Women's Individual Semifinals Court 2 Section1Match

Encho 3 (extension) — Yoshimura（吉村） wins

📅 August 2–5, 2026 📍 Lotto Arena Nara

The semifinals of the 73rd National High School Kendo Championships girls' individual event were held, featuring a match between Yoshimura（吉村） and Horie（堀江）. There were no valid strikes within the regulation time or the first and Encho 2s, and the match was decided in Encho 3 when Yoshimura scored a men. The match lasted 12 minutes and 10 seconds, with Yoshimura emerging as the winner.

Matchup

Red Yoshimura Kizuna（吉村絆那） / Moriya（守谷） / Ibaraki3rd Year 2nd dan
Moriya's Yoshimura（吉村）. A 3rd-year 2nd-dan, competing in the 2026 women's individual.
White Horie Sana（堀江紗奈） / Miyazaki Nichidai（宮崎日大） / Miyazaki3rd Year 2nd dan
Miyazaki Nichidai's Horie（堀江）. A 3rd-year 2nd-dan, competing in the 2026 women's individual.

Highlights

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

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

A long war of attrition lasting 12 minutes and 10 seconds

Live commentary video

Valid strike

#	Situation	Red and White	Players	Technique
1	Encho 3	Red	Yoshimura（吉村）	Men

Conclusion: Encho 3
Match time: 12:10
Winner: Yoshimura（吉村）（Red）
Foul: No record

Text Commentary

Commentary
剣持翔

The 73rd National High School Kendo Championships, Women's Individual Semifinals. Court 2, Match 1.

Explanation
堂島厳

The highlight is the war of attrition that remained undecided until Encho 3, resulting in a long match lasting 12 minutes and 10 seconds.

Commentary
剣持翔

Red is Moriya's Yoshimura（吉村）, and white is Miyazaki Nichidai's Horie（堀江）. Both continue to deliver sharp strikes.

Explanation
堂島厳

Neither side is leaving any openings, and the offense and defense are unfolding at a very high level.

Commentary
剣持翔

Neither side scored a valid strike within the regulation time, 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, then second. Still, no valid strike is landed. The match continues to drag on.

Explanation
堂島厳

Who will break first. Their concentration is being tested in an extreme state.

Commentary
剣持翔

And then came Encho 3. Finally, the deadlock has been broken!

Commentary
剣持翔

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

Explanation
堂島厳

The timing was perfect. All that persistence led up to this ippon.

Commentary
剣持翔

Match time 12 minutes 10 seconds. With the winning point in Encho 3, Yoshimura（吉村） scored a men and decided the match.

Explanation
堂島厳

They won a grueling war of attrition. It can be said that this was the result of Yoshimura（吉村）'s tenacity paying off.

Commentary
剣持翔

The one who advanced is Moriya's Yoshimura（吉村）! Having won a fierce battle, they move on to the finals!

To both players

A brilliant victory for Yoshimura（吉村）, who prevailed in a fierce battle. We commend the fighting spirit of Horie（堀江）, who fought until the very end without giving up. Let's give a round of applause for the brave performance 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)

Miyazaki Nichidai（宮崎日大）

Official name: 宮崎日本大学高等学校
Reading: Miyazaki Nichidai
Division/Category of Establishment: Private (Miyazaki Nihon University Gakuen Educational Corporation)
Location: 6822-2 Shimanouchi, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture
History: Miyazaki Nihon University High School opened on April 1, 1963. Miyazaki Nihon University Junior High School opened on April 1, 1986, beginning integrated junior and senior high school education, and the school became the Educational Corporation Miyazaki Nihon University Gakuen in the same year. The English Department and Secretarial Department were established in 1988, the Special Advanced Course in 1993, and the Arts Department in 2008.
School motto/philosophy: The school motto is "Bright, Strong, and Upright."
Department.: Full-time course 5 departments (Special Advanced Course, General Advanced Course, English Advanced Course, Arts Department, ICT Solution Department)
Kendo Club: Men's and women's kendo are designated as reinforced clubs. The official website states, "FY2024 Prefectural High School First-Year Tournament: Boys' Team 3rd Place," "Same for Girls' Team 3rd Place," and "25th Prefectural High School Selected Kendo Tournament: Girls' Team 3rd Place." The club motto is "A thousand days of training, one moment of victory."
Notes: History, school motto, and location are to be investigated (TODO).

Source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/宮崎日本大学中学校・高等学校↗ https://www.m-nichidai.com/highschool/high_club/↗

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.