 1949, it was integrated to become the Shimane Prefectural Taisha High School, a coeducational institution. A physical education course was established in 1973, and it moved to the Hamayama New School Building in 1980.
Department.: General studies and physical education (the only high school in Shimane Prefecture with a physical education program).
Kendo Club: In March 2026, the team placed third in the women’s team event at the 35th All-Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament (Kasugai City General Gymnasium). They also placed third in the women’s team event at the 2010 Okinawa Inter-High. The club has 25 male and 13 female members, and promotes “Goal: To be the best in Japan, Purpose: Character development,” emphasizing both academic and martial arts excellence, as well as a fulfilling lifestyle. At this tournament, they competed in all four categories: men’s team, women’s team, men’s individual, and women’s individual.
Notes: The school name is derived from Izumo Taisha. It is read as "Taisha".

Source: https://www.kendo.or.jp/event/koko-senbatsu-35th/↗ https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/島根県立大社高等学校↗ https://www.taisha.ed.jp/about/p162↗ https://www.taisha.ed.jp/club/sports/kendo_club/↗ https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/全国高等学校剣道大会↗ https://app.notion.com/p/e8a509313ae343e3927914d1215c0d05↗

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)

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.