The men who defeated the champions! O League Men’s Team Competition.
The O League at the fourth match venue features a team with members who defeated the previous champions. Hamana, the representative from Shizuoka Prefecture, secured their spot by defeating Iwata Higashi, the previous and 72nd Inter-High men’s team champions, in the prefectural qualifying final for the 8th Reiwa year. Joining them are Toyama Hokubu, the Hokushinetsu tournament champions who will compete in all four divisions – men’s and women’s team and individual – and Seimei Gakuin from Osaka, who have achieved consecutive appearances. It’s a round-robin format with two matches per school, and only one school will advance to the final tournament.
These three schools.
- Hamana（浜名）Shizuoka PrefectureMen's team.Men's IndividualMen's Individual: 山本 悠生Players(3Year)
- Seimei Gakuin（清明学院）Osaka Prefecture.Men's team.Women's IndividualWomen's Individual: 十河 杏Players(3Year)
- Toyama Hokubu（富山北部）Toyama Prefecture.Men's team.Girls' team.Men's IndividualWomen's IndividualMen's Individual: 佐藤 太陽Players(3Year)、八重﨑 蓮斗Players(3Year) / Women's Individual: 奥村 望乃果Players(3Year)、太田 わかばPlayers(3Year)
The one school that advanced will play against the P League winner (Higashi Fukuoka(Fukuoka), Seizan(Yamagata), Kofu Shogyo(Yamanashi)) in the first round of the finals tournament.
Highlights
Round-robin tournament between three schools; only one school advances.
The preliminary league will be a round-robin between three schools, with each school playing two matches. The team match consists of five members: Senpo, Jiho, Chuken, Fukusho, and Taisho. The winner will be decided by the number of wins, and if tied, by the number of points. In the official results 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 will advance to the knockout tournament, and if they lose even one match, their summer is over. The one school that advanced from O League will face the winner of P League in the first round of the knockout tournament.
Previous champion Iwata Higashi was defeated by Hamana.
The most noteworthy fact of this league—no, of this entire tournament—is right here. The school that won the men's team title for the first time at the 72nd Inter-High (Hiroshima) in 2025 was Iwata Higashi from Shizuoka Prefecture. However, the name Iwata Higashi is not among the participating schools in this tournament. This is because Hamana defeated Iwata Higashi to win the men's team finals in the Reiwa 8 Shizuoka Prefectural Qualifiers. Hamana, a prefectural high school, stopped the team that had stood at the top of the nation right there in their own prefectural qualifiers. In the men's individual event, 山本悠生 (3rd year, 2nd dan) will compete, and Let's Kendo reports that 野田, who placed second in the Tokai individual tournament, will support the team as Taisho.
From the Sewing Women's Academy began the prefectural school Hamana.
Hamana High School is a prefectural high school located in Nishimizono, Hamamatsu City, Hamana Ward, and is a 3-minute walk from Enshū Railway/Enshū Kobayashi Station. It was founded in 1913 as "Kitahama Sewing Women's Academy," and in 1947, Kitahama Higher Girls' School and Kasai Higher Girls' School merged. In the following year, 1948, it became the current Hamana High School. It moved to its current location in 1962. It offers only general academic courses in both full-time and part-time programs. The school motto is "志 はるかなれこそ 若き日を かくこそ惜しめ." This prefectural general high school, which does not have a special kendo department or course, defeated the previous champion and came to Nara.
North Shinetsu region champion・Toyama Hokubu will participate in all four divisions.
Toyama Prefectural Toyama Hokubu High School in Hasumachi, Toyama City, is a leading representative of the Hokushinetsu region, described by Let's Kendo as the "Hokushinetsu Champion." In this tournament, they are competing in all four categories—men's team, women's team, men's individual, and women's individual—sending 佐藤太陽 and 八重﨑蓮斗 for the men's individual, and 奥村望乃果 and 太田わかば for the women's individual. Its roots trace back to the Higashi 岩瀬 Town Higashi 岩瀬 Vocational Supplementary School in 1916, and it was established in its current form on September 1, 1948, through the merger of high schools. In April 2020, it merged and reorganized with Prefectural Mizuhashi High School to open as the new Toyama Hokubu High School. In addition to the General Course (including the Physical Education course), it has a Medicine and Bio Course and an Information Design Course.
Be strong, be honest, be kind —Seimei Gakuin
The private Seimei Gakuin High School in Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, was established in 1941 as Osaka Sumiyoshi Girls' School, changed to a commercial school in 1944, and to a higher girls' school in 1946, before becoming Sumiyoshi Gakuen High School with the school system reform of 1948. It was renamed to its current name in 2000 along with the introduction of co-education. The school motto is "Be strong, be correct, be kind," and the school promotes "becoming a person needed by others." In this tournament, they are participating in the men's team and women's individual (十河杏 player) events, and Let's Kendo reports consecutive participation from Osaka. An official page listing the kendo club's national tournament results could not be found.
The next opponent of the men who defeated the champions.
A school that advanced through the O League will face the winner of the P League in the first round of the final tournament. Those in the P League are Kofu Shogyo (Yamanashi), which won the men's team title at the 4th Inter-High in 1957, and Higashi Fukuoka (Fukuoka), which was runner-up at this spring's All-Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament. Hamana, which defeated the previous champion Iwata Higashi in the prefectural qualifiers, and Kofu Shogyo, the national champion 69 years ago. Or Higashi Fukuoka, second place nationally this spring. No matter the pairing, the team the O League winner faces first will be a team carrying the weight of the nation.
Live broadcast「The men who defeated the champions! O League Men’s Team Competition.」
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Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
Hamana, Toyama Hokubu, Seimei Gakuin—to the three schools of the O League. Hamana and 山本悠生 player, who won through the prefectural qualifying final to reach Nara. With the name of Toyama on their backs in all four divisions, 佐藤太陽 player and 八重﨑蓮斗 player line up in Toyama Hokubu. With "Be strong, be just, be kind" in their hearts, Seimei Gakuin and 十河杏 player came from Osaka. The path to get here has been different for each of the three schools, but they are all swordsmen pursuing the same ippon when they stand on the floor. In a round-robin tournament, two schools will be eliminated on the first day. Even so, the hundreds of days spent preparing for those two matches cannot be taken away by anyone. Please show everything you have built up as it is.
To the five members from Senpo to Taisho.
A prefectural general high school without a specialized kendo course stopped the previous Inter-High champion in the prefectural qualifying finals. Five people brought Hamana to this point. Those listed for the men's individual are 山本悠生 from Hamana, and 佐藤太陽 and 八重﨑蓮斗 from Toyama Hokubu. Seimei Gakuin is not yet listed, but that is simply because each prefecture only has two slots. It is reported that the Taisho for Hamana is 野田, who placed second in the Tokai individual. The team competition is a five-person system from Senpo to Taisho. On August 2nd, once the orders are read, the names of fifteen people from three schools will be complete. Please let me hear those names in Nara.
School Information
Hamana（浜名）
- Official name
- 静岡県立浜名高等学校
- Reading
- Hamana
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Shizuoka Prefectural (Public)
- Location
- Shizuoka Prefecture, Hamamatsu City Hamana Ward, Nishimizono 2939-1 (3-minute walk from Enshu-Kobayashi Station on the Enshu Railway)
- History
- Founded in 1913 as Kitahama Sewing Women's Academy. In 1947, Kitahama Higher Girls' School and Kasai Higher Girls' School merged, and in 1948, it became the current Hamana High School. It moved to the present location in 1962, and the new school building was completed in 1996.
- School motto/philosophy
- Our school motto is “A far-reaching ambition is what makes youth precious – cherish these days.”
- Department.
- Full-time course, General Studies; Part-time course, General Studies.
- Kendo Club
- In the boys' team final of the Reiwa 8 Shizuoka Prefecture qualifiers, they defeated Iwata Higashi, the previous (72nd) Inter-High boys' team champion, to win the title and secure a spot in the Inter-High. The boys' individual representative is 山本悠生 (3rd year, 2nd dan). Let's Kendo reports that 野田, who placed second in the Tokai individual competition, supports the team as Taisho. The school's official kendo club achievements page could not be confirmed.
- Notes
- "Hamanaka." A private school in Shizuoka Prefecture, different from Hamamatsu Gakuen Iwata Higashi.
Seimei Gakuin（清明学院）
- Official name
- 清明学院高等学校
- Reading
- Seimei Gakuin
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (coeducational)
- Location
- 2-4-4 Sumie, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture.
- History
- Founded in April 1941 as Osaka Sumiyoshi Girls' School. It was renamed a commercial school in 1944 and a higher girls' school in 1946, and became Sumiyoshi Gakuen High School with the school system reform of 1948. In 2000, it was renamed to the current Seimei Gakuin High School along with the introduction of coeducation.
- School motto/philosophy
- The school motto is "Be strong, be upright, be kind." The school aims to cultivate "people who are needed by others – people with the strength to live strongly, uprightly, and kindly."
- Department.
- General academic courses (Science and Humanities Special Advancement Course, Nursing and Medical Special Advancement Course, General Course)
- Kendo Club
- In fiscal year 2026, they advanced to Inter-High in the men's team by winning the Osaka Prefecture qualifying tournament. Let's Kendo reports that they "achieved consecutive Inter-High appearances from Osaka" Seimei Gakuin. This tournament will feature the men's team and the women's individual event (十河杏 player, 3rd year, 2nd dan). We were unable to find the school's official page listing the kendo club's national tournament results.
- Notes
- Formerly known as Sumiyoshi Gakuen High School. It originated from Osaka Sumiyoshi Women's School.
Toyama Hokubu（富山北部）
- Official name
- 富山県立富山北部高等学校
- Reading
- Toyama Hokubu
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Toyama Prefectural (Public)
- Location
- 4-3-20, Hotomachi, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture
- History
- Originating from the Higashi 岩瀬 Municipal Higashi 岩瀬 Vocational Supplementary School in 1916, it was established through the integration of high schools on September 1, 1948. In April 2020, it merged and reorganized with Toyama Prefectural Mizuhashi High School, opening as the new Toyama Prefectural Toyama Hokubu High School.
- School motto/philosophy
- The school motto is “Integrity, boldness, self-governance, and perfecting the mind to forge a path” (inherited from Mizuhashi High School on May 31, 2021).
- Department.
- General studies (including the physical education course), pharmaceutical and biological sciences, and information design.
- Kendo Club
- Let's Kendo reports “Northern Shinetsu region champion・Toyama Hokubu”. In this tournament, they will participate as Toyama Prefecture representatives in all four categories: men’s team, women’s team, men’s individual, and women’s individual. The men’s individual representatives are 佐藤太陽 and 八重﨑蓮斗, and the women’s individual representatives are 奥村望乃果 and 太田わかば. We were unable to confirm the official school kendo club results page.
- Notes
- The new Toyama Hokubu High School, which reorganized and integrated with Mizuhashi High School in 2020.
・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. ↗
・Wikipedia National High School Kendo Tournament (Inter-High Past Results) ↗
・Wikipedia Shizuoka Prefectural Hamana High School ↗
・Wikipedia Seimei Gakuin High School ↗
・Seimei Gakuin High School Official Site ↗
・Wikipedia Toyama Prefectural Toyama Hokubu High School ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Hamana High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating School Library Seimei Gakuin High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating School Library Toyama Hokubu High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・72nd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament (Hiroshima 2025) – Tournament Quick Report ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- League formation (Hamana・Seimei Gakuin・Toyama Hokubu), fourth venue, individual competition participants from each school, the O vs. P match in the final tournament is in data/2026/league_briefs.json and data/2026/kumiawase.json (based on the official PDF).
- "Hamana, who secured a spot from the spotlight of Shizuoka, and 野田, the Tokai individual runner-up, as Taisho," "Seimei Gakuin, appearing consecutively from Osaka," and "the Hokushinetsu champion, Toyama Hokubu" are in the highlights section of the Let's Kendo Nara Inter-High bracket article.
- Hamana defeated Iwata Higashi in the men's team final of the Shizuoka Prefecture qualifiers for the Reiwa 8 academic year and secured a spot, as reported in the same article on Let's Kendo and the school-specific Notion page.
- Iwata Higashi achieved its first victory in the men's team event at the 72nd National High School General Sports Tournament Kendo Competition, as recorded in the historical results table of the Wikipedia article “National High School Kendo Tournament.”
- Each school’s name pronunciation and participation category can be found on the school-specific page of the Notion “2026 Inter-High Kendo Participating Schools Library.”
- Hamana’s founding history (1913 Kitahama Sewing Women’s School) · location · departments · school motto are on Wikipedia.
- Seimei Gakuin’s founding history, departments, and school motto “Be strong, be just, be kind” are on Wikipedia, and the expression of the philosophy is on the school’s official website.
- Origins of Toyama Hokubu (1916 East 岩瀬 Vocational School) / Established through merger in 1948 / Reorganization and merger with Mizuhashi High School in 2020 / Departments / School motto are on Wikipedia
- P League's Kofu Shogyo won the boys' team championship at the 4th Inter-High in 1957, and Higashi Fukuoka was second in the All-Japan Selected Players Tournament, according to the Wikipedia article "All Japan High School Kendo Tournament" and Let's Kendo.
- 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)).
- The players' names have not yet been confirmed, so furigana are not included.
- 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 opponents for the first round of the knockout tournament will be determined once the qualifying schools from both leagues are decided.
- Note: Hamana, Seimei Gakuin, and Toyama Hokubu all lack verifiable official pages recording their kendo club’s national tournament results, so only confirmed facts are listed.
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.