The individual competition begins! Men's Individual - Block 1.
This Block 1 is the very first to be called for the boys' individual competition. The first round features 竹津裕真 from 石川・Kanazawa Sakuragaoka against 嶋津蓮 from Yamagata・Yonezawa Chuo. The winner will face the seeded 辻康佑 (Kannabe Asahi Hiroshima) in the second round. 辻 took 1st place in the individual competition at the 79th Hiroshima Prefectural High School General Athletic Meet Kendo in June. 竹津 is a dual-threat competitor, appearing both here and as a member of Kanazawa Sakuragaoka in the boys' team qualifying league F. 嶋津 is the only 3rd-year student in this group and holds a 3rd dan rank. One person who advances from No. 1–24 of the first match court will move on to the best 4.
The first three players in this block.
- No.1 辻 康佑広島県Seeded (advancing from the second round)Kannabe Asahi（神辺旭）／2Year・二Rank.
- No.2 竹津 裕真石川県Kanazawa Sakuragaoka（金沢桜丘）／2Year・二Rank.
- No.3 嶋津 蓮山形県Yonezawa Chuo（米沢中央）／3Year・三Rank.
Round 1: No.2 竹津 裕真(Kanazawa Sakuragaoka) vs. No.3 嶋津 蓮(Yonezawa Chuo)
Round 2: Winner of round 1 vs. No.1 辻 康佑(Kannabe Asahi)
In the individual competition, the 96 participants will be divided into blocks of three. One member from each block will receive a bye and begin competing in the second round. The first competition area will feature blocks numbered 1 through 24, and the winner from these blocks will advance to the semi-finals.
Highlights
Teams of three, with 辻選手 as the seeded player.
The 96 individual competitors are divided into groups of three, with one competitor in each group receiving a seed and starting from the second round. In the first block, the first round match is between player No. 2 竹津裕真 (Kanazawa Sakuragaoka) and player No. 3 嶋津蓮 (Yonezawa Chuo), and the winner will compete in the second round against player No. 1 辻康佑 (Kannabe Asahi). From the first match venue, the top 24 players from eight blocks will advance to the best four.
Hiroshima Prefecture Inter-High 1st place—辻康佑 player, 2nd year
辻康佑 (2nd year, 2nd dan) finished 1st in the men's individual competition of the 79th Hiroshima Prefectural High School Comprehensive Sports Tournament Kendo on June 14, 2026. According to an article by RCC China Broadcasting, the top two players in this tournament qualify for Inter-High. Hiroshima Prefectural Kannabe Asahi High School is a prefectural school that opened in Tokuda, Kamiabe-cho, Fukaasa-gun in 1980, and is currently located in Kamiabe-cho, Fukuyama City. It has general and physical education courses, and its school motto is "One day, one life," with the behavioral goal of "Let's fulfill our duties before us." Notably, Masataka Tsuji, who won the individual competition in the Chugoku Championships Prefectural Qualifiers in 2024, attended the same school, but is a different player from 辻康佑.
Both team and individual two-sword style—Kanazawa Sakuragaoka’s 竹津裕真 player
竹津裕真 (2nd year, 2nd dan) will also compete in the boys' team qualifying league F as a member of Kanazawa Sakuragaoka. 石川 Prefectural Kanazawa Sakuragaoka High School was established in 1921 as 石川 Prefectural Kanazawa Third Middle School, and moved to its current location in Ohi-cho, Kanazawa City in 1923. In 1949, it merged with 石川 Prefectural Kanazawa Third High School to become its current name. The school motto is "Simplicity and Fortitude." The first match of the individual competition takes place in the summer, running concurrently with the team competition.
The only third-year Sandan in this pairing—player 嶋津蓮 of Yonezawa Chuo.
嶋津蓮 (3rd year・3rd dan) is the only 3rd year student and the only 3rd dan in this block. Yonezawa Chuo High School is a private school founded in 1922 (Taisho 11), and the establishing corporation is Shino Gakuen School Corporation. The school's founding principle is "Actions stemming from intellect are frivolous, actions stemming from feeling are sincere." The kendo club's results in national tournaments could not be confirmed from publicly available information. In this tournament, they are only participating in the individual male event and will not participate in the team event.
The three players who won through the prefecture's two qualifying spots.
The quota for the individual competition is two players per prefecture. These three players are those who won their respective prefectural qualifiers from Hiroshima, 石川, and Yamagata. Of these three, only one can remain on the Nara floor from the second day onward, and two will leave this stage in the first match.
Live broadcast「The individual competition begins! Men's Individual - Block 1.」
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
咲間 ひかり
咲間 ひかり
咲間 ひかり
咲間 ひかり
咲間 ひかり
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
Good luck, 辻康佑. Good luck, 竹津裕真. Good luck, 嶋津蓮. These three are the first to be called for the boys' individual competition. Tsuji from Hiroshima's Kannabe Asahi is a second-year student who reached the top of the prefecture at the prefectural high school championships in June. 竹津 from 石川's Kanazawa Sakuragaoka is a nitoryu practitioner who will also fight the same summer in the team qualifying league F. 嶋津 from Yamagata's Yonezawa Chuo is the only third-year student in this group and holds a third-dan rank. In the individual competition, you stand on the match court all alone. There are no teammates beside you to exchange words of encouragement. But you are not alone. Your respective hometowns in Hiroshima, 石川, and Yamagata are waiting for your name. Your teachers, training partners, and family are surely clutching their hands in anticipation in front of the screen. The fact that you won one of the two prefectural slots is already a point of pride. So, please strike with everything you have. Show the ippon you have built up in Nara with your head held high. We send our full support to the summer of these three.
School Information
Kannabe Asahi（神辺旭）
- Official name
- 広島県立神辺旭高等学校
- Reading
- Kannabe Asahi
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Hiroshima Prefectural (Co-educational)
- Location
- Fukuyama City, Shinbe Town, Hiroshima Prefecture.
- History
- Opened in 1980 (Showa 55) in Tokuda, Kamibe-cho, Fuka-gun. Kamibe-cho was merged into Fukuyama City in March 2006 and is now Kamibe-cho, Fukuyama City.
- School motto/philosophy
- Our school motto is "Ichinichi Issho" (One Day, One Life). We embrace "Let us fulfill our duties before us" as our guiding principle.
- Department.
- General studies and physical education.
- Kendo Club
- In 2026, 辻康佑 (2nd year, 2nd dan) will participate in the boys' individual competition. He secured a spot in Inter-High by finishing 1st in the 79th Hiroshima Prefectural High School Comprehensive Sports Tournament Kendo Boys' Individual Competition on June 14, 2026 (the top two players in the tournament earned qualification). Although 辻昌孝 won the individual competition at the 2024 Chugoku Championships Hiroshima Prefecture Qualifier, he is a different player. We could not confirm publicly available information regarding the kendo club's history or national tournament results.
- Notes
- This tournament featured only male individual competitors. We have no record of female participation.
Kanazawa Sakuragaoka（金沢桜丘）
- Official name
- 石川県立金沢桜丘高等学校
- Reading
- Kanazawa Sakuragaoka
- Division/Category of Establishment
- 石川 Prefectural (Co-ed)
- Location
- 16-1 Ohi-cho, Kanazawa City, 石川 Prefecture
- History
- Established in March 1921 (Taisho 10) as 石川 Prefectural Kanazawa Third Middle School. In 1923, it moved to its current location in Ohi-cho, Kanazawa City. Following the school system reform of 1948, it was converted into a high school, and in April 1949, it merged with 石川 Prefectural Kanazawa Third High School and was renamed 石川 Prefectural Kanazawa Sakuragaoka High School. A new school building was completed in 2015.
- School motto/philosophy
- School motto: "Quality and Robustness"
- Department.
- General studies (from the second year, students divide into four courses: humanities, natural sciences, science, and arts).
- Kendo Club
- Won the 2026 (Reiwa 8) 石川 prefectural qualifiers to qualify for the Inter-High in the boys' team event (Qualifying League F). 竹津裕真 (2nd year, 2nd dan) will compete in the boys' individual event. No public information could be found regarding the history or national tournament results of the kendo club alone.
- Notes
- This tournament featured participation in both the men’s team and men’s individual events. We have no record of female participation.
Yonezawa Chuo（米沢中央）
- Official name
- 米沢中央高等学校
- Reading
- Yonezawa Chuo
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (Shino Gakuen Educational Foundation)
- Location
- 7-5-70-4, Chuo, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture.
- History
- Founded on April 13, 1922 (Taisho 11). Renamed to Mizawa Higher Domestic Science School for Women in 1927, and to Yonezawa Chuo High School in 1962, beginning coeducation in 1963. The new school building was completed and relocated in 1990.
- School motto/philosophy
- The founding spirit of our school is “Actions born of intellect are frivolous, actions born of sincerity are earnest.”
- Department.
- General studies (Business and General Education class, University Preparatory class), Special University Preparatory Course.
- Kendo Club
- In the 2026 men's individual competition, 嶋津蓮 (3rd year, Sandan) will participate as the Yamagata Prefecture representative. Participation in the team competition has not been confirmed in this tournament, and past national tournament results were not found in publicly available information.
- Notes
- This tournament featured only male individual competitors. We have no record of female participation.
・National High School Kendo Tournament Official Website (Tournament Updates) ↗
・RCC China Broadcasting 79th Hiroshima Prefectural High School General Athletic Meet Kendo Individual Results (June 14, 2026) ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Kannabe Asahi High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating School Library Kanazawa Sakuragaoka High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating School Library Yonezawa Chuo High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Wikipedia Hiroshima Prefectural Kannabe Asahi High School ↗
・Wikipedia 石川 Prefectural Kanazawa Sakuragaoka High School ↗
・Wikipedia Yonezawa Chuo High School ↗
・Let's Kendo [Matchups] August 2nd - 5th, 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament / Nara Inter-High 2026. ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- Block composition (No.1 辻, No.2 竹津, No.3 嶋津), the first round being No.2 vs No.3 with No.1 as the seed, and the first match area = No.1–24, Part a = No.1–48 were confirmed directly from the bracket table in the official PDF "R8 Nara Sotai <<Men's Individual Event>>".
- The names, prefectures, schools, grade levels, and ranks of three players are available in data/2026/kumiawase.json (based on the official PDF).
- 辻康佑 player won 1st place in the individual male category of the 79th Hiroshima Prefectural High School General Sports Meet, and the top 2 players qualify for Inter-High – RCC China Broadcasting article (June 14, 2026)
- Kannabe Asahi’s founding year (1980)・location・general course and physical education course・school motto “Ichinichi Issho”・behavioral goals are on Wikipedia “Kannabe Asahi High School, Hiroshima Prefecture”
- That 辻昌孝 and 辻康佑 are different people is found in the Notion participating school library “Kannabe Asahi High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary” and kumiawase.json’s name_note.
- The founding year of Kanazawa Sakuragaoka (1921 Kanazawa Third Middle School), history, school motto "Shitsujitsu Goken," departments, and location are on Wikipedia "石川 Prefectural Kanazawa Sakuragaoka High School." The boys' team qualifying league F appearances are in kumiawase.json.
- The founding year (Yonezawa Chuo) (1922), the establishing corporation (Yonezawa Chuo) (Shiino Gakuen School Corporation), history, founding principles, departments, and location are on Wikipedia “Yonezawa Chuo High School”.
- The pronunciation of the school names (Kannabe Asahi, Kanazawa Sakuragaoka, Yonezawa Chuo) can be found on each school’s page in the Notion participating schools library.
- The individual competition qualifying spots being limited to two players per prefecture is consistent with the combination table structure and the RCC article stating “the top two players qualify for Inter-High.”
- Note that the players' middle school records, training details, and personal characteristics could not be confirmed through publicly available information, so they are not described.
- Note: The ranking of 嶋津蓮 in the Yamagata Prefecture qualifying tournament could not be confirmed from the published results of the Yamagata Prefecture High School Sports Federation, so it is not described.
- *Since the readings of the players' given names have not been confirmed, only the surnames are read in the video audio. The readings of the surnames have been confirmed as 竹津=Taketsu (Japanese Surname Origin Dictionary; approx. 470 people distributed in 石川 Prefecture) and 嶋津=Shimazu (most common in surname dictionaries).
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.