A 67-year rivalry! J.League.
The J-League at the third court consists of three schools: Akitashogyo (Akita), which won the Inter-High boys' team championship in 1958 and also won the Kaiseiki, Tohoku Tournament, and Koryo Cup this year; Kyotokogakuin (Kyoto), which was formed in 2016 through the merger of Rakuyo Kogyo and Fushimi Kogyo and is making its first appearance; and Saku Chosei (Nagano), a nationwide sports school with a dormitory system. Each school will play two matches in a round-robin format, and only one school will advance to the final tournament. If they break through, they will face the winner of the I-League, where Kogota Norin, who defeated Akitashogyo 67 years ago, awaits.
These three schools.
- Kyotokogakuin（京都工学院）Kyoto Prefecture.Men's team.
- Akita Sho（秋田商）Akita PrefectureMen's team.Men's IndividualMen's Individual: 小野 翔Players(3Year)、三浦 歩Players(3Year)
- Saku Chosei（佐久長聖）Nagano Prefecture.Men's team.Girls' team.Men's IndividualMen's Individual: 成澤 輝空Players(1Year)
The one school that breaks through will face the I-League winners (Ikuei(Hyogo), Naradai Fuzoku(Nara), Kogota Norin(Miyagi)) in the first round of the final tournament.
Highlights
Round-robin tournament between three schools; only one school advances.
The preliminary league is a round-robin between three schools, with each school playing two matches. The team match is a five-person system of Senpo, Jiho, Chuken, Fukusho, and Taisho, and the winner is decided by the number of wins, and if tied, by the number of points. In the quick report of the previous tournament, the number of wins and points were listed together, such as "3(6)-1(2)". Only one school from each league can advance to the knockout tournament, and if you lose even one of the two matches, your summer is over. According to Let's KendoAkitashogyo, they will play against Kyotokogakuin in the first league match and Saku Chosei in the second match.
1958 champion・Akitashogyo
Akita City Akitashogyo Industry High School is a champion school, having won the 5th Inter-High men's team competition in 1958. The event was held in its home prefecture, Akita. They were runners-up in both the 1st (1954) and 6th (1959) competitions, and most recently runners-up in the 68th competition in 2021, making them a school that has reached the men's team final four times. In the men's individual competition, 山田薫 won in 1993 and 加藤峻一郎 was runner-up in 2012. Founded in 1920, it is a specialized school with only a commercial course, and its school motto is "Gratitude, Diligence, and Training."
Our opponent from the final 67 years ago is in League I.
The opponent Akitashogyo lost to in the final of the 6th Inter-High (Kumamoto) in 1959 was Kogota Norin from Miyagi. That Kogota Norin is in the adjacent I-League in this tournament. Based on the bracket, the winners of the I-League and J-League will face each other in the first round of the final tournament. In other words, if both schools break through their respective leagues, that final matchup will be recreated after 67 years. For Akitashogyo, this is the opponent that blocked their consecutive championships, and there could be no greater motivation to win the league.
This year, entering in a triple crown state Akitashogyo.
According to Kendo highlights, Akitashogyo has already won the Kaisei-ki Tournament National High School Kendo Tournament and the Tohoku Tournament this season. Furthermore, they won the men's team event at the 15th Koryo Cup National Selected Kendo Tournament in April 2026, defeating Goshogawara Daiichi 1-0 in the final. The team is structured around Taisho・小野翔 (3rd year, 3rd dan), supported by 三浦歩 (3rd year, 3rd dan), who finished 2nd in the Tohoku Tournament individual event. Both of these players have also qualified for the two men's individual spots from Akita Prefecture.
First appearance・Kyotokogakuin is a successor school to “School Wars”
Kyoto City Kyotokogakuin High School opened in April 2016. It is a new municipal industrial high school, born from the integration of the full-time courses of Kyoto City Rakuyo Industrial High School and Kyoto City Fushimi Industrial High School, and is still only 10 years old. There is also a story that "Fushimi Industrial" received the most votes in the public naming contest. The lineage of the Fushimi Industrial rugby club is now carried on by the Kyotokogakuin rugby club, a team that served as the model for the drama *School☆Wars*. This is the kendo team’s first appearance at Inter-High.
Training at the dormitory Saku Chosei, individuals are first-year students.
Nagasaki Prefecture Saku City’s private Saku Chosei High School opened in 1964 as Saku High School and became its current name in 1995 after being the first school in the prefecture to begin integrated middle and high school education. It is a member of the National Association of Private Boarding Schools, and about half of the students live in dormitories. The slogan it has promoted since 1991 is “University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Koshien.” The kendo team won the Nagano Prefecture qualifying round of the All-Japan Selected Kendo Tournament in January 2025 for the third year in a row, marking their seventh overall victory. In this tournament, they will participate in the men’s team, women’s team, and men’s individual events, with 成澤輝空 (second dan) as the men’s individual competitor.
Live broadcast「A 67-year rivalry! J.League.」
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Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
Akitashogyo, Kyotokogakuin, Saku Chosei—to three schools in J League. The swords of the Tohoku region honed by 小野翔 and 三浦歩 players. Kyotokogakuin steps onto the national floor with a blank slate of their first appearance. Saku Chosei, who has repeated morning practice at the dormitory, and 成澤輝空 player, who challenges Nara as a first-year student. Although the paths they have taken are completely different, they now stand on the same battlefield. In league matches, two schools disappear on the first day in a round-robin format—that is the cruelty of the league—but both breathing the national air for the first time and returning with old memories are equally honorable challenges. Before the results, respect for the challenge itself.
To the five members from Senpo to Taisho.
Currently, the names appearing on the match list are 小野翔 and 三浦歩 from Akitashogyo, and 成澤輝空 from Saku Chosei. Players who will also participate in the individual competition are listed first, so Kyotokogakuin’s name has not appeared yet. However, once the matches begin on August 2nd, the order will be announced, and the names of all five players, from Senpo to Taisho, will echo throughout the venue. There won’t be a single player whose name isn’t called. We simply don’t know them yet. Someone will create momentum, someone will receive it, and someone will deliver the final blow. There will definitely be moments where that ippon leads to a team win. Fifteen players from three schools – everyone is the protagonist. Please let us hear those names in Nara.
School Information
Kyotokogakuin（京都工学院）
- Official name
- 京都市立京都工学院高等学校
- Reading
- Kyotokogakuin
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Kyoto City School (co-educational). School district covers all of Kyoto Prefecture.
- Location
- 23, Nishideyama-cho, Fukakusa, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture.
- History
- Opened on April 8, 2016 (Heisei 28). The school was established on the site previously occupied by Ritsumeikan Junior and Senior High School after they relocated, following the merger of Kyoto City Rakuyo Industrial High School and Kyoto City Fushimi Industrial High School’s full-time courses. All grades were present in April 2018, marking the completion of the school’s establishment. A public naming contest received 725 submissions, with “Fushimi Industrial” receiving the most votes.
- Department.
- Department of Engineering (Engineering/Manufacturing & City Planning streams), Frontier Science Program (University Preparatory Specialized Course)
- Kendo Club
- Having won the Kyoto Prefecture qualifiers, they will participate in the 2026 Inter-High in the men’s team event. According to the Let's Kendo team roster article, the school, which gained its current name through school reorganization, will be making its first Inter-High appearance. It should be noted that the school’s rugby club was a nationally renowned powerhouse since the days of its predecessor, Fushimi Kogyo, and was the model for the drama *School Wars*.
- Notes
- The history, number of club members, and past results of the kendo club could not be confirmed through publicly available information.
Akita Sho（秋田商）
- Official name
- 秋田市立秋田商業高等学校
- Reading
- Akita Sho
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Akita City (Coeducational)
- Location
- Akita Prefecture Akita City Araya Katto 1-1-1
- History
- In July 1919 (Taisho 8), the Akita City Council resolved to establish 秋田市商業学校 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the city’s founding. Approval for its establishment was granted in 1920 (Taisho 9), and it opened on April 25th of the same year. It was renamed to its current name in 1961. It is the oldest commercial high school in Akita.
- School motto/philosophy
- School motto: "Gratitude, Diligence, and Training." Based on the spirit of the "Three Principles of the School Motto" established in April 1920 by the first principal, Yoshisuke Kuronuma, it was revised to its current form in April 2002 to commemorate the school's 80th anniversary.
- Department.
- The Commercial Department (Accounting Course, Distribution Economics Course, Information Course). As of April 1, 2024, the total enrollment is 622 students.
- Kendo Club
- Won the Inter-High boys' team event in 1958 (5th, Akita), runner-up in 1954 (1st, Tochigi), 1959 (6th, Kumamoto), and 2021 (68th, 石川). In the boys' individual event, 山田薫 won in 1993, and 加藤峻一郎 was runner-up in 2012. In the 15th Koryo Cup National Selected Kendo Tournament in April 2026, they won the boys' team event (final 1-0 Goshogawara Daiichi). This season, they also won the Kaiseiki and the Tohoku tournament. This tournament centers around Taisho 小野翔 and 三浦歩, who placed 2nd in the Tohoku individual event.
- Notes
- Commonly known as "Akisho". The Inter-High men's team consecutive victories of 1967 and 1968 were also at Akita High School in Akita Prefecture, a school separate from Akitashogyo business.
Saku Chosei（佐久長聖）
- Official name
- 佐久長聖高等学校
- Reading
- Saku Chosei
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (coeducational). Established by the Nagasei School Corporation.
- Location
- 951 Iwamurada, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture.
- History
- 1964 (Showa 39), the school was founded as Saku High School by the Saku Gakuen school corporation. In 1995 (Heisei 7), Saku Chosei Junior High School was established, beginning the first integrated junior and senior high school education in Nagano Prefecture, and the school was renamed to Saku Chosei High School.
- School motto/philosophy
- Since 1991, the school has operated under the slogan “University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and Koshien.” It is a member of the National Federation of Private Boarding Schools, and approximately half of the students live in dormitories (called “Kan”).
- Department.
- General studies course.
- Kendo Club
- In the Nagano Prefecture qualifying tournament for the All Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament in January 2025, the boys’ team won for the 7th consecutive year, and 3rd time in a row. The school’s official website’s list of club activities records participation in both the All Japan Selection Tournament and Inter-High for the 2024 and 2025 academic years. In this tournament, they participated in the boys’ team, girls’ team, and boys’ individual events, with 成澤輝空 (2nd dan) as a first-year student in the boys’ individual event.
- Notes
- The school boasts nationally-ranked clubs in events such as Ekiden and skating, and the hardball baseball team has made 10 appearances in the Spring and Summer National High School Baseball Championships, in addition to its strong kendo program.
・National High School Kendo Tournament Official Website (Tournament Updates) ↗
・Let's Kendo [Matchups] August 2nd - 5th, 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament / Nara Inter-High 2026. ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Kyotokogakuin High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Akitashogyo High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Saku Chosei High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Wikipedia National High School General Sports Tournament Kendo Competition (Past Results) ↗
・Wikipedia Akita City Akitashogyo Industry High School ↗
・Akita City Akitashogyo Industrial High School School Overview ↗
・Akita City Akitashogyo Industrial High School Club Activities ↗
・Wikipedia Kyoto City Kyotokogakuin High School ↗
・Wikipedia Saku Chosei middle and high school ↗
・Saku ChoseiJunior High and High School Club Activities ↗
・Goshogawara Daiichi High School Kendo Club (15th Koryo Cup Final Results) ↗
・72nd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament (Hiroshima 2025) – Tournament Quick Report ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- League formation (Kyotokogakuin・Akitashogyo・Saku Chosei), third match venue, individual competition participants from each school, I vs J match in the final tournament is data/2026/kumiawase.json (based on the official PDF)
- "Won the Kaisei-ki/Tohoku Tournament Akitashogyo" "Kyotokogakuin is their first appearance" "Akitashogyo is centered around Taisho・小野, supported by Tohoku individual second place・三浦" "Kogakuin in the first league match, Saku Chosei in the second match" is the highlight section of the Let's Kendo Nara Inter-High combination article.
- Each school's official name, type of institution, location, pronunciation, and qualification for participation can be found on the school-specific page in the Notion "2026 Inter-High Kendo Participating Schools Library."
- Akitashogyo's Inter-High boys' team 1958 champion, 1954/1959/2021 runner-up, and boys' individual 1993 champion (山田薫) and 2012 runner-up (加藤峻一郎) are in the historical results table of Wikipedia's "All Japan High School Athletic Meet Kendo Tournament" (5th = champion, 6th = champion Kogota Norin / runner-up Akitashogyo業)
- Akitashogyo’s founding history, founder, departments, and location are on Wikipedia; the origin of the school motto “Gratitude, Diligence, Training” and the enrollment of 622 students are on the school overview page of the school’s official website.
- Akitashogyo’s 15th Koryo Cup All-Japan Selected Kendo Tournament Men’s Team Championship (Final 1-0 Goshogawara Daiichi) is Notion school page (Goshogawara Daiichi High School Kendo Club official website as a source)
- Kyotokogakuin’s founding in 2016, the merger of Rokuyo Industrial and Fushimi Industrial, academic departments, location, the process of publicly soliciting a school name, and the fact that the rugby club was the model for “School Wars” are on Wikipedia.
- Saku Chosei opened in 1964, became a junior and senior high school in 1995, has a boarding system, and its slogan is on Wikipedia. The Nagano Prefecture preliminaries for the National Selection Tournament were won for the 7th time in a row for 3 years, and its history of participation in the national tournament is on the high school club activities page of the school's official website.
- School names are read as indicated in the Notion participating schools library’s reading column. As the reading for player names is unconfirmed, only the surname will be read in the audio.
- For team matches with five players, and judging based on the number of wins (points), please refer to the score notation on the official results website for the 2025 Hiroshima Tournament (e.g., 3(6)-1(2)).
- Since this is before the tournament, I have not described any details of the matches – the attacks and defenses, wins and losses, or rankings. Only facts that can be read from the pairings and previously reported results are included.
- *The "rematch after 67 years" refers to the possibility if both Akitashogyo and Kogota Norin advance from their respective leagues; a match has not been confirmed.
- Note that the two consecutive Inter-High men's team championships in 1967 and 1968 were achieved by Akita Prefectural Akita High School and are not Akitashogyo achievements. Due to confusion in some school introduction articles, this paper does not adopt them.
Please note that the commentary and analysis are AI-generated content based on the facts listed above. As this is before the tournament, there is no description of the matches, attacks and defenses, or wins and losses. Please excuse any errors in reading or notation.